The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-05-01

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gina was at that time substantially federatye sys
lem II was composed we have seen, OF a number
OF iitile societies scattered through the county each
with distinct organization, and proceeded upon the
principle OF leaving in each of these little local soee
lies all the power which could abide there and carrying
TO the great central society only much abso
lutey necessary 10 the ends OF social order IL rs mani
lest that The success OF such system presupposes very
advanced state OF civilizations strong conviction OF the
necessity OF society," and general disposition and vii.
ngness upon the part OF individuals TO submit to social
resans for possesses in less degree than any other
system the means OF coercion The general society
IN point OF fact, the creature OF the htte local societies
OF which II Is composed holding its powers by no other
tenure than their suerance, and stood to them very
much The same relation that the federal government does
10 lhe States OF The Union. IL is manifest that such
system however beautiful II may be IN theory, and sau
tary sometimes IN practice, not adapted 10 society
composed OF such elements the colonial society OF
Virginia 1t was altogether incapable OF maintain
ing lis ascendency and establishing general order
among people to whose tastes and habits the
restraints OF government and the conventional ar.
angemehts OF society were SO repugnant-who valued
Their natural rights than their civil franchises
and cared for nothing half much personal liberty
aud we accordingly find that these little local societies
resisted all encroachments by the general society OF
which they part, and maintained their independ-
ence and individual importance with the same resolution
and perlinacy that modern nullifer reslsts all en-.
rights of the States We doubt whether any society lay
ing claims TO civilization has existed, in ancient
modem times, where there was so little government and
the citizen enjoyed so large liberty, as in this early CO.
lonia society.
We have now shown, by an examination of its eIe-
menls that The early civilization OF Virginia did not favor
social improvement further anal ss will also show
II We mistake no that II was equally favorable to the
production OF reaM and progress IL material greanes
and we are now prepared, think to the ques
uon which has been repeatedly asked. Why has Vn
gnia, le her great natural aioays remained
SO poor In the beginning OF this article we remarked
that the population Of Virginia, from very early pc
Rod, divided into two great classes-masers and
Sidus The slaves were the producers and the mas
lers the consumes. The relation. as We know,
| nhSIsf haf,r ~
absolute control on the side and perfect sub.
mission on The other. The slave the property Of
his masler-as much as his OK, his ass. or anything
else that his he and his latest roseri,y bond
men, and like any other cnalte the slave might be sold,
made the subject OF devise beques and in OF in
'eslacy passed win the rest Of the lntesa,es estate
either TO the heir law the dslTbuee, according
slaves were declared 10 be realty personally for the
time being. There is relation, so far we know,
which has ever been established between and man,
either IN ancient or modern tmes-not even that OF lord
and serf-whch theoretically implies such absolute des-
polism on the one side, and serve subsection the
other, as that OF master and SLAVE Aud this the
la,on which prevailed almost universally in Virginia
between the Two great classes into which the population
of every country is neutrality-suspicious. and consumers
the producers were slaves and the their
masters AS we have already said such thing free
labor, independent body of aborers had that
time no place in the social system OF the colony It
not difficult TO estimate the influence which this fact
likely 10 exert over material progress History is full Of
admontion upon this point The great truth stands
recorded on every page, in letters OF living light,
that, part of tie population of a
country reduces The other TO subjecion and the
sy stem OF castles succeeds TO that OF classes, that
moment all further progress is al an end, and society
becomes stationary, il II does not retrosrade. Take
The history oil any people-it matters not what-and
you will Ind that the conquest OF class by another
and their reduction into subsection has been invariably
followed by orpor decay, while the periods OF
est progress have always been periods OF greatest emua
uon and struggle so certain is il that rivalry compeli-
ton, and effort everywhere the conditions OF progress
and Improvement You see this clearly illustrated in
Asatic civilization. No fail 10 observe the sim
picy and unity OF that civilization. II seems TO be The
development oil single principle, which has excluded
every other principle and taken possession OF society
IA sometimes the theocatc principle, IN India;
times the democratic principle the republic OF Pho
nlcia sometimes the despoc principle in Turkey and
Persia. In other quarters, other organizations have oh.
famed But the aspect OF eastern civilization IS every
where the same--lhe dominion of exclusive power
which admits no rival proscbes every other power and
takes into It's hands the absolute control OF govern
ment and society; the consequence OF which IS that
monotony, topor, decay, everywhere characterize that
civilization seems as If society, having exhausted It's vi
tai gies, about to lie down and die. How different
from this has been the civilization OF Europe Diversity
completely, emulation and struggle are everywhere mel
with IN It's history For the last thousand years has had
scarcely moments rest Its whole has been
and adventurous All the social elements-al classes
condiuons-every graduation OF wealth and influence
political creeds and religious creeds-powers temporal
and powers sprual-every conceivable form OF orzani
zaon--ibe heocratc principle, the democratic primer
pe the aristocratc principle the monarchlcal cple
all these diversified elements have been thrown together
In incessan rivalry each struggling for victory and none
ducIye and al the same time the conservative element
IN European civilization. Ii has been the time
the source both Of its strength and OF its glory. If that
CIVILIZATION IL superior 10 all others which preceded
~; II IT has done for the Moderation OF mans per
sonal and social condition; IT, after the lapse OF four
teen centuries, still retains all the ygoT of youth and
maniests no symptoms OF exhaustion, IL is because OF
that emulation and rivalry which have noticed. So
ciety has never for any considerable time fallen I'M
der the dominion OF any single principle no one
class has been able 10 conquer all the others
aud reduce them TO subsection but all have advanced
together and developed themselves side by side, amidst
undying leaousies and fivaes. And II IS THIS emua-
Ion between conendiug principles and classes-this
dese 10 conquer without the ability TO do sothIs effort
for victory unaccompanied by successwhch chiefly dis
tnguishes European from Asiac civilization, and gives
TO tue former its vast superiority. II obvious that
society thus agltaed by conflicting elements never
tall INTO repose and inertoess IL may, perchsnce, be
overwhelmed IN the storms OF revolution but can
sink into torpor and gradual decay.
Thus history teaches us that emulation and rivalry,
which liberty encourages, are everywhere the conditions
OF progress while that ethsgy and nertncss which fol-
low upon the subsection OF class By another lead
to siagnaon, II not dissolution, OF society And the
voice OF history this matter most others, but
the echo oil reason. The masses OF mankind not
amateurs IN labor. To induce them labor,
be addressed TO them, and general rule, the
OF exeIuon which they will make wall be IN pro
pofion 10 Tie weight OF the motives to which they
subjected This principle will scarcely be denied Let
then, apply st 10 the where the producing Classes
O cOunty Tree and independent, and next TO the
where they IN bondage and subsection or, to
nj TO the IN point let apply the pruc
pie the y,ems Of free ilbor and sdue labor, and
what result II gives II informs that that sysl,m
OF labor best, and will prove productive, which
supplies the labonr the strongest eyerou