Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1849-05-04
Letter from Mr.. van Amringe.
| CONCLUDED

Letter from Mr. van Amringe.
CONCLUDED.
It one in which all were interested. So far
from denying the right of property, asserted the
free right of all TO the use of a limited portion of
Earth, condition in which wealth would remain to
the mertorous producer; and | showed how, in
the present constitution of society and the depriva-
Non Of the right of the TO tho use of por-
ton of the soil, the landless millions we're brought
into subsection TO the few.
Mr.. Brunson in his next half hour, referred to
my former lectures at Lancaster, and at Madison {:
said that wished to 90 back to the Mosaic or even
the Feudal period, and that l was opposed to all
machinery and commerce. He then drew a pic
ture of the wealth produced by machinery for En-
gland, for Europe, for America and of the advan-
tages OF commerce; and of the manner in which the
United States were increasing in power and intci-
gence by machinery and commerce; and asked if
were willing to forego these advantages and re-
turn to savagesm or barbarism.
| replied that had referred to the Mosaic law to
prove that both nature and revelation made dis
tinction between the right to land and the right to
personal property. Moses had laid down principles
leading to a limit in land but not to a limit in per-
sonaI property. In Numbers &c, "a, there was a
command that to the many, greater amount of
land was to be given than to the few; and in Lev
%, %, there a right Of redemption for land
But these laws were not enolned with regard to
personal property. Regulate the right to property
in land and personal property will regulate itsec
had also referred to the Patriarch and Feudal
systems to prove that land monopoly, in those ages
Of the world did not work out its worst results as it
must in commercial age. Because in the patriar-
cha system the members of the partriarcha! fami-
~ were connected by ties of blood marriage or adop-
ton; and if one had abundance the others were not
permitted to suffer. So in the Feudal system, the
lmpcrltor COR Monarch and the Dukes, Marquiscs
Counts and others, who held the land maintained
large rctnue, and the members Of the feuda sys-
ten connected by ties of allegiance and pro-
lection; we had all heard of baronia hospitality.
and such hospitality was in that day not only nc
ccssary for distinction, but also for the defence and
safety of the land holders. But IN commercial
times it is different; the working man is a mere
cpg ITO a machine. traced the progress of paupc-
mcnt' in machinery; showed tho condition of the
working people in England, III New Y DIRK, in Pitts
burg, in Chicago, and in all places, just popula-
ton increased and manual-labor saving machinery
was introduced As it is the fact that the rate of
wages is influenced by the ratio of the demand to
supply, then ifthcre no taxes and no national
debt. yet when the supply of workingmen is great
th,p thn rata Of ha
brought down to the mere prices Of the absolute ne
crssarics Of life and the surplus labour population
must be turned out to beg to starvc, to invade
tho property of others. This is the law OF causaton
in the Untnd States as well as in Europe In the
present false state of society, machinery makes the
nation rich and the working people poor ; it builds
palaces fo- the few, and miserable unhealthy te-
ucments for the millions. Nothing but our public
lands had prevented this effect being produced in
New England, as in Old England; and when ma
caincry would be applied agriculture, things would
be worse unless land limitation n reduced.
Alter had finished it was after ten O'clock and
it was moved by one of the audience that Mr..
Brnnson and myself should each speak quarter of
an hour OH Homestead Exemption. This was done
and the meeting then adjourned Till next day, Fri
day evening.
On Friday it showed and rained, and was muddy
and unpleasant, only ! or ) ladies were present,
and not more than hundred and fifty persons.
Ne late ia beginning the debate; for in con-
sequence of the unfavorablc weather, the audience
was late in assembling Mr. Brunson then wished
me to begin, saying that he had rather follow, as
by hearing me first he would better know what my
positions were. Icompicd.
In my address, asserted that Mr.. Bunson had
not spoken on Land Reform at all. lie had not
been near the subject. l laid down the position of
mans natural right to a portion of the earth, and
showed the consequences Of the deprivation of that
right 1t throws all classes into subversyc COM
petition, and makes it necessary for mankind to
worship Mammen; and you cannot love God and
Aiammon. i then showed the effect of over-com-
uc,iou upon the Mercantile community; and how
the large capitalist can destroy the small capitalist,
and the results of oyer-competition, upon the NOR
al principle, upon education, upon religion
showed also how wealth and poverty injuriously
affect the marriage ms tuition, and the phrenolog-
cal organization of the offspring of parents, placed
under wrong training by injurious circumstances
Each combination of society has tendency to
generate particular character, just as each tree
has a tendency to generate particular fruit; and
the fruit of the present condition Of society is dis
cord hate, sel6shness, and enmity to God and man
M. B,uson in his reply ailed5ci tha
had departed from all my grounds
That l had begun by being opposed to machinery
and property, but now l patted machinery
on the back and was for progress But
what progress ceud there belt you would con-
fine men to a small tract of land Some men could
not make good Of small tract, but others
would need large tract to employ their powers OF
mind. What would Gen. Taylor Gen. Scott,
with talents to command armies do small tract
What would an iron master do small lot He
would want to employ many hands, aud land limi-
tation would prevent such occupations. Society
would then go back and could not progress. He
said it would never do for the American character
there was too much enterprise in an American for
that; you could not conGuc him on a small spot.