Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-06-26

stocks; denied the rites Of legal marriage
working for no wages, working without hope OF
bettering their condition prohibited from
learning to read or write; owning nothing, un-
able to acquire anything, unable TO make
contract, helpless against injury; forever below
insult at the absolute disposal Of master,
who, as caprice or interest shall dictate, may
separate the man from the woman called
his wife, or the infant from its mother-six
hundred thousand human beings, treated as
mere animals, subscribing alone the luxuries OF
thirty thousand, and forever prevented by
these from obeying the law of progress stamped
by God upon human nature, forever doomed
by these to degradation, infinite, helpless,
hopeless what then, are we to think Of q the
experiment of slave society?0
Now, change this aystem. Deprive the
thirty thousand Of the power to use the six
hundred thousand, as they would use oxen and
horses. Make these working people free-free
to make contracts, to demand wages for their
work---to lay by their earnings-to purchase
a little property--to marry and give in mar
riage---to rear quiet homes. in which they may
shelter their families-to educate themselves
and their children. Protect life, limb, and pro-
perty, intheir case by the laws which bulwark
the thirty thousand who have SO long used them
for their own profit, and disposed of them, at
their pleasure. What are the results Children
are taken from the field and sent to school. Wo-
men stay at home and become help meets to
their husbands. Little cottages spring up on
every side, and in the lots adjacent, men,
unable to command fair wages on the planta-
tions of the rich, raise enough by reasonable
labor to supply the wants Of their humble but
contented households
Stocks, whips, and human auction blocks,
disappear. Churches, schools, and acad-
emies, begin to be visible; and everywhere,
indications are abroad that Justice and Freedom
have at last laid the foundation for q commu-
nifty of free laborers, self-sustaining, selfdeve-
oping, every day approaching more and more
the great Law Of Progress. Meantime, the
thirty thousand rich men are good deal en-
barrassed. Labor costs them more--they cam
not command SO much Of it-their plantations
probably yield less and there is diminution
in the quantities Of coffee and sugar exported
The Examiner will say at once, "the exper-
iment of free society has proved q disastrous
failure ~ and all who believe that the many
were made for the use and benefit of the few,
will concur with it. The Era says, the exper-
iment Of free society is signal success, and 30
will all say, who insist upon the greatest good
for the greatest number.
We might extend our view to the People
who work for their bread in Europe and Great
Britain, under the experiment of Free Soci.
ety"-of whom we know something by per.
sonal observation. The man who attempts to
assimilate their condition and prospects with
the subjects of domestic Slavery, is guilty of
utter nonsense, and scarcely deserves a serious
answer. But we have touched the point of
the Examiners argument, and shall leave it
this time with single comment upon the evil
dence it offers to prove that Free Society has
proved ga disastrous failure in Europe
namely, " the immense exodus of people from
the theatre Of its trial. Our country has
democratic institutions, stable Government
is very sparsely settled, has abundance of en-
ployment, territory, and resources, offers a
hearty welcome to all who may choose to come
and hew their way to fortune, and gives secu-
rity to all Central Europe and Great Britain
are densely peopled; their races have always
been adventurous, enterprising, emigating-
the former especially has been disturbed con-
stantly by political revolutions.
We should like to know how, under such
circumstances there could fail to be o continual
stream Of emigration setting towards this coun-
try. The reason assigned by the Examiner is
ridiculous, else how happens it that there is
scarcely any emigration from France, in which
the experiment of free society has been tried
for more than half century among thirty-fve
millions Of People?
But, enough, this time.
10 The Connecticut House of Represent