Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1861-12-11

country.
II has been said that one bad general is
better than two gooi ones, and the saying
is true if taken to mean nomoFe than than
that one army is better directed by ain-
Gle mind, though inferior than By two SUI
psrior ones at vanance and cross purposes,
ami the same is true in all joint operations
Whenever those engaged can have mono
but i common end il view, AMI can ditfor
only as to the choice Of means. Ia a storm
at sen no enc on board can wish the ship
TO sink, and yet, not unfrequent.y, all SO
down together because too many will direct
and no single mind can be allowed to di-
rect.
It continues Is develop that the iusur-
rection is largely, ifnot exclusively, q war
upon the first principles Of popular govern
lnent--the right Of the people. Conclu
siye evidence Of this IS found in the most
grave and matuFely considered public doc
uments, as we'll asin the general tone OF the
insurgents. In their documents we find
the abridgement Of the existing right Of
suffrage, and the denial to tho people of all
right to paFcipitate in the selection Of pub
liz officers, except the legislative, boldly adj
vocatel with laboared arguments to prove
that large control Of the government in the
source OF ali political evil Monarchy itsel
is sometimes limited 1t as a possible refuge
from the power Of the people. In my
present position, coald scarcely be justi-
fed were | to omit RAISING warning voice
against tho approach Of returning despot-
ism.
1t Is not needed OF fitting here that
general argument should se made in favor
If popular institutions, but there is one
point, with its connections not SO hackney
Cd as most others, to which l ask a brief
attention. 1t is the effort TO place capital
on an equal footing with, if not above, H.
Dor, in the structure Of government. 1t is
assumed that labor is available Only in
connection with capital; that nobody la
bors unless somebody else owning capital,
somehow by. the use Of it, induces him to
labor. This assumed, it is next considered
whether il + best that capital shall hae Ia
borers and thus induce them to work, or,
owning thea, drive them to it without
their consent Having proceeded SO far, i
is naturally concluded that all laborers are
either hired laborers or what we call slaves,
and further, it is assumed that whoever is
4 hired labofer is fixed in that condition
for lie. Now thcfe is no such relation be-
tween capital aud labor as assumed, nor IS
there any such thing as q freeman bcing
bound for life ia the condition Of 4 hired
IaboreE
Both Of these assumptions are false, and
Ill differences from them are groundless.--
Labor is prior to and Independent Of caPi-
tal. Capital is only the fruit Of labor, and
never could have existed if labor haG not
first existed. Labor is the superior IF cap
ital, and deserves much the higher consid-
Grafton. Capital has its rights, which are
as worthy Of protection as any other right.
Nor Is it denied that there is and probably
always will be a relation between labor and
capital producing mutual benefit. The err
ror is in assuming that the whole labor OF
a community existed within that relation.
A few men have capital, and that few
would avoid labor, AMI with their capital
hire Oh buy few to labor for them. A
large majority belong to neither class
neither work for others or have others
work for them. In the most Of the slave
states q majority Of the people Of all colors
are Mother slaves nor masters; while in the
Northern States 4 large majority are nei-
{ her hirers nor hired men. With their
families, wives, sons and daughters, they
work themselves on thsir farms, in their
houses and in their shops, taking the
whole product 70 themselves and asking no
fayors Of capital, on the one hand, nor o.
l,r9d hborers or slaves on tic other
1t i not forgotten that q considerable
number Of persons mingle their own labor
With capital: that il, they labor with their
own hands, and also buy or hire others to
abor sorthem, but this Is only mixed and
lot distinct class. No principle stated is
disturbed by the existence Of this mixed
class
Again, MS has already been said, there is
not OF necessity any snch thing as the free
hired laborer being fixed in that condition
'or lifs Many independent men every
where IN these states, lew yeilfS Davh lh
heir lives, were hired laborers. The most
prudent Pennies beggar il the world la
boqs for WAGES a while and scyes surplcs
with which to buy tools or land forhinself.
He then laborers on his own account and
at length hires another new beginner 70
help him. This Is the just and generous
q ID prosperous system, which cpeAs the.
way to all, gives hope 70 alI, aLl the con-
ssqueut energy. progress ana Improvement
IF The condition Of all. No men living
psc more worthy to be trusred than those
who toll up Of on from poverty; none less
inclined to take or touch ought which they
lave not earned let them beware OF sur
rendering polisical power which they al
ready possess, and which, If surrendered,
surely be used to close the doors OF
alvancement against such as they, and to
Ak new disabilities and burdens upon them,
til all Of liberty shall be lost.
From the first taking Of our national
,ns,s - the last one--seventy years--we
An an incubation at the e2d Of the period
n '.'' times as eeoat as the beginning.
re increase of those other things that
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