Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1860-03-20
Frank Pierpoint, Esq, on r. N. T.
Hunter and Thos. J. SteRley.

thlS v mon.
Prank Pierpoint, Esq, on R. N. II.
Hunter and Thos. J. stealey.
To the Editors Of the Intell3geneer:
Great men, like great nations, when
they dissolve the political ties that bind
them, deem it due to the respect of man
kind, to set forth the reasons which imPel
them thereto. Mr. Stealey had a right to
follow illustrious example, and in doing
So he has developed a mental phenomenon
that deserves to be recorded and deposited
in the archives of the Archaeological So
ciety, and transmitted to future generations
as d memorable fact of the coincidence of
the great minds of r. NJ. T. Hunter, of the
U. S. Senate, and Thos. ] Stealey. Esq, of
Tyler Co., Va. Distance may separate, but
great men will think alike. Mr.. Stealey,
| in his letter bidding farewell to the Oppo-
sition, says: "Do not the commercial sta
tstics of the country demonstrate the fact
that the institution of slave labor in the
United States is normal and subsidiary
| one, and that the system of free labor in
the non-slaveholding States is but an ex-
pertinent not as yet subjected to its sever
est trial" This sentence is StGlverous in
this, it contains what in geology is called
tence. What has commercial statistics to
do in showing that slave labor is Il normal
and subsidiary one; what has commercial
statistics to do with showing that free
labor is but an experiment not subjected
to its sevrrest trial. Yet the author had
some idea in his head which was Hunter
Dtrous-that is, bearing the Hunter idea,
or like Hunter.
ANALooY.-Stealey says: "The system
of free labor in the non-slaveholding
States is but an experiment not as get sub
jecteG to its severeSt trial."
Hunter says: I'm speaking of the FREQ
labor States,) 81 wish it success but
must say that it is an experiment as get,
for it has not been exposed 10 its severc5t
trials" &c.-the Italics my own.
Stealey-"Does not all history show
| that the rise, progress and stability of all
government depends on slavery or forced
labor in some form"
Hunter-"There is no respectable civil
ization known in history, Il whose
! foundations were not laid III the institu-
| ton of domestic slavery"
| Those desiring to pursue the coinci-
dents of these great men, can pursue the
subject by reading Hunters speech and
| Stealcy's letter. l haze other observations
to make on both
Mr.. Hunter in his speech, says, "In the
free labor system of organization, the fam
lily is uuit-the family composed of pa
rent and children. In the slave holding
system of organization, the household is
the unit-the household being composed
of the family and of the slaves, who are
united to the head of the family by the
obligation of ownership" Further along
in his speech he says, 'Iu this country
alone have we found the attempt to unite a
system of free labor with self-government
and universal suffrage, such as prevails in
the North, an experiment, which nc-
knowledge, has so far, succeeded. \
l wish it success; but must say that it is
an experiment as yet" &c. Mr. Hunter in
speaking of the contests between labor
and capital, says, "These consequences
have been SO much dreaded that with
have they been of them that in few gov
ernments of the world has labor been per-
mitted to have share in political power"
After speaking of the dangers of permit
ting the working class to vote, he says,
"But Mr. President, in our system of So
ciety, there is no such danger. The con-
test between capital and labor is compro-
missed and settled in the household. IT
does not enter into the government. The
master who Yields the power of govern
mcnt is interested both in labor and CAPT.
tai, and it is to his interest to do justice
to both. Accordingly whatever influence
X
said before, is exercised impartally in set
thing these contest between labor and cap
ital."
In quoting from Mr.. Hunters speech,
have not taken it in the order in which it
is written. l have taken such parts in his
own language as presents his argument
fairly. wish your columns would per-
nit me to quote by the paragraph. ask
every candid mind what idea Mr. Hunter
| he
many words, that the slave owner in the
South, in Virginia, owns the "labor and
the capital" "they are settled in the
household" "The master yields the pow
er of government" "He owns both capi-
tai and labor" Therefore, he exercises
his powers impartially," i'm settling this
contest of which he was speaking, at the
North. l will strip this Pill of its sugar
coating and hold il to the palate Of the
freemen of Western Virginia and let them
taste it with all its bitterness. In this
Congressional district there are about 800
slaves, mostly invalid old men and women
and children. There are upwards of l0O,-
900 freemen. In Western Virginia there
are upwards of 40O,0 whites, with only
about 26, 900 slaves. Who does the labor
of this vast section2 The free white men
of the West. Who owns them? Your
Democratic Senator Hunter, in order to
make logical argument, assumes that the
slave owner owns them; all that labor is
embraced in the "household" and united
to the master by ownership. Stealey
says, referring to free labor in the North,
care not the thousands of the so-called
free laborers of those States forced to
(Which is merely polite name given to
slaves) labor by the memorable law of ne
cessity." Now ask in what is free labor
in Ohio different from free labor in Virginia.
Put these two pimps of Democracy to-