The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1854-01-19
NO. XII

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practice, very different from its adoponby persoaal
sovereign, whose power practically, # not IN theory,
makes his viii the law ami enables him TO M uid a
system under it, of such form and operation ss to
promote his purpose aud e1ec; his designs.
The real benefits Of this original aw were never
entirely developed until the iu sovereignty of The
people was vndica'ed in this cnuutry, aud heir real
equality III regard 20 personal righs became pract
cal rule. Il then, and not Til then, that the
/ law applied 20 whole communities, IN which the
lands held by aodia titles, instead oi Feu'lai
ennres, and under ,s rule and influences, guided aud
applied by the republican doctrine Of equal hts and
/ equal protection among men, we behold The imposing
and glorious spectacle, Of scores OF millions OF people
nhabiting vast extent Il agricultural country, and
engaged in agricultural pursuits, in peace ana hasmo-
ny, without single political question Of "nd tenure,
to the general beauty of the scene, vcg the Coy
ernment, create single feeling ct dlsUst 0r doubt
10 sicken the heart weaken vhe haud OF he inde-
pendent and contepied !abo,iug farmer. Who can
contemplate THIS great pacotana OF national peace,
plenty and gospetity, and nCt he proud 10 love his
couuryl Who can partake OF this national bappi-
and feel its security and not ezoiaim 81 Laus
Deol'
Does any one in these days ask, whence cones this
title and value 10 land, about which the Kings aud
Governments in the world have been much itcVticd,
and for which so much suffering has been endure cd
ADD blood shed How did thcN originate! Scarcely
de- we hear such questions popcunded. The
farmers Of this country feel 100 serUe aaG cuGeatea
Q
industrious and happy !" iroahte themselves abnnt
the or gin and rhi.osoj hy oi ,hcr titles The ,houd
not be 50. Why, Because be who iabors on land
that be is proud cal! his own, does not, all hIs
pride uily appreciate the usefulness, and dlg-
atty Of his calling, un he knows tic origin aud
cause OF the law, b, virtue oi which. hr enabled
to say Of his farm. . Ihs Is nthe." Nor cln he
iuy appreciate the benefits, influence and results VI
the occupation wh hich claims MS daily TOLL untIl ue shah
know how and why hi- land, and almost all ,he .sio
Of the world, came To have a tatpe altNedto IT. it
me then say 10 my farmer friends, (an0 N.ud tho.
every agricultural iaborer IN thri,endoU coua leu.
me,) that all there ot 'aiae Your lands, ..U at.
the reason strength, io'co anG ohect al The 'a"s,
creating ans secuiHg the ttle by which you hDiG
and ,oasess lhem bay, their of,en in l4lorag,cG.-
tmaI Iahoi--shat knd - labor which ,ou daiy per
form. How so, arSv er, thal which produces, o.
may produce value has yaiuc. 1T is thus with al,oi
itself. 1t is thus wiki Labor and land united but noi
with land aione. Pass the afm o iab0r, ami
would there be any disputes about !ifm iines! No.
All the land IN the world would, 20 this day, have
been held in common, uucompu,cd by acres coin.
but for labor. WiIbeu; labor we should not have
been ooyeious Of the lands q! the tndian, on been
troubled by questions gToNns OH OF iadian treaties
for lands il is labor thai brings out Inc vahe of
land, and makes il tangible apd comI u.aLe. Yea
aii the wealth of the v.oiG, has iceH ~ the hand o
labor bfoue ht iuio action ou the surface ahd bowels
Of the earth, and the depths q the waters, bu. the
great mass ot Tire wealth @! the wol ID has been pro-
labor. 80 il ever ha- been, and ii over VIII be,
Hence labor, and labor alone, has given a value to
land. But hos did IL create tlte 10 land, answer,
bs comforting upon II value, cioating the necessity
lor protection b, law " here there isa yaluo, some.
BODY has a right, and /, Ae simple inle o justice,
he who produced the ane posSesses 'he right, aud
entitled 10 protection The capabilities OF uncultl-
ya;ed Land have, in consequence ot the labor al
Kind given it value. that when attached 10 land IN
whic.. no persua has 'sca IN cAciusiEe rchis
l.. ...ltl ri.
virtue of this value, aud the trustee 81 those vi hose
common labor has produced 1t, aad Who could not
otherwise receive any Of lis leneiis. Government, ia
virtue of It's sovereign power, ~h:ch ~ thlf country
,, thank God, in the people becomes vested with the
title and this it, OrlgiG--thc source whence ais
oders il foe, presumption de,ye their tides.
