The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-04-30
VALVES AND PRICES.

That labor produces values il one Of the maxim
Of political economy und II Is con tended by Adam
Smith and his school that The real value of Thin
Isto be found in the labor requisite for lis produc
lion.
Ii seems 10 be overlooked that the term labor Il
one Of an indefinite Specification. Yet it is taken al
though II had fixed unity OF meaning.
Labor in Itself Is not principal but an agent u
The production Of values. Let tis go to the begin
nng.-vLabor foolishly directed may produce moth
ing, let II be ever SO active and perseverng II Il
10 the intelligence which directs il that labor owsss
productive faculty.
mere material agency dealing with material
things, the spirit Of man must be transfused into
both agency and substance before the credifoH OF
value can take place. horse or az OK u stronger
Than man, and can do more labor IN me me-
chan.cal sense OF the term but not all the aoor o.
all the animals that ever went upon fonr eet eouia
create one element oil value unless dHteleu py u
higher than animal intelligence.
Labor then In itself is not measure OF value, nor
In itself producer of value Nevertheless, without
Il no values could be produced. 1t is the agency
which blends mind with matter; which conloins the
quiekening intellect of man with the substances
OF nature; which iniises soul into inert elements,
and imparIs usefulness and beautyto The crude ma
ierials ont of which all those things IRE made
which human wants and comfort and convenience
require, as civilization advances from one stage 10
another.
When intelligence applied 10 the production OF
values, mas invented machinery by which vast in
crease Of productive power Is obtained, the values
thus created by the union OF intelligence with the
material agencies which il has put together and
which II controls, are 10 be estimated by the whole
aggregate production Of The new force. The prices
OF single articles thus produced are greatly dimin-
ishei from what they were when produced by hand,
and II the view We're confined to that SORT OF Illus
ia'ion II would appear as though increased nelli-
genee applied TO labor had leasened the value OF the
product. But the truth is far Otherwise. The de-
gree OF intelligence that enters into labor enlighten
ing and directing IL 10 useful ends, constitutes The
measure, because il constitutes The element, OF value
In the products which are Us results.
But this is mol tangible definite standard. True
IL IL mol. Nor there be any so long as deas are
not capable OF being estimated by ayoirdnpois, OF
gnnged as round or square. In proportion as we
rise from The physical TO the spiritual elements Of
being We approach those which are more and more
powerful, yet in the same ratio more and more be-
yond cognizance or tangible estimation.
u IS usual 10 apply the term labor to one species Of
labor only-the labor OF the hands. The man who
digs with spade upon a canal is called a aborer
the engineer who plans the work and directs Is not
called laborer. But this restricted use of the Term
10 calculated to deceive. In another sense, TOO,
there Is wrong meaning attached TO the word; II
Is often used as implying work that Is oppressive
hard. No work is oppressive .or hard into which
willing mind is thrown, nor is any work easy into
which willing, mind does moi enter. These are
relative terms altogether, Activity is one of the
characteristics Of life; il pertains TO the essential Gle
ment OF vitality. man who has intellect and en-
ergy whether In greater or less degree must be
active miserable Ii is the restless ceaseess i'm
action SO impelled, is but another name for labor
But there is, indeed one sense in which labor may
have The characteristic Of hardship-and unfortn-
naiely II Is too often applicable. II is when the
humber kinds Of labor find no friendly alliance with
superior intelligence, but made Its instruments;
where the remuneration Of subordinate labor is
stnied and grudgingly given; where constant occu-
patton Is necessary to obtain bare subsistence and
lie becomes one UNMARRIED round Of toll The great
problem of civilization lies here. Slowly but surely
II must come to pass TINT the faculties with which
man Is endowed be they humble or great may be
brought into full and useful action without that dis
tortion, suppression and pain, which now too often
mark the workings Of the social and Industrial sys-
ten Certain faculties OF asluteness, sagacity and
TACT not the highest by far in the standard OF human
worth and greatness acquire nscendency because Of
Their adaptation 10 money making pursuits, and in
the grasp Of such the labor which cannot have the
benefit OF such efficient combination is likely to suf
Ter. Nevertheless, there is real affinity between
The hgest and The humblest forms Of labor, between
The highest and the humblest faculties and ont Of
that affinity and mutual dependence the solution Of
The problem referred 10 is likely to arise by gradual
steps.-Bait. american.