New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-09-05
AabOr's Political Econo,ny-Lendon
Working gaen's Address

received by the last steamer from
London copy Of second edition of This
Address of the Metropolitan Trades Dele
gates 10 their Fellow Countrymen on the In
terests and Present Position of the Laboring
Glasses of the Empire" signed by their
officers, and printed in cheap form for gene.
raj circulation by the Working Prinsrs'
Cooperative Association. This documents
seems to US one of such grave and practical
Importance that we shall print i! rerbatins,
and ask for it the thought regard not Of
Working Men only butof all who make any
pretensions to the character of Economists.
Patriots, or even Politicians. lis object is
simply to show that the ESQ calledl Soisnes
of Political Economy. as taught in our Col
leges and expounded by the protested fol-
lowers of Adam Smith, Is, in some of it's
fundamental positions, bundle of mischie-
vious faNacies and absurdities, inyolginges
total misrepresentation or ignorance of some
Of the most important considerations and
principles on which q true Science Of Public
Economy should be based.
The Working Men of London have had
practical experience of the ancient policy
which fattened Land Monopoly under the
pretense ofProtection to National Industry;
they have since had fair trial of that much
vaunted Free Trade whose God is Cheapness
cheap production at home, undertaking
all competitors abroad, and monopoizing
the open markets of the world-all at the ex
pense of Labor, Home as well as Foreign.
of course; for how else are the artisans Of
other Nations to be undersold at their own
doors? The Workers of England repudiate !,
the Free Trade of the Econom SITS, but With
out manifesting disposition to go back to-
what is called Protection by the Landlords.
They are for Protection to Labor against
suicidal lnpetition-against in0rdinase
Cheapness-against both ancient and mod
ern tallacies. Again we ask the attention
of Statesmen as we'll as Laborers to their
urgent and Thoughtful
ADDRESS.
FELLOW CoUHTRYMEN There is not recorded
an in the history Of country nor indeed, tn
the hatory of all nations, whom the great ga bieotc{
the natural and social rights OF those who live by
means OF sheir labor waB required TO be thought
fully considered, 30 clearly explained, and so zeal
ously and faithfully supported, az the preseAs era
Intimately connected az we are with the interests
of laborers, by being members of that GLASS who
have to support Themselves and families by the
constant exercise OF labor and being entrusted by
30 many of our fellow laborers of this nation with
the great duty OF ascertajniag, az far rs we are
able, the great operating natural and social causes
which affect either bene6cialy or iojuriously the
condition and the prospects of all who are engaged
in labor, desire to call the earneat attention Of
all the workingmen of this great country to the
following declaration of our views?
On looking steadily and carefully at these nasur-
al sources from which the physical we'll being Of
all men, in every nation Of the world, is derived
we discern that none of the material productions
in nature, adapted either for food or for clothing.
for shelter for any other purpose, varied aud
and abundant though these materials are, can be
acquired excepting through the instrum entality Of
the labor of man. We diaoerp moreover, that lit
tie advancement could lave been made in the ne
ceasary, usetu, or ornamental appropriation OF the
crude materials of nasare if the efforts of labor had
not been made in separate departments of Industry,
or, as 1t ia called by writers on political economy.
the division and subdivision OF labor
The efforts OF laborers being thus directed to q
multiplicity Of empoymen1, each man undertaking
particular occupation for the purpose of enaurinG
| common and general object, which is, superiority
of production both in quality and quality, these
efforts of laborere have become united efforts by
reason of the productions OF each laborer being ra
ceived and exchanged by and with his fello " la
borers, the several productions thus becoming, by
this fact of exchange, the constituted meana by
which the aborers and their families are support sd
On considering anxousy the social prinoole
thus involved by the action OF laborers having be-.
come an united, and hence, a dependent action
the one being dependent on the other, by the fact
of exchange for the purpose of consumption Of
each other's produoion--we see rule or las Of
action ia indispepsaby necessaryfor preserving she
constituted right of the due enjoyment OF those
who have entered upon this conioiaed course Of
labor involving, as it does, productions OF comma.
dities On the one hand, and consumption of thena
on the other.
By looking carefully on the simple state of things
just alluded to-.he combination of the passive
matter of nature and of che active DO wer of labor
the elem ents OF the earth and the labor OF man
directed to educe, to alter, and to modify these
elements for uGe and conyenence-we SEQ toe
manner In which the interests OF man In social
a,ate are constituted. We see that man must, by
the conEtraining character of thoae circumstances
with which hin natural condition ia surrounded,
unite himself with bis netgh60r in order accom-.
pllsh any satisfactory and aucceasfui progresa or
acquire the possession OF those thinga that are ne
cesaary for bis comfortable subsistence A most
important question, arriaing out of the state of
things just alluded TO- 10 then presented 70 us,
which ia, who constitutes this neighbor with whom
the agreed union of labor, together with che ex-
change of productions resulting from it, takes
place?
TO this important question one right suawer, aad
only, .can be given, which is, ne who is neaTese
that H. a fellow countrynau. Wesee then,,hat
in the order OF nature rl0rtty OF copnection-pri9T-
Hy in the union Of labor priority in the exchanges
Of productions or in commerce, must spring up aad
subsist between men In that particular sphsEe
which thsy nhabit, this great eocial act snd prtn
ciple prevailing in every community of nations
By this courHe it ia that the connection Of family
with property is established
Seeing, thep that the priority of connection just
LII ofos,a nd az