Thus that which designed hy wichedness a
instrument Of mans 0ppcss.oc, has been seized by
the hands Of Justice 70 he used IL au instrument OF
pIotecton and security To the individual Iight7 pf
man
Since then the world IS directly iuslehled TO asr-
cultural labor io, the food ard .aitnenl Of ts peoe
and ,nnecty or all is ptogtess and advancement IN
civilization, ia government and ~ all The ats aud
scenees--w hat, ash. should be the tine and ght
f position of the gIicuuial hD'er IN the list OF
avocations anon. mcDl Let lu,tcc oicale the ,ue,
end the answer would be " th@ i',t." Bu' uhat has
ieen his position ~ the sociai relations among men
in The wordl lie Who answers nom history y,
pcrience, should blush, and hesitate, and sfamnler,
while under the torture q: iiuih, ne wonld BE- con-
peici 10 declare The ngiatude ui ms race, and say
--' the lowest.
Justice and equity, truth and reason, MI teach thai
il IS the dot, of civil government, in all ;S DEPART
nens, cherish. 10 and, encourage and protect h,st
Of all iha, class al People without who" and whose
labor, thar orsanization known as the Sta,e,"
could not br---cond aaNe ne.,her origin coni,nu-
ancc Bot in times yast, all the deInlads iad
quiremen,s oi duty, disoga ded. while the hand
oi civil authority reached The labofer in the field,
ONLY 10 cLasi-e when it should have cherished, TO
take ,yher shoud have gwen, TO degrade when IT
should have elevated, and 10 oppTess " hen should
have protected. Where it should have dfused light
aad knowledge, il spr ad The dark veil Of ignorance
and supersiiiion When Ii should have presented tho
farmer the world the fast and creates, benesac-
tor To uank Ind sEurred hln as nenii, and struck
him a. shave " hen II -houl. have exalted tina
orcuna,on If re h,-t:,, d,ap tn, honorable
icu.r Inc ustl aud necessary, 1t aiased II as
The most se,y yie and dc grading
Amon1 the discoveries which that activity Of mind
frst excited b, aior, brought TO she world. vas the
art Of p,ntnr. Thdt whose light oould
shine ant shine toe, into the minds Of the people,
No cloud could obscure il orc BY u. the condition
% The t.ol e was hs deces reflected back rrOn tho
vision of the ueoplc. Truth cuboidened To ;p-
near in her own commanding and lovely form before
The oSes Of Al maokind. Reason gatiif'rd strength
lv the viz ityag etlulgencr of tbs light The scales
OF Justice were more CASTS adjusted, and her ss,o!a
struck with no,e certain accuracy, While .; s's'cu
ed with a. uuuou;cd pleam. Every viIue ani r'~ry
vice was subjected 10 inspection by this light i'"-
man tcmeriy rcntmed to expose hmnap 'ightS ih'te
n even before the eyes Of kings; and the por. q.
pressed and degraded child OF toll in the htd 1j
iast lis gmmefirgs g rs thion?h a glass, cJt-
iv," md hlt new impulse entcr hi- dakcned s"u'
tie who had beea the FIRST to be cnsk'yed. was tbs
last 20 hehoid this light, which should lead hiin ~
the way to feedom. He did behold Il, and his crrse
has ever since been in that way onwad--bot slowly
onward-nore slowly than ha, OF all others, because
his ,hraidon WAS deepest Of all, and his way most
embarrassed by distractions His time was most
full, talked. The ayails OF his labor was subject
70 The most severe and impovershIng exactions.--
Hi. position and the of his labor were the
most secluded from the means Of light His associa
tons were all with his fellows 10 degradation and ig-
norance, and unlike the a1zan, he mas denied TO
approach the precincts Of retnemeus Yet with the
aid Of this beacon of light he has, repeat, moved
onward, slowly Onward, overcoming or removing the
obstacles in hi. way. The world presented to
him new field, full Of promise and hope; and In
spirited by the aspirations Of his newborn thoueh's
and Il cengs he sought within il refuge and home,
where his life and his labor nigh be his o'E.---
From that time these thought and feeling never
lor a moment subsidized but s,ieng hened by associa.