Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1861-12-13
! TcSneludsd IRON, First Pan. !,

consideration, what further mark Of rccog-
milton is due to him, and ourselves as a
grateful people.
GEN. MCCLELLAN.
With the retirement of Gen. Scott came the
Generalin- Chief of the army. 1t is fortu-
country was there, so far as know, any diff
ference of opinion as to the proper person to
be selected. The retiring chief repeatedly
expressed his judgment in favor of General
Mcclellan for the position, and in this the
nation seemed to give an unani.nors concur
renee. The designation of Gen. Mcclellan is,
therefore, in considerable degree, the selec-
ton Of the country as we'll as of the Executive,
and hence there is reason to hope there will
be given him the confidence and cordial sup
port thus by fair implication promised, and
without which he cannot with so full efficiency
serve the country. It has been said one bad
General is better than two good ones, and
the saying is true, if taken to mean no more
than that an army is better directed by a
single mind, though inferior, than by two
superior ones at variance and cross purposes;
and the same is true in all joint operations
wherein those engaged can have none but a
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
yet not unfrequently all 60 down together
because too many will direct, and no single
mind can be allowed control.
WAR UPON FREE INSTITUTIONS.
ut continues to develop that the insurrcc-
ton is largely, if not exclusively, war upon
the first principle of popular government
the right of the people. Conclusive evidence
of this is found in the most grave and ma
turely considered public documents, as well
as in the general tone of the insurgents. In
these documents we find the abridgment of
the existing right of suffrage and the denial
to hepeople of all to participate in the selec-
ton of public officers except the Legislative
body, advocated with labored arguments to
prove that large control Of the Government
in the people is the source of all political evil
Monarchy, itself, is sometimes limited at as a
possible refuge from the power of the peo-
pie. In my presegt position, could scarcely
be justified were to omit raising warning
voice against this approach of returning des-
potisln. 1t is not needed nor fitting h ere
that general argument should be made in
favor of popular institutions, but there is one
point, with its connections, not so hackneyed
ton. 1t is the effort to place capital on an
equal footing with, if not above, labor in the
structure Of Government. 1t is assumed that
labor is available only in connection with
scsFStai; that nobody labors unless somebody
else owning capital, somehow by the use of
it induces him to labor. This assumed, it is
next considered whether it is best that CAPT.
tai shall hire laborers and thus induce them
r-orlyh ~vk hair
and drive them to it without their consent.
sIaving proceeded so far, it is naturally con-
cluded that all laborers are either hired la
borcrs, or what we call slaves And further,
1t is assumed, that whoever is once a hired
Now, there is no such relation between CAPT.
tai and labor, as assumed, nor is there any
such thing as freeman being fixed for life in
the condition of hired laborer Both Of
these assumptions are false, and all differences
and independent of capital. Capital is only
ed if labor had not first existed. Labor is
she superior Of capital, and deserves much the
higher consideration. Capital has it's rights
other rights. Nor is it denied that there is
tween labor and capital, producing mutual
benefit. The error is in assuming that the
whole. labor of community exists within
that relation. A few men have capital, and
that few avoid labor, and with their capital
7hiie or buy few to labor for them. ANlarge
majority Belong to neither class-ncithcr
work for others nor have others working for
them. In most of the Southern States ma
Of nf oil r,nsfh arc eli
nog masters; while in the Northern large
majority are neither hrcrs nor hired. Men
with1heir families, wives, sons, and daught-
ers, work for themselves on their farms, in
their houses, and in their shops, taking the
favors of capital on the one hand, nor of hired
laborers or slaves on the other hand. 1t is
not fprgotten that a considerable number Of
persdns minslc 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 a distinct
is not af necessity any such thing as the free
hired laborcr being fixed for that CON
dition for life. Many independent men,
everywhere, in these States, few years back
in their lives, were hired laborers The most
p'uuSh1, pSAHulOoS OcEStA IA SAO "oAAu i0oO'o
for wages awhile, and saves a surplus with
which to buy tools or land for himself. He
then labors on his own account, and at length
hires another new beginner to help him.
This is the just and generous and prosper
Gus system which opens the way to all, gives
hope to all, and the consequent energy, pro-
gress and improvement of the condition to
all. No men living are more worthy to be
trusted than those who toll up or on from
poverty. None less inclined to take or touch
aught which they have not earned. Let
them beware of surrcndering political pow
or which they already possess, and which if
surrendered, will surely be used to close the
door Of advancement against such as they,
and to fix new disabilities and burdens upon
them till all Of liberty shall be lost.
From the first taking Of our national Gen.
sns to the last ares70 years, and we find our
Population at the end of that period eight
times as great as it was at the beginning
The increase of those other things which men
deem desirable has even been greater. We
thus have at one view what the popular prin-