Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-04-28

SOCIALIsN.-We need hardly remind the
Stars readers that many of its columns have
been devoted to the work of exposing the fallacy
of the reasoning of pseudo Northern philosophy,
which holds that the existence of African sla-
very in community necessarily depresses
white labor in its midst. On the contrary, we
have contended that the effect Of its presence is
to better the condition of the white man en-
gagged in callings requiring the labor OF his
hands We hold that the labOrer and mechanic
at the south is far more Independent in truth,
than at the North That his wages are better
and his employment surer; and that such q
thing as absolute physical suffering on his part,
from want, through sickness, or an impossibility
of finding employment, to the extent of driving
him upon public charity for relief, is utterly
unknown, If he be honest, sober, and indus
triOus; while at the North, we are sorry to say,
such occurrences are by no means untrequent.
We hold further, that the laboring white man
at the South is, emphatically, his own master
in all his relations in life as independent in
his spirit, character and position in society, as
the owner Of a hundred slaves. There, he is not
the slave, as at the North Of associated capital,
to whose behests he must bow implicitly, whether
they direct him to conform his manners, his re-
ligiOn, his habits, his politics to the views of
PrOpriety entertained by the owners Of 4" the
mill in which he labors. He works fewer
hours at the South, receives more pay per hour,
and. if he be prudent, lives more comfortably
for less money than at the North. In fact, he
is not only q sovereign in the eyes of the law,
but an independents freeman in all his relations
to sOciety-as he is not at the North.
Our friend, George Fitzhugh, Esq, of Vir-
ginia, who looks philosophically into all such
questions, has in more than one work powerful
ly exposed the tendency of society at the
North-of what they term progress there
to the concentration of all political and social
power and influence in the hands of associated
capital, at the expense Of labor; showing at the
same time that the true interests of the latter
Qsbor) are more scrupulously conserved in the
bosom of slayehOlding communities. His pub
locations to that end contend that in non-slave-
holding communities the tendency of the times
Is to increase the slavery Of labor to capital
That, instead of bettering the actual condition
OF labor In its midst, the so-called progress "
OF the age has increased its dependence and
steeled the hearts Of its lords against it's neces
sites and rights. Being to some extent be-
lever in the soundness of his conclusions. we
are glad to have an opportunity of aiding him
IN bringing his views before the public; and
and therefore spread before the Stars readers
to-day the following letter from him, and the
eloquent letter from the pen of Horace Greeley
upon which it treats:
WASHINGTON. April I9, 1857
9Is II .
ago we received a copy of a pamphlet containing
the discussion between Horace Greeley and III. =
Raymond, on Socialism. We are indebted to the
politeness Of Virginian, ~ F. CabelI for this
work. For six years past we have I'm vain en-
deayored TO get hold of IL. We applied TO gen
tlemen in New YOrk-Stephen Pearle Andrews,
H. }. Raymond, Col. Webb and Mr. Greeley for
aeoPy. Each gentleman replied to us with
PromPtitude and pOliteness for which we are
grateful and return our thanks, but neither could
supply the book IL had been burned at the
HafPers'. Eureka Eureka! we have found il
VIII people, North and South, read the first let
ter OF Mr. Greeley and say whether he does NOT
expressly assert the failure of Free Society and
propose It's reconstruction? We charge more
Not only does Mr. Greeley, the Socialist assert it,
but Mr.. Raymond, the Conservative admits it,
See what IN the preliminary to this discussion
they jointly subscribe:
Social theories and plans of general reform |
are daily acquiring new interest, and gaining a !
stronger hold on the attention of the public The
parties 10 this discussion hope that il may not be
guiding TO benefcent results the active beneyo-
lence OF the present age, as well as in keeping its
projects within the limits OF sound sense of Strict
morality and the Imperative exactons Of Chris
Idh PIlhclpie "H. J. RAYMONp,
"H. GREELEY
Now. we wholly differ with Mr. RAYMOND and |
MI Ofeeiey as to the proprety or necessity organic
changes at the North. The despotism exnioita
ton or exaction Of capital, and the monopoly of
land drive the Ignorant and landIess west where
they may become proprietOrs and il is better to
DE proprietor than a slave No, Free Society !
Is no failure IN the North. and will not be so long
a. mere are unsettled lands between the Atlantic
ana The Pacific. But personal s.If-reSDect re
CURES US to substantiate our charre i'm annih,i.
WI thdt every leading AbolitioniSt maintained
the failure Of Free Society befoe we did and CIR
ned the doctrine further ihan we
We shall ask the Star to publish This I'm, sb,u
not expect il to open its columns TO futnre contTo
sesy. Inc subject Is of vital Importance IN !
mankind, and We invite discussion i'm Sc eDbs
M I-Id IoIm thdn the columns of a daily paper
we should prefer Northern paper as our med tuno
On this occasion; but whilst in ali otber matte.
we nave many thanks to return for the generous
courtesy OF The North, they will never pubIisb
a. ana re- publish what we write, we think because
HcIPoses them to self-conviction
Mr Greeley is the great editorial leader of the |
.PPosItlon' and, like its great political leader
NJ seward, he cOntemplates and jnyokes mo-e
@ Inah political change, more than reyolution-a
vo,.' 'Uvta' TdnsittoH (which its eloquent ad-
stei Mf sumner, intimates is to be brought
apout Oy "a strife more than foreign more than
SIe'dt' more than civil; but something compound
~ Oi ali these strifes, and in itself more than
f.ir,,io ne opposition is socalistic, the admin
d!on conservative; and il Is to prove and illus
''SIs ,, THIS that We cite Mr.. Greeley
annex MI Greeley's first letter. which is
hiShly creditable alike to his heart and head
he'Pecfaily, GEO. FrTzHusH.
From the Tribune, Nov. 20, 1916.