The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1847-03-19

e6Qu0hUy uutOuCuu W tHis udy, put laws 0H-
acted under il by the legislature, and sup.
ported by the courts, have struck that letter
dead. Section !, Article 8, Bill Of Rights
declares that all men are born equally free
and Independent, and have certain natural,
inherent, and unalispable rights; amongst
which are the enjoying and defending life
and liberty, acquiring, possessing and pro-
tecing property, and pursuing and obtaining
happiness and safety.
What is property? Itis, says Blackstone,
"that sole and despotic doninisn which one
man claims and exercises over the external
things Of the world, in total exclusion of the
right Of any ether individual in the universe" :"
2 Blacks. Com. 2. This property is the &C.
QUESTION by means Of human capacity, phys
ical, mental and moral, exerted by each man
against the other man within his circle Of ac-
,ivity. II is by bis own power chiefly that
he is able 10 realize The actual possession
and enjoyment Of those objects Of use, Of
qualification and comfort, which are known
as properly. Now then every man who
comes, like the masses Of our people, naked
into the world, has the constitutional, united
to the natural right to fair and equal CON-
petition, by the vital and sound letter Of our
constitution. But that right is a mocksry in.
stead Of living and valuable inheritance. -
What man unless he be favored son of Ger
tain privileged order, has any fair and equal
chance for the acquisition ofproperty in Ohioi 7
| hope this question will find an echo in ey-
cry habitation, from the remotest cabin TO
the sta,elest mansion, aud then hope it will
receive an answer pregnant with boundless
blessings 10 the people. But proceed with
the argument.
The faculties Of individuals are practically
IN this state, subardhated to corporations Or
ganzed by The legislature for the easier ac-
eunulation of property. The public good
10 a sheer preiext devised by private cupid.
ty. The natural man has only the use OF his
own means. and his own body, and his own
mind. With these he must acquire, OF not
acquire property, and in that undertaking he
is compelled to encounter the opposition Of
those formidable creatures Of legislative
power-denomnated Banks These banks
use the bodies and the minds and the means
of the corporators. But the two first ele-
meRts are secured by charter against death
or disease, or accident for time; sometimes
Indefinitely; and the latter is absolvcd from
the ordinary risk of loss. Here then we
have the struggle Of existence for the same
objects, most unfairly and unequally carried
Oh. The artificial creature has the advan.
tage in the contest, Of longevity, if not Of
Immortality, and the superior advantage of
aquali6ed exposure Of its property, besides
other privileges Of organic structure, and the
supreme advantage Of the use of the two mil
lions Of the public money, and the conse-
quant advantage Of indefinite credit both pri-
yato and public. Who is there to wonder
after this, at the prodigious profits of banks
brought on by temptation, which finds neith-
srpersonal virtue to resist il, nor individual
responsibility which might disarm it2 Who
is there that has no heart to pity the man
who encounters the rivalry of such antago-
Risis' 1t is an ignominious shame that any
such terrible condition of humanity should
be the voluntary act of rational beings. That
life should be an encounter forever between
the unarmed and the armed CHAMPION
Look, Mr.. Speaker, at a homely picture
from ordinary experience especially where |
live in the black forests Of the North West.-
Two men dispute and quarrel, and agree 10
60 out and settle the matter in fst-fQhi. III
the cOmbatants are we'll matched very ex-
sitting time may be anticipated, and for aught
know or care, as much good as harm will
be the result. "Let the hardest fend eff" is
the law ofthat equal field, and strong arms
buffet each other with lusiy sinews, and
with proud hearts Of controversy. But sup
pose that one Of these combatants had armed
himself with knife, (only an artificial add-
tion to his strengtb) how soon would the
sense Of aversion and disgust pervadc the
crowd. The least child peering between
the spectators legs, at the unequal conflict
would cry "shame," and the nearest man
would knock the villain down.
MIR. SpeSkei, in the more arduous, be-
cause for years protrasted, strife of business,
we have the banker dealing blows with his
additional weapon OF privilege deadlier than
the knife; and at the same time clad unlike
cur back weeds champion, in coat of mail.
He is 3 Goliah with all his arrmor on, and
threatening the opposing hosts conlume-
liously with spear as large as the weaver's
beam. Alas! the age Of miracles as well as
the ago Of chivalry, which precede the pre-.
sent age Of sophists, economists and calcu-
iators, is gone, and no David has yet been
fsuad with the sling Of reason and the stone
Of truth TO smite the great monster Of our
day to death. Aye, Mr.. Speaker, and this
unequal contest of the natural man, against
the armoIed and armed adversary, Is NOT the
rare exception begottsu by accident, but the
established order Under the ssnction of legis-
tive enactment BY our own laws, our own
LAWYERS, and our own law-expounders, and |