The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1860-10-17
Spirit Of 9tmotratg,
Republieanism and Free Labor.

8epubileaniSm and Free Labor.
Republicans, claim to be the especial
friends OF free labor. because they seek,
" Gong sessional acts. to exclude slavery
from the Territories. This is their friend.
ship for free labor, to take away from the
free white settlers inga Territory the right
OF solf-goyernmeas They would reduce
tbs slaborsr to ths condition Of serf nm.
der ths Fejeeal Government, while they
cry op.: ave are for Free Men and Free
Territory. There can be, properly, ne-
ther "free men, nor "free Territory" un-
Loss the people in a Territory are left per.
fectly FREE to.form and regulate their do
mestic institutions in their own way. sub.
ject only to the Constitution of the United
States, This Is the Democratic doctrine,
which isissoatedaand ridiculed by ouriop.
ponents Of. atlasects and parties. Demo
crats are, therefore, the only true and
sonsistent friends of Free Labor, Free
Men, and Free Territory.
Again. the Republicans claim to be- the
friends' Of free labor. on another ground,
namely: that they are engaged, politically,
id an irrepressible conflict against slavery
as il exists under State and Territorial
lava auAs Lincoln has alleged that ga
Aouss divided against itself cannot stand, F"
and "a Union of States, half slave and
half ffee. cannot endure" the efforts of
RsppbIican leaders are so directed as to
break zap the institutions of slavery, or
break down the Union If they could
anceesd in freeing every slave in the coun-
try, they would then complete tho degra-
dation, of free white labor by bringing it
in direct competition with the cheap labor
OF vagtsnt and psuper blacks. It is said
that If the slaves were freed in the South,
theyawould remain there with no tempta-
ti0n toemigrste northward. But. in that
esse, white men would be excluded from
anding0 employment in Southern States,
more e6ectually than they are now by the
institution Of slavery. But it is well
known fact that free blacks are restless,
discontinued set, with no disposition to
work unless compelled by stern necessity,
end prefering yagrancy to- any steady em,
ployment. If set free in the South, they
would swarm into the North like locusts
iht6E8yps, and Gil our iufrmaries, work.
h9uses and prisons. The Northern States
Ypnid bs compelled to enact laws to pro.
tsrt themselves from this ,infnx Of low
aid d6gradod population. lsslS. Z
I'd But the enactment of such laws would
he opposed by Repnblicans who bellows
with Giddings and Brinkerhof, in negro
equality. Instead of passing acts of ex
clusion, they would. in every State where
they had power, as in Massachusetts,
place the negro on q footing of psrfec,
equality with the white man. This would
never be done In the Southern States
eysnd they should pass acts of genera
emancipation. The free negroes in tn,
South yould then innndate those North
ern States where they would be welcomed
byswhite .msn-as citizens and equalss Tn,
rich and luscious fruits of Republican
Etshdship for free labor would then be
tasted by our white laboripg men and me
chanics to its full extent. II is difficult
to understand how any white man, with
thSss things staring him in the face, cal
vote for The candidates of party who's
svowed doctrines. as pnt forth by Lincoln
Giddings, Seward and Chase. lead inevit
s6aF 70 these results. The Republican
are. beyond question, the deadliest enc
mica 70 tha, Interests of the laboring whit
men, although they profess such arden
EFtAehnArt for them about election times
t-Ssdtsspsd,'. :. s,s-rf ~ ), 81