Lewisburg chronicle, and West Branch farmer. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1850, 1850-03-13
The Issue.

cieiy, in the North and South respectively
whose causes were planted in the Consli
tuition. There are two Incompatible and
mutually destructive principles wrough
together in the government Of this land
Hitherto, like Esau and Jacob. they have
s,riven together ir the womb. Now they
are born, ana that leud has begun which
shall drive the one or the other 10 the vii.
derness. These oppugnsnt elements, Sla,
very and Liberty. inherent in our political
ystem. animatng our Constitution, check
ering our public policy, breeding in s'etes-
men opposite principles CT government
and making ou. whole wisdom Of public
legislation on many oil The creates, ques-
ions crcsseyed aud contradictory, elements
are these seeking each others life. One
or the other must die.
We are in the midst OF a collision not OF
meu, but Of principles and political inslitu-
tons. The inevitable course OF affairs ha,
teen developing the results fer which pro-
vision was made, first 10 the organization
Of society, and then in The structure of the
Constitution. No harvest ever answered
more closely to the hus5andman's seed,
than DO our difficulties 10 the original sow
ing.
The North, adopting .he theory Of de-
mocracy, organized all her civil and IN
dustrial institutions upon that basis. Ev
cry man, the lowest, the least, the highest
and best. had one common platform Of
rishts. The South, adopting the theory
Of arls,ocracy, made two plaltorms-.he
one for the governed, and the other for
the governors. The one and the o!her
bagan al once TO exhibit their results. In
the North. labor vas voluntary, honorable
and universal in the South il was com
pulsory, and made disrepuiabc by beng
fastened upon an sbject class. OF course
the laborer had dheren. values. In the
North, ne was a citizen, capable Of any
honor, framing his own laws, making his
own rulers, and SO an lnier5al element Of
the State. In the South, hs neither voted
nor determined he had no rights he
was a slave. Labor and Laborers are
the foundation Of a community. The
strength, the virtue, the civilization OF a
must be measured by the con.
jtlon Of IFS laborers, and no, by the polish
IN its surface.
The whole o'ruc,ure OF society conformed
o these respective foundations,
The North pu, honor upon lis llborers
hey were trained in common schools /; /
hey became reading and rejecting men ;
penetration, forecast, persona
Independence, fertile resource, marked the /.
Industrial classes. Grow as rapidly as
he educated and the wealthy might, the
distance between them and the laborer
onsrsn,Iy diminished. There never was
lime when the bottom Of society was SO
ear the top as now.
The South, making labor disgraceful
ecessity, denying it education, compelling
not by these motives which are ordained
eal,hfulIy TO develop the man, but BY the
eye and lash, and educating
My her wealthy sons, has steadily wild
ned the distance between the top and bot.
1m Of society. Nothing can be more dis.
imilar than the tone and sentiment of so.
ie,ies so diversely formed. Liberty is
universal right belongs 10 men. on the
ne side; it is privilege. and belongs TO
lass, on The other side. The North binds
ociety together, Identifies its interests.
qualiles and kneads it. causing i, to grow
like throughout, and makes it strong by ,
he strength Of its individuals, and gives
o individuals the advantage Of common.
real. There can not be . commonwealth |
# Slavery. 1t is class.wesl and class.
wealth. The South hopelessly divides So
:iety puts her honors on ono side Of the
left. her menial Offices on the other.
rhe North eompacis and the South strait.
les. To educate the laborer is to do the |
whole State a benefit, IN the North to
EDUCATE the laborer is to strike at The foun.
ia,ions Of society in the South. We send
educators to the Governors chair and to
Congress. They Of the South send them
10 the peni,en,iary and the eibbet.
That the North and South have many
wants and many sympa,hies in common.
IS as true as that all men, the mos. oppo-
site, oppressor and oppressed. decei,er and
dupe, have great wants in common. But
in their foundaiion.ideas. their political
doctrines, their State politics. their concep.
lions Of public measures. they srs not only
but. for The most part. opposite
and oppugnant. States, so essentially dii'
Ierent. would end harmony rather in sep
araie existence, than in federation. Ye,
our Union is composed of,hsse opposi,ions.