The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1861-12-05

ton what further mark of recognition is due to
him, and ourselves as grateful people
GIN MCCLELLAN.
With the retirement OF Cen Scott came the exc
cutive duty of appointing in his stead Gencral.in-
Chief of the army Ii Is fortunate circumstance
that neither in council nor country was there, go
Tar as l!knOw, any difference of opinion as to the
proper person to be selected. The retiring chief
repeatedly expressed his judgment in favor of Gen.
Mcclellan Tor the p sitiOn. and in this the nation
seemed to give an unanimous concurrence. The
designation of Gen Mcclellan is, therefore, in !.
considerable degree, the selection of the country
is well rs OF the Executive, and hence there is rea
son to hope there will be given him the confidence
ana cordial support thus by fair Implication prom
ised, and without W hch he cannot with so full eff
fciency serve the country. 1t has been said that
one bad General is better than two good ones. and
the saying Is true iftaken to mean no more than
that an army is better directed by a single mind,
though inferior, than by two superior ones at va
rance and cross purposes; and the same is true in
all joint operations wherein those engaged can
have none but IA common end in view, and can diff
fer only as to the choice of means. In a storm at
sea no one on board can wish the ship to sink, and
yet not unirequently all go down together because
too many will direct, and no single mind be al
lowed TO control
ltcontinues to develop that the insurIection is
largely, II not exclusively, war upon the first
principle OF popular government the rights-Of the
people. Conclusive evidence of this is found i'm
the most grave and maturely considered public
documents, as well in the general tone of the in
surSents In these documents find the abridg-
nen of the right of suffrage and the denial to the
people of all to participate in the selection of
public officers except the legislative body, advoca-
ted with abOred arguments to prove that large con-
troll OF the GOvcrnmc mt in the people is the
of all political evil Monarchy itself, is some
times limited at as possible refuge from the pow
or OF the people. In my present position, could
scarcely be justified were to omit raising a warn
ing voice against this approach of returning des-
lpotism. 1t is not needed nor fitting here that
general argument shoudbe made in favor of pop
uar institutions but there Is one point, with its
connections, not 81 hackneved as most Others to
which ask a brief attention. 1t is the effort to
place capital OH an equal footing WITH if not above
labor in the structure of Govt 1t is assumed
that labor is available only in connection with cap
ital; that nobody labors unless somebody else,
owning capital, somehow, by the of it induces
him to labor
This assumed, it is next considered whethcrit is
best that capital shall hire aborers und thus induce
them to work by their own consent or buy them
and drive them to it without THAR consent Hav-
ing proceeded so far, it is naturally concluded that
all labOrerS are either hired laborcrS or what we
call slaves. And further it is assumed, that who
ever is hired laborer is fixed in that condition for
life Now, there is no such relation between cap
ital and labor, assumed nor is there any such
thing freeman being fixed for life in the condi-
ton of hired laborer. Both of these assumptions
are false, anl all differences from them are ground
less.
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 existed. Labor
Is the superior OF capital. and deserves much the
higher consideration. Capital has its lights which
worthy of protection any other rights
Nor Is 1t denied that there i, and probably always
will be. relation between labor and capital pro-
dlcing mutual benefit. The error is in assuming
that he whole labor OF a community exists within
that relation a few men have capital. and that
few avoid labor, and with their capital hire buy
a few to labor for them. A large majority belong
to neither clasS--ncither rl for others have
others working for them. In most of the South.
cln States. a majority OF the people of all colors
are neither slaves nor masters; while in the North
ern large majority are neither bIrerS nor hired.
Men with their families, wives, sons and dlugh-
tcrs, work for themselves their farms. in their
houses and in their shops, taking the whole pro-
duet to themselves and asking no favors of capital
on the one hand nor of hired abOrcfs O slaves on
the other. 1t is not forgotten that considerable
number of persons mnglc their own labor with
capital that is they labor with their hands,
and also buy or hire others to Labor for them; but
this Is only mixed and not Il distinct class. No
principle stated is disturbed by the existence of
this mixed class. Again, as has already been said,
there is not of necessity such thing the free
hired laborer being fixed for that condition of life.
Many independent men, every where in these
States, few years back in their lives were hired
labOrers. The most prudent, pennilees beggar IN
the world labOrS for wages awhile, and saves a
surplus with which to buy tools or land tor himself
lie then laborS on his OWN account, and at length
hires another beginner to he him. This Is the just
and generous and prosperous system winch opens
the way TO all, gives hope to all, and the con-
soquent energy, progress and Improvement of the
condition of all. Ne 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
surrcndcring political power which they already
possess, and which, if surrendered, will surely be
used to close the door of advancement against
such as thcv and to fix new disabilities and bur
dcnS upon them till all of liberty shall be lost
From the first taking of our national census to
the last are 40 years. and find our population at
the end of the period times .as great as II was at
the beginning The increase OF those other things
which deemed desirable has even been greater
We thus have at ono view what the popular prin
ciple applied to Government, through the machine
nv of the States and the Union, has produced i'll
given time. and also what if firmly maintained. il
promises for the future There are already among
us those who if the Union he preserved, will live
to see it contain 25o099.0 900. The struggle OF to-
day is not altogether for to-day. Ii is for Il vast
future also
With a firm reliance on Providence, AL the
firm and earnest