New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-08-16

argumen. TO prove mans right 70 life; for dental
OF 1t would involve censure upon the Creator i'r
granting L. sgsiDst which it would DO imPlou' ~
offer vindicsticn. But, assuming ms rsn' :" ~, 20
conceded, | proceed ~ the consideration o. 40
right or rightful power Of society 20 Ge9rNc III
the means Of is enjoy ment- W nat are vi 10
mesns7 | Ibel coDsider sucn Only ~ az Ii1
pensable Tho frss 10 food the Secoha ~ Is'uou'
the third sheltar-cmbreciug secul.g so@'Is' 'uo
49,. ~ q bebiiab'e msnsion. tnese are a.
S.c,,aBc 10 toe riaht g. life or 10 IRE. do not
~asrn nv the term "eejlymeft P'eqsrre rAnnpi-
49, but mean simply use say, then, ths' i0ol,
rsiroent nd she.e- arc iodNpen1ao.e means 20 tn'
the risht 10 i've Has fociety tho rgRt or the
r,cL5,i Y,o,cer 60 deprive individual man oil Eaese
mSStBs7 Ia wo.ds, shall be answered no. a1d
tbe irourv VIII be ad3rcfse 20 ne, no DOUBT when
did society ever attempt 70 do this | answer
every dsV in u1Jfeln tnef, since society was or
sspized a. u nov l. rs Tc0ft0LS 20 una. ihnSs
that have become famiiir cease 70 stfihe us as
pecuhsr; aud Il requires thought and reelection %
get beneath the sudaco 20 digest ourselves OF
second nature; tortethe true operations Of causes,
which from, their fam isrity aud continued opera
tons are cipoaed CT LrGt to deny are ca1ees a.
all.
Ever since the LAYS OF society hsge permitted
Bone to accumulate 10 themselves, u tn6 EXCLUSION
Of othera more laud tosn they coQld use, pof.ol
of msnkind have bsen deprived, 70 some extent OF
fooc-the 6rst iu1is 9enEsb'o 70 the enjoyment oil
the RIGHT 10 HE. | sm tod that bat few have
starved. answer that some have; and That more
have not s not b. reason OF the cause belng IL
ADEQUATE il suffered TO operate 70 its results oct
because charity Ia some form has granted the loo1
10 vhich the individual wee egftYc6, a. product
of bis OWE ator IN the rig ht.ul occupancy and cGl
tivston OF 60 mach lsnd es would yield It, But
charity is rot giebi and he who lives by char.
ity does not live through the exercise Of right
Men Lever dtD0Hd charity either in the form Of
alnI or employ ment, az e right; and when Eoclety
says to the individual IRE 6y ck0rtyV you k2Ue
not land from Wtich % produce the means Of me-
the indiSicOs hes the right 70 reply, you have no
ngh.ful power to deprive nae o. land on which to
exercise the powers and feculties which God has
given me to produce the means 20 use independent
w and Dith0ut ckGg1y the right to live. Thls L
could co--ths would be willing and happy 20 DO.
But the reply has been hithertO unavailing. Solt
has been inregard 10 reiment; ana when am tod,
as before, t1st bat few have gone naked, again
answer that some have and if more have no. II
has not been because the means used by society
were inadequate IN their tendency, bat because
charity again, ether in aims or emp cyment, has
afforded the clothing 70 which individuals were en-
titled, as the proouct Of independent labor. Bat
no labor is independent when emplOE ed by charity
labor has 10 night 10 charitable employment;
but it has night 10 employ itself Independently,
upon 10 much lard az will yield the food aad rel.
ment indis peussbe % life or else the permssive
sentence Of the Creator that man shall till the
ground end cat breed in the sweet Of his brow, is
q mockery.
Sir, when we come to shelter, including habita-
bic mansion hat shall We asyl If this laws OF
the country or society were strictly entorced-and
that they not 10 again cole OF charity and 0ot
OF legal right-thore are now thousands In this X 3
public who would not only NOT possess the privi-
leee OF shelter or mansion bat would have not even
the privilege q breathing tie air Of heapen. What
are some Of those iswsi AS regards land, ons OF
them is th0t he rho hQsk dominion an the soil hath
dominion 10 The he0Uens. This is the maxim Of the
law upws ard the maxim downward lie, that he uhO
0uRs tic sU, face 0Was 10 tie center Of the earth.
Now where is the laIdess man to build his shelter
or mansion 7 On the unowned or unoccupied land
There is none. 1t is all owned or occupied, either
by individuals or the Government He can build
his shelter the land Of neither but trespass-
er, at best by suiferance and if the latter, he
does so not by tight but by charity. Shall he build
1t In the highway That would DO nuisance,
which would and must be abated Ii he build it
over the land of another-if that were possble-he
10 equally q trespssser, or tenant by permission.
and not OF right If he barrow under the land OF
another, the case is the same There is, them no
spot upon, dJ0rC, or 6ei0D Gods earth, where the
lsndless have the legdi right 10 she ter-an inds-
penGable means to the right 70 live. Bat sup.
pose he dispense with shelter-where has he the
r1ght-not as a trespasser, or by permissi on-to
stand ~, sit or lie DO Enl On the land of anOtherl
there he hes TO right. In the pu bic hlghway!-
there no would be tr0dden or over, or be liable
TO removal es a nuisance or q vagrant, Tnen,
wherever the landless may stand, sit, or lie down
to breathe, 10 rest, TO warm, or 10 slamber-he is
either tresPasser or dependant upon charity, as
the law now stands lie has no icgGk r5gM 10 do 50
onythe1e. II am told that these are extreme de-
ductions-thAt the Law is rarely so eniOrced-that
charity and hospitality mitigate the rigor Of the
law answer, that | am not expressing structures
upon or cersuring TIE charity or hospitality Of man
God only knows what the poor would do without
itl-but am speaking OF the rights OF man, aud
how those rights have been subverted-how the
mere tolerance, cksily or permission Of tho more
favored has been MADE 70 usurp the place Of those
rights. Aside from there, the law leaves the land
lefs man the right 70 no place wherein TO live TO
rest or to die and charity only lends him grave
IN which to repose whsn dead.
If The legsl organise Of society thus deprves
the lsndleIs Of the means OF Lie, how much more
must II deprive him of the means to enjoy or use
his right to freedoml What a mockery is the
sound or name of freedom 10 him who has the right
TO no place whefeOn to rest or where to die, but by
permii zion of another l would not be understood
70 mean that the landless have no Independence
that they are 70 be bent to base purposes or ends
far from il. | know there arc thousands of our
countrymeD, who have no home or abiding place
OF their own, who could not be thus sweryed or
bent; they would suller the chord OF life to be
snapped first but mean that they do no. possess
the means Of freedom 70 control their time and
labor, or TO enjoy their social and domestic rights
and relations.
When we come to consider the right of man to
the means ofsef subsistence, we approach directly
the inquiry what are those means They are the
means 70 produce the iood-,o produce or fabricate
the cothins-to construct aud inhabit the shelter or
mansion, necessary to the right tolive; and this by
bis own exertions, Independent upon charity, or
the permission Of any other and not only for him
selt but for bis family aso that the family circle
may be kept intact and not for the purpose merely
Of keeping Foul and body together, but for the fur
Their purpose Of seltimproyemeAt and culture, and
the education Of children.
The occupations commonly pursued TO those
ends, are either the mechanic arts or agriculture
he who exercises mechanic 1rt for sefsubsist.
ence, must have shelter for himself and family and
10 have 1t, be must have and on which to rost it
elte be will possess one Of the means 10 live not
lndnnonlanilN h.