Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-12-06
VOL. XIII-NO. %

and Missouri, neither of which would promise
a single soldier at first, have now an agere.
gate of not less than 10000 IN the field for the
l Union, while of their citizens not more than
third IN number are among the insurgents,
and they Of doubtful whereabouts and exis.
tence.
After somewhat bloody struggle o1
; months, winter closes on the Union people Of
Western Virginia, leaving them masters Of
: their own country.
An insurgent force of about 1900. for
months dominating the narrow peninsula
region constituting the counties of Accomac
and northampton, known as the Eastern
shore Of Virginia, together with contiguous
parts OF Maryland, have laid down their
arms, and the people there have renewed their
allegiance to and accepted the protection of
the u S. flag This leaves no armed insrr.
rection north of the Potomac.
Also, we have obtained footing at each of
the isolated points on the Southern coast Of
Hetteras, Port Royal, Tybee Island. near
Savannah, and Ship Isard. and we likewise
have some general accounts of popular move
ments in behalf of the Union in North Caro-
lima and Tennessee. These things demon
strate that the cause of the Union is adyanc-
ing steadily southwark.
Since your last adjournment Lieut. Gen
Scott has retired from the head of the army
During his long life, the Nat on has not been
unmindful Of his merit, yet on calling to
mind how faithfully, ably and brilliantly he
has served his country from time far back
in our history, when few of the now living
had been born, and thenceforward continual.
! ly, cannot but think that we are still his
debtors. l submit, therefore, for YOUR con.
sideratidn, what further mode of recognition
| IS due to him and ourselves, as grateful
| eople
| With the retirement of Gen. Scott came
he executive duty of appointing General
ln-Chief of the army. 1t is a fortunate cir
cumsance that neither in council or country
was there, so far as know, any difference Of
opinion as to the proper person to be selected
The retiring Chief repeatedly expressed his
Judgment in favor Of Mcclellan for the posi-
ton, and in this the nation seemed to give an
unanimous concurrence
The designation ofGen. Mcclellan IS, there.
fore, in considerable degree, the selection of
the country, as well as of the executive. and
hence there is reason to hope there will be
given him the confidence and cordial support
thus by fair implication promised, and with
out which he cannot with so full efficiency
serve the country. 1t has been said that one
bad general is better than two good ones, and
the saying is true, if taken to mean no more
IAN that an army is better directed by
single mind, though inferior, than by two su.
perlor ones, at variance and cross purposes:
and the same is true in all joint operations,
whenever those engaged can have none but
common end IN view, and can differ only as to
the choice of means. In storm at sea no one
on board can wish the ship to sink, and vet
not unfrequently all go down togt ther, be-
cause too many will direct, and yet no single
mind can be allowed to control.
IL continues to develop that the insurrec-
ton is largely. if not exclusively, a war upon
the hrst principles OF popular government
the rights of the people, Conclu-
sive evid ,nce of this is to be found in the
most grave and maturely considered public
documents, as well rs IN the general tone of
the insurgents. In these documents W. find
the abridsment OF the existing right of suf.
fr 'ge and the denial to people of all classes to
oart'cipate IN the selection of public officers,
except the Legislative body, advocated with
laoored arguments to prove that large con-
troll OF the Government in the people is the
source Of all political evil Monarchy itself
is sometimes hinted at as possible refuge
from the power of the people. In my pres
ent position | could scarcely be justified
were l to omit raising a warning voice
against this approach of returning despotism.
1t is not needed, nor fitting here, that a
general argument should be made in favor of
popular institutions, but there is one point,
with its connections, not so hackneyed as
most others, to which ask brief attention.
II Is the effort to place capital on an equal
with, if not above, labor, in the structure of
government, 1t is assumed that labor is
available only in connection with capital; that
nobody labors unless somebody else, owning
capital, somehow, by the use of it, induces
him to labor.
This assumed, it is next considered wheth-
er it is best that capital shall hire laborers,
and thus induce them to work by their own
consent, or buy them and drive them to it
without their consent. Having proceeded so
far, it is naturally concluded that all laborers
aye either hired laborers or what we call
slaves, and, further, it is assumed that who
ever is once a hired laborer is fixed in that
condition for life. Now, there Is no such re-
lation between capital and labor as assumed
nor is taere any such thing as freeman be-
ing fixed for life in the condition of hired
laborcr. Beth of these assumptions are false,
and all inferences from them are groundless.
Labor is prior to and Independent of capital
Capital is only the fruit of labor, and never
could have existed if labor had not first exist
ed. Labor is the superior of capital, and de-
serves much the higher consideration. Capt.
tai has its rights, which are as worthy of
protection as any other rights nor is it denied
that there is, and probably always will be, a
relation between labor and capital, producing
mutual benefit
The error Is In assuming that the whole la
bor OF community exists within that rela-
ton. few men have capital, and that few
avoid labor, and with their capital hire or buy
lew to labor for them. A large majority
belong to neither class-neither work for
others nor have others work for them, In
most OF the Southern States, a majority of the
people OF all colOrS are neither slaves or mas
tiers, while in the North a large majority are
neither hlrcrs nor hired. Men with their
families, sons and daughters work for them
selves, on their farms, in their houses and in
their shops, taking the whole product to them
selves, and asking no favors of capital on the
one hand, nor of hired laborers, or slaves, on
the other 1t is not forgotten that consid-
cradle 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 this mixed
class.
Again, as has already been said there is not Of ne
cessy any such thing the free hired laborer Icing
hxed t'r that condition for life Many Independent
in the states few years back in their lives
We're hired aeorers The most prudent, penness beg
gar IN the world abo!s for wages awhile. and saves
surplus with which 20 bny tools land for himself He
then abors on his account and length hires an
other new beginner to help him. This is the just and
generous and prosperous system Which opens the wav
to a gives hope to alt and consequent energy
and improvement of the condition to all men living
are more worthy to be trusted than those WHO toll up
or on from poverty, and less ed co take or
tonch aught which they have not earned Let them be-
ware OF fsurrendering political power which thew Al
ready possess, and which, if surrendered will surely he
used to close the door of advancement against scb s
they to fix disabilities burdens upon them
till all of liberty shall be lost
From the first taking of national census to tha
last 10 years aud our ~ s'.9