Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1857-05-14
New Series Vol. III, No. 27,

| commonwealth must be pronounced on
the issues forced upon the country bv the
advocates oil human bondage. History
VIII record that verdict TO her endurinr
honor, or to her everlasting shame.
The repeal of the Missouri Restriction.
and the attempt TO force slavery upon Kan.
sas by fraud and violence, preeinitated
upon the country conflict between the
antagonlstlc systems of free and serviIe
labor. In the issue of this conflict is in
Volved the democratic character of our
institutions OF government, and the inde-
pendence, dignity and rights of the free
white laboring man and his posterity.
Slavery is the deadly enemy of free
labor. The two cannot co-exist on the
same field of enterprise Either labor
will vndicate its right to freedom, or il
will sink into dependence and dishonor.
Free labor is clothed with intelligence and
power. 1t stands erect in the dignity of
true manhood. 1t sustains by its energies
all the noble institutions of a refined and
perfectly developed social life. 1t is the
source OF our prosperity and national
greatness. Slavery is labor in ignorance
and chalns-a brutalized humanity, slim
ulated to industry by the lash of master
1t makes the laborer an article of mer
chandlse, without aim and without hone.
In the place of an intelligent citizen, ready
to defend with his life the honor and in
terests OF his country, slavery gives 10 the
State an ignorant savage to be held in sub
Jecilon. 1t endangers the social fabric by
converting It's great element of strength
into an implacabIe enemy.
Never. IN the history of partisan war.
tdre were men more unjustly and perseve.
rngly mlsrepresented than are the oppo-
nents OF the extension of slavery. This
arises In part from the intolerant nature of
slavery. and the weapons it is necessitated
to employ, and partly from the fact-so
0mnipotent has the Slave Power become
III our government-that support of It's
every demand is made the single test of
party fidelity, and the only road TO official
preierment. The citizen who dissents in
terms of earnest and manly protest against
whatever exactons Slavery makes, be-
comes thereby-in so far as the National
Government can impose disabiIities-al-
most as much an alien and outlaw as is
the slave himself R the freemen of the
North consent 10 occupy such subordi-
nate position in the government OF their
country, the spirit of manly independence
will be crushed out in their posterity.
Our sons will become submissive and
servlle race, stripped Of manhood and of
selt-respect The STAKEHOLDER, proprietor
OF the soil and master of the government,
70 tbnp
OF arrogance and power than he rules over
his hereditary bondsmen.
10 this condition are the non-slavehold-
ing whites of the South already reduced
They have to-day little more Of practical
power In the formation of public opinion,
and IN the affairs of government, than has
the slave. The same fate awaits our pos
terily, if slavery is allowed to monopolize
the virgin soil of this continent. It's the
inevitable retrbution of heaven on any
people that have not the courage and in.
tegrty TO maintain their rights 1t is not
true that The defenders of the rights of
free labor seek the elevation of the black
race 10 all equality with the white. They
do not propose the emancipation of the
slave, but leave that question, both as 10
time and the mode of its accomplishment,
with The States in which slavery exists
They wish to deal with this great and en-
barrassing evil in spirit of friendly for
bearance towards these States, but they
cannot carry their forbearance as far as 10
virtually become slaves themselyes-as TO
surrender the soil and government of the
nation into the hands of an arstocracy
founded upon property in slaves.
Free white labor has rights in the soil
superior to the pretensions of slavery
The slaveholding capitalist claims that his
property, being largely invested in slaves,
will deprecla!e, unless the field whereon
he can employ ii be enlarged. The white
laborer, also, has property in his labor,
quite as sacred and as worthy Of the care
Of the Governments; and where is the field
upon which he is TO make that labor prof
liable TO himself and family, if slavery
shall monopolze the fertile and virgin
lands of the West! Labor is depressed
almost to the starving point in the densely
populated countries of the old world, be-
cause of the narrow field upon which il is
imprisoned. The demand for labor is
small, compared with the thousands who
have labor TO sell. So it will be at no dis
tant day IN this favored land, unless we
keep our past public domain as sacred
inheritance for the free white laboring man
and his posterity forever. In the soil of
our extended empire, the toiling masses
have the only sure guarantee for their fu-
ture prosperity and independence. This
the cupidity of capital would take from
them; and here lies the real issue that the
Slave Power has forced upon the country.
1t is struggle for land.
On the one side stands the owner of