The Kansas herald of freedom., 1858-03-27

mode Of reducing persons toslavery com
mands our appreciation or consent. The
right to property is every where conceded
and is most carefully guarded by law
The constitution of the United States
declares "that the people shall be secured
in their persons and property" From
what does this universal and wide spread
idea arise? There are but two ways in
which the right to property can be legiti-
niately acquired, viz: directly by personal
effort, and indirectly by inheritance
That he who has sown should reap is so
manifestly seen, that no reasoning would
make it palmer. If then the fruits of
ones labor can not be withheld from him,
it is still palmer that the means by which,
whatever is desirable is acquired, viz: the
person of any individual cannot be inter
fered with. From this 1t follows that the
right Of one individual to the services of
another is precisely the right which the
thief has over the horse of his neighbor,
his purse, or any other property belonging
to another.
Since, then, we are not able to see any
evidence that slavery began with the cre-
alton of man, or that it could have subse-
quen:iy arisen, except in the manner that
any man of superior power who is not
restrained by law, might now make a
slave of his neighbor. We are compelled
to look upon the injustice done to the
already oyerpowered slave. as in all re-
spects similar to the Injustice which
would be done to the freeman of to-day
were he forced into slavery tomorrow.
IF the foregoing reasoning be correct,
and we are not able to see that it is not,
It follows that he who sustains the rela-
ton of master to slave, is guilty of one of
the highest crimes known to man; and he
who justifies, apologies for, or in any
way sustains the relation, is as guilty as
he would be, we've he to uphold any other
species of crime. Having briefly ex-
amined the question of human freedom
let US now examine the question of COM
mercial freedom.
We lay it down as an irrefutable propo-
sition, that any interference with COM
,ooro;ol froodor,1 Ioos 70 Sorno avkaut
interfere with human freedom. 1t is
manifest that when any individual has
acquired an article of commaEce which he
does not himself wish to consume, if his
right to dispose of said article be inter-
fered with, the result is in some respects
the same as If the individual had been in
state of slavery while engaged in acquir-
ing the article in question. If the inter-
ference amounts to prohibition, the result
is entirely the same with this single ex-
ception. If the individual has knowl-
edge of the fact that the article cannot be
sold, he will act his pleasure about acquir-
ing it. In slavery he could not exercise
this discretion.
And the tendency is the same, how
ever great, or however slight the interfer-
ence. If this be denied, let us enquire
what is the object of commercial inter
ference or restriction upon trade. 1t must
be one of two things !; either it will cause
the article to sell higher or lower than it
| otherwise would. If this be not the case,
then it is not intended to have any effect,
and this latter is absurd. Let us suppose
the object is to raise the price of the arti-
Gle intended to be protected. In this case
the consumers right will be interfered
with to the extent the article is raised in
| price. If the article is raised to certain
price, one class Of consumers viii be OBJ
liged TO dispense with the article entire
". IF to another price. another class viii
be obliged to discontinue its use. and SO
on. If this be not an interference with
the rights of consumers, it would be diff
cult to conceive of an interference with
our rights. 1t may not be improper 70
enquire here. what is the object of this IN
reference
/ Il is very clear that the producer is moi
mainly at fault. If left to himself he
would be but the competitor of whoevel
else might produce q Ike article; ant
under this state of things an article car
not long sell for more than its real value
But Government steps in and causes |
certain tariff or duty to be imposed on |
i given article, thus raising the price, an6
irhposinga burden on the consumer Tn,
object of this Is two fold. It convert.
the producer or manufacturer into ; mo
/ nopolists, and fills the government sreasu
J. ry with the consumers money.
/ The result to the consumer is precisel,
what IS accomplished when so-callee
freeman or slave works for stipulated
sum. per day, or month; and at the enc
of each period pays over to his master !
sertain portion Of his wages, for which
the master gives no equivalent. Ys
this is not unfrequently termed eneour
| agement to home industry
i Let US now examine the case. when tn
i object IS TO lower the price; for not un
| frequently the advocates of the taril
system maintain that the imposition Q
duties has tendency to lower the pric
of the article npon which the tax IS laid
i In this case, the producer is obliged t
8 sell the article under consideration for les
than its real yalne. Here the produce
s. becomes enslavsd to the extent of the IN