The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-08-09
For the Camden Journal.
What is the true state of the World we live in,
and what the true relation of Man to Man7

These questions may he answered by every
man possessed OF good common sense, though
many may feel a dcllcacy in expressing their Sc
rorls thoughts concerning them. |, Mr.. Editor,
am straig ght-forward man, who is not dazzled
by the display Of wealth, who is not daunted by
the power of riches. In all parts in which |
lived and among all people with whom asso-
ciated (for in my lite time l have frequcnted
many places, and dealt with many persons,) |
was regarded as having very peculiar opinions
about the ways of the world, which differed al
ways from my enemies and sometimes from my
friends ideas, about the same affairs. On which
account men, in their sagacily to apply to 9TH
ers cpilhcts, which they themselves deserved
much more, have called me "a little eccentric" I"
Ny eccentricity, if closely scrutinized, will be
found to consist in less deviation from the true
course of honest and natural thought, than the
opinions Of the very persons who presume to stlg-
Matte me SO undcscrvedly. | will then give
YOU and the readers of your paper in plain prose
picture of the real world, leaving to the poet
or poetess to combine the imagination of beau.
tilul though not existing things with the harmo-
ny of metre, under the music Of which its incon-
sistcncy with experience might be concealed, and
its reader lulled into dream Of dcalism as false
and deceptive rs that into which the mctaphy-
Sit al speculatons of Berkley led him and his
followers. My present topics can conveniently
be subdivided; and without naming the mum
Der Of these subdivisions, Of the rest Of which
may treat at some future time, will now cx-
anime the most important of all: Tile relation
Of tie rich 10 tie o0or, or the dependence Of labor
upon capital, and capital upon labor.
Wealth, (which is capitaD when properly in
vested, affords comfort to its possessor, and is
blessing to humanity. Wealth will increase I'M
der proper management, and every increase lays
the groundwork of perpetual annual profit, not
only to the saver himself, but likewise to those
whose industry is set in motion by this new item
Of capital. On this account Adam Smith likens
the man, who by frugality increases lis capital
in single instance, and thereby makes it more
productive, to the constructor Of aims. house, in
which the poor are fed and clothed on the pro-
ducts Of his savings. Smiths remark accords
with the good sense of mankind. Tie poSscs$or
of capital which he has proftably invested, bene-
made to it, but also those by whom it is used,
and Ly the application Of whose labor its increase
is brought about. His workmcn are through
him enabled to support themselves and their
families. They are secured against all want, and
comfort and plenty attend their labor. Soul
inspiring must be the scene to man of noble
heart, when he witnesses the hum Of industry,
the song Of joy and the smile of contentment, to
which his wealth has given rise. And grateful
should the poor laborcr be, Who, when i'll want
of means to put his labor and skill into pro6ta
ble exercise, finds in this rich mans factory the
employment lie is in search of. lie is benefited
by the labor he bestows upon the capital Of an
other This is one side Of the picture. Let us
now view the other.
Is not capital .lso indebted to labor? How
does capital increase? How does man pos
sesscd Of capital well invested become constantly
more wealthy! By Tie assistance Of labor
This is the machine through which capital must
pass to enable it to increase. 1t is like the mill,
which by grinding the corn makes it the more
useful and valuable These fundamental prnci-
pies, from which l will hereafter draw my few
conclusive differences, can be best illustrated by
an example: Suppose a planter has 400 bales
of raw cotton. lie has also 10000 dollars III
vested in cotton-factory. The bales of cotton
and the factory are capital as we'll as gold or sill
yer dollars, since my readers know coin serves
only the purpose OF rendering the exchange OF
various commodities more convenient. In these
he has the two essential requisites for the fabri-
cation Of cotton goods. Even the agents OF ma
lurc are under his control. What else does he
want to convert his cotton into cloth, whereby
I 4 E,.-
denlly labor lie must have hands to attend
the factory. Without them his capital consist
ING of raw cotton and mills, if not dispo'ed Of
otherwise, is dead and unproductivc Labor
must cooperate with capital. BY enhancing its
value the workmcn earn their wages, and render
the capital formerly dead beneficial to its owner
and to themselves The value of the cotton is
increased by the capital invested in the mills,
which again cannot effect the productive change
they produce in the raw cotton, unless under the
supervision of the laborcrs.
We have now clear ,ew Of the dependence
of labor upon capital, and capital upon labor
A mutual relation exists between them. Tie
one is 50 dependent upon the other that their
mutual CO operation must be kept up, or both
are rendered useless and improbable. One re-
mark may add that must dispose lis to respect
the capitalist which is {: that he by his economy
benefits the human race, and, as every benciac.
tor should be cstccmcd is therefore entitled to
our gratitude.
The number Of beings born yearly in the
world exceeds the sum of those that expire
Every country is becoming more denscly settled,
Notwithstanding the emigration to unsettled
parts Capital is the great prop that must sup.
port the structure, and the increase Of capital
must be coincident with the increase Of people,
unless their wants will not be satisfied, and
famine will sweep them from the world. There
fore policy advises, and wisdom suggests, that a