Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1861-12-10

laborers, or what we call slaves and, fur
Their, it is assumed that whoever. is once a
hired laburer is fixed in that condition for
life.
Now, there is no such relation between
capital and labor as assumed, nor is there
any such thing as q freeman being fixed
for life in the condition of hired laborer.
Beth Of these assumptions are false, and Ill
differences from them are groundless.
Labor is prior to and independent Of
capital, Capital is only the fruit of labor
and could never have existed if labor lad
not first existed. Labor is the superior Of
capital, and deserves much the higher con
sideraton.
Capital has its rights, which are ar wor-
thy of protection as any other rights. Nor
Is 1t denied that there is, and probably all
ways will be, relation between labor and
capital producing mutual benefits.
| The error is in assuming that the whole
labor of com nunity exists within relation:
\ few men have capital, and that few avoid
labor, and, with their capital, hire OF buy
a few to labor for them.
A large majority belong ton either class
neither work for others, nor have others
work for them. In most of the southern
States majority of the whole people OF al
! colors are neither slaves nor masters; while
in the northern a large majority are neither
hirers nor hired.
Men, with their families.-wiyes. sons,
! and daug work for themselves on
| their farms, in their houses, and III their
shops. taking the whole product to them>
selves, and asking no fayors of capital on
( the one hand, nor Of hired labors or slaves
on the other.
1t is rot forgotten that considerable
number of persons mingle their own labor
with capital that is, they labor with their
own hands, and also buy or hire others to
labor for them but this is only mixed
and not distinct class. No principle
stated is disturbed by the existence Of thi.
mixed class.
Again, as has already been said, there
is not of necessity any such thing as the
free hired labarer being fixed in that con-
dition for life. Many independent men,
everywhere in these States, few years
back in their lives were hired laborers.
The prudent penniless beggar in the
world labors for wages for u while, anJ
saves a surplus with which to buy tool,
or lanI for himselt-then labors on his own
account, and at length hires another new
beginner to help him.
This is tie just and generous and pros
porous system which opens the way to all
gives hopes,o all, and consequent energy,
progress, aid improvement OF cond:tior
TO all.
No men living are more worthy to b.
trusted than those who toll up or on from
poverty, none less inclined to take OF
touch aught which they have not honestly
earned.
Let them beware of surrendering poll
zeal power which they already possess, an,
which, ifsurrendered, will surely be useC
to close the door of advancement agains
such as they, and to fix new disabilitie
and burdens upon them, till all of liberty
shall be lost. g..
From the first taking of our nationa
census to the last are seventy years, and "
ind our population, at the end of the peri
cd, eight times as great as it was at tht
beginning.
The increase Of those other things whic
men deem desirable has even been greater
, We thus have at one view what the popu
lar principle, applied to government thong
, the machinery Of the State and the Union
has produced in given time, and also VIVA
ltthrmly maintained, it promises for til
future. There are already among US thoS
who, if the Union be preserved, will live t
see it contain 100000, 600.
The truggle of to>day is not altogethe
: for to.day. 1t is for vast future also
: With firm reliance on Providence, al
the more firm and earnest. let us procee
, in the great task which events have deyol,
Ell upon US,
(Signed) ABRAHAM LINCOLN
: Washington, Dec 3, 1851.