The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1859-09-30

sovereignty in the world. | think q
definition Of genuine popular sover-
eighty, or in the abstract, would be
about this---that each man ahall do
precisely as he pleases with himself,
and with all those things which en-
clusiveIy concern him. Applied in
government, this principle would be,
that general government shall do
all those things which pertain to it.,
and all the local governments shall
do precisely as they please 10 respect
10 those matters which exclusively
concern them.
Douglas looks upon slavery as 80
Insignificant that tho people must
decide that question for themselves,
and yet they are not lit to decide
who shall be their Governor, Ju ige
or Secretary, or who shall be any OF
their officers. These are vast na-
tional matters, in his estimation; but
the little matter in his estimation is
that OF planting slavery there. That
is purely Of local interest, that no.
body ought to be allowed to say q
word about. Shame, | say. ZAP
plause.] It's absolutely shameful.
Labor is the great source from
which nearly all, if not all human
comforts and necessaries are drawn.
There is a difference in opinion
about the elements Of labor in socie-
~. Some men assume that there is
a necessary connection between cap.
ital and labor, and that connection
draws within it the whole of the la
Dor Of the community. They as.
sumo that nobody works unless cap
ital excites them to work. They be-
gin next to consider what is the best
woJ ~ hep .h~t pe'--- >" not rao-
pie to work. They say that there
are but two ways; one is to hire men
and to allure them to labor by their
consent, the other is to buy the men
and drive them to it, and that is
slavery. Having assumed that, they
proceed to discuss the question OF
whet er the laborers themselves are
better off in the condition Of slaves
or of hired laborers, and they usual
ly decide that they are better of in
the condition OF slaves.
In the first place, | say, that the
whole thing is a mistake. That
there is a certain relation between
capital and labor, admit. That it
does exist, and rightfully exists, |
think is proper. That men who are
in ustrious, and sober, and honest
in the pursuit of their own interests
should after awhile accumulate cap
ital, and after that should be allowed
to enjoy it in peace, and also if they
should choose when they have accu-
mulated capital, to use it to save
themselves from actual labor and
hire other people to labor for them
is right. In doing SO they do not
wrong the man they employ, for they
find rlen vino have not Of their own
land to work upon, or shops to work
in. and who are benefited by work
ing Tor them as hired latorers, and
receiving their capital for it. Thus
|, a few men that own capital, hire
others, and these establish the re,
lntion of capital and labor rigbt!ully
! A relation Of which make no com
plaiut, but insist that that relation
after all does not get more than one.
, eighth of the labor OF the country.
( The speaker proceeded to argue
u. that the hired laborer with his ability
t to become an employer, must have
. every precedence over him who la
, bors under tho inducemcnt OF force
He continued:
now TO WIN THE FIGHT.
, | have taken upon myself in th
( name OF some OF you to say, that W.
4 expect upon these principles to ulti
mately beat them. In order to do 80
| think we want and must have ma
tional policy in regard to the insti
\ tution of slavery, that acknowledges
9 and deals with that institution as be
. ing wrong. Loud cheering Who
ever deslrs the prevento Of tn
;. spread of slavery and the national
{ ization Of that institution, yields ant
Y gives up all, when he yields to an,
e policy that either recognizes SLAYER,
$ as being right, or as being an indli
: fercnt thing. Nothing will max
a you successful but setting up q poll
q cy which shall treat the thing as be
r ing wrong. When l say this, d
l. not mean to say that this genera
y government is charged with the dut
q of redressing or preventing all tn
wrongs in the world, hut ! DO thin
,r that it is charged with the duty {
o preventing and redressing all wrong
q to itself. This government is Q,
pressly charged with the duty Of pre-
viding for the general welfare; "
!. believe that the spreading ont an
| perpetuity Of the institution OF slav'
'" ry impairs the general welfare. W
q. believe nay, we know-that that
a the only thing that has ever threa
IN ened the perpetuity Of the Union
er self; the only thing that has ev'
y menaced the destruction Of the 60
- ernment under which we live, Is tn
in very thing. To repress this thin
it, we think. is providing for the gene
y, al welfare. Our friends in Ike
n tucky differ from US. We need U
of make our argument for them, b
to we who think it is wrong in all
Dir relations. or in some OF them at lea
W. must decide as to our own actio
he and to our own course, upon our o,
fl judgment. '.'.