The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-09-14
VIRGINIA DEMOCRACY.

We find the following article on the relations
Of Capitol and Labor, in the Lynohburg Va
Republican. We commend it to that class Of
Northern Democrats who boast of tber
Irrational platform" The Lynchbmg editor
but gives the prevalent idea of what is deemed
the proper relation of labor to capital in Viz
ginia and the South. Democracy means any
thing but freedom and equality south of Mason
and Dixon's line:
1.-THE Great Social Pr0blem.-In the Jaly
number of the Edinburgh ReTiew there ia On
article under the above caption, in which the
relations Of capital and labor are discussed
The view there taken Of those relations and
the means suggested for harmonizing the con-
f,ct between the two great interests, furnish
material for most interesting and anxious II.
Election. From time immemOrial there bss
been war between tho capitalist and the labor.
ing man. They have hitherto shown then
selves implecabIo enemies. No contriyaneed
statesmen, 10 hberality Of compromise, hes
aVailed to create harmony and friendship Be.
tween the two. Indeed, the difficulty Of recon-
Cling them has continued to increase. All
the humanizng tendencies and institutions Of
our age have added blaekness and fury to tire
gathering cloud The feverish unrest e oil
Christendom, the reckless and bloody reyOlr
tons that have shaken the earth to it, rocky
centre within the last five years, the blind wCr
chip Of humanity, the abolitionism and womans
rights movement OF our own country and the
chartism, communism. and strife for liberty
and equality of tie old world, are bat difs,5at
phases of the great question-branchcs Of the
awful problem presented for solution by tbs
same coRiiict between capital and labor.
"And is there no solution--DO harmoniLrg
remedy? Is ceaseless and angry strife 70 he
the social lot Of man 90 the end Of time Are
nations and continents to continue forever bell
ing in this vast caldron-forever torn By tbs
terrific volcano? History hitherto would seem
to answer afhrmatively. Many good and Wis
men have ceased to grappie with the difficulty
and mournfully adopted the gloomy belief that
the task Of solution was hopeless and faT lie.
yond the ken of mortal wisdom.
"But let us esk ourselves whether labor IL
or should be, inimical to capital We cannot
believe that it is. All history proves it, in enc
sense, inferior to capital; but there can be no
inherent and irreconcilable causo Of strife be.
tween the two. Woman is inferior to nan.
God and nature declare tho fact; but where
tho cause of quarrel between the twol Tie
child is inferior to its parents; but no war can
grow up between them. In these last cases the
inforiofity and subsection have ever bcoa rec0g-
Missed. Not so with capital and labor. They
have never cessed to fight for the mastery, and
they NEVER will, until their true relations are
recognised and acted upon by society. If thr
were dono, their clashing interests would b.
harmonized and made identical. How, and
where, is this done? We answer, that it is &C.
complished by slavery as it exists in the South
ern States. Here the interest Of the master IS
that bis slave produce as much as is consistent
with his health and happiness; and it is the IN
terest of the slave that he obey his masters JAZZ
requirement, and thus secure himself against
punishment and want. The slave is guarSn'
tied, out of bis earnings, comfortable support
through life, and thus relieved from that d.
tracing anxiety which makes the EuropeaA
laborer miserable all his days"
n
"There never was yet case in which tho
holders Of power did not use that power TX
their advantage, and for the oppression OF ias
minority. Give the working class of EoglaDd
control of the British Government and they
will, as this writer says, use it for the polh,.
cal subsection and virtual disfranchisement Of
those who have hitherto beon the sole rep0sl0-
ries of power-the capitalists of the country
And this danger is the danger of every nation
whose people do not recognise the dependence
of labor upon, and its subsection to, capital
OF every nation which docs not hold dOmeelI
slavery to be one of the great foundstionsl aal
indispensable institutions Of society. Sls'GlJ
ID the cornerstone Of oVr republicanism, Shl 9
our greatest protection against those cures y
fanaticism which already sfflct the NoTtnx
States of our Confederacy. Slavery is the q
peace-maker between capital and labor
IN word, the most conservative Of all our j.
stitutions"
The above article embodies tho essence ',
the " Democratic platform" as it is undeFs'''1
By the party in power; and MIR. Caleb CusO"5'
the Attorney General, is pledged to oiu'l
ont" every feeling of hostility to it when Ii'D.
tests itself North or South. It is en'irey -
harmony with the impudcnt assertion oil oeua
tor Petit, that the " selfevident" freedom An'
equality of mankind, proclaimed by the De0.1
ration Of independence, is selfevident Ne
Il would be curious to trace the gradual ~
cay Of the spirit Of freedom in the South .
well as with that portion of the Northern PS1
pie who are aptly designated as dOughlS0'7
They have not suddenly jumped TO the deg''