The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1860-06-16
szf 5ee ~ (From the Cincinnati Gazette
The True One slinn nj fhA Canrasa

Among all our political signs that which gives
fairest promise is that the people are beginning
to see more clearly than ever before, the nature
OF the questions which they are called upon to
decide. Nor would single 1Oubt remain in re-
gard to the result of the election if the people
of the North could be brought TO understand
the real issue which is presented to the country.
That issue is precisely this: SHALL THE laBo-
RERs OF THIS LAND BE COMPELLED TO TAKE THE
POSITION OF DEGRADED CASTE.
This, and nothing less, is the question which
the workers of this nation are called upon TO
settle; and it concerns directly every laborer OF
the land, but especially those Of the Free States
and indirectly, every public man who stands in
any capacity to represent the working population
Of the North-for just in proportion as con
stituency is degraded, will the representative Of
| them sllk in the scale, when i'm the presence OF
such an arstocracy as the slaveholding class
Underneath the beguiling doctrine Of Popula,
Sovereignty, by Which millions now seem willing
to be cheated out Of every right belonging to d
freeman, beneath bred Scott decisions and plat
forms, beneath all discussions Of the meaning
and intent OF the Constitution lies this ultimate
question: Shall our iaborers be permanently de-
graded and treated an inferior class. to be
gradually stripped of political rights, and sunk
in the end to serfdem!
| This is the inevitable result Of the doctrines
of the miscalled Democracy Of the country
Should they be carried to practical result. II
would reduce the producing classes OF our Re-
public to a lower point in the social scale than
any laborers of Europe now are, not excepting
the serfs of Russia.
| The doctrine of the great party which calls
| itself Democratic, and which claims control OF
every Southern State, is nothing less than chat
tel servitude for the working men, and that with
out respect toscolor. Ii they are workers, they
must be content to be degraded.
The idea that four millions of laborcrs can be
| held IN slavery at the South without degrading
the white laborers both North and South. il all
| snrd. 1t supposes an imppssibility The prin-
| cipie which underes the system of tile South.
and which in the name of Democracy they are
struggling to establish over the whole country
knows nothing Of color. It has reference to tie
| working man, whatever his color may be-
The distinction is not in essence between white
and black, but between the gentleman who does
not work and the laborcr who does 1t is de-
mand that all who work, the hard handed men.
snail be treated as belonging to an inferior con-
ditlon, and as constituting an inferior caste.
III is simply an attempt to establish in this land
the old relation Of Europe, the lord and the serf
and to use the prejudice against the black man
as the means of efecting the object Nothing
is more certain that depends upon inevitable Law.
than that the permanent establishment Of Slave
ry IN this country as a recognized national
institution, will crush the white workman
At length. They who are eager now to Cypress
The black laborer, and who crush him with the
weight of their pfejudices and scorn are si,npIy
preparing the bitter cup for their own children.
if they suffer the South to succeed in tieir at.
tempts. Slavery peFpetaated meana--Slaycry
fol the Workman, white or black.
10 show that we do not nsrepresent, VIC make
some extracts from the views OF Southern states
men, as they themselves have expressed them.
In 1899, a distinguished statesman OF Virginia
thus expressed himself against granting political
franchise to the laboring classes:
There must be some peasantry and a. the conn !
try fills up there must be more--tlat il, men who
tend the herds and dig the soil-who have neither
real nor personal capital Of their own, and who
earn their bread by the sweat of their brows.--
ask gentlemen to say whether they believe
those sho depend on their labor for their dali,
subsistence can or ever do enter into political
aifits. They never do, never will, never can.
In 1886, Mr. Pickens, of South Carolina, said:
All society settles down into classification of
capitalists and laborers. Tile former srM ouu
he idtz<..
These are samples of tic opinions of Southern
leaders, and this is the one steady aim and ten |
deacy OF the system Of society which the South |
rs endeavorlng to force upon the whole country |
The ultimate Acknowledgement and degradation |
81 the laboring classes without respect 10 color.
ms object they are certain to accolnnlish unless
speedily checked by a united uprising Of the Ia |
borers OF the Free States to prevent their tri- |
umph. II is right, say they, that capital should
control, ana even own, the lnborer; there must
be gentlemen and seryants--a ruling and SER
we caste. This Is the true Southern doctrine. |
ana having, except through present circum.
stances, no special reference to black men
In this view of fhn tyrnat 80 49,. |
country, we esteem it most fortunate circum.
stance that such man as Mr.. Lincoln has been
selected as the standard-hearer Of the party
whose aim Is to defend and ennOble labor--to 81.
cure Tor the workman all his rights, and d due
reward for his industry.
1t would have been difficult Ia have fonna
another man who would more completely repre-
sent IN MS own life, character and principles, the
exact antagonisn to the Southern idea OF a SER
siie iahorug class than Abraham Lincoln IN
bis origin, in his early liie, ia courage sei..,e-
spcct and high aims, in his long enduring labor.
in is integrity, in his success, in his present en-
nent position, honestly won by virtue Of his
sterling personal qualities, Mr.. Lincoln presents
an embodiment OF the true American idea: he ii
4 great result of the system which honors the
aborcr. No mere politician, however able. !
could have occupied the exact position demand.
"a ~ the present struggle. A political leader
" uulu nus hAtu stoVa ~ near Lille popular heart.
Mr.. Lincoln comes emphaticaly from among the
workers, aud il himself noble example OF what
hat system Of free labor can do, Of which hc |;
stands al the champion.
n a--O
ALAHAaAs GaEETIka 10 D0rGiAs--A fort.
aigllt ago tue prospect for general support. even
BY the people of Alabama, Oh the seeding dsla-
sat'ons At Charleston, looked wondrouslv aim.
Now, q appears that in nearly every county. In
popular e timcnt u with tben---shc masses hoth
Dppoation and Democratic, sympathixing warm
y I'm snose Who have asserted the rights ot tht
. .ou.n Ihls gives ~ hops that whom the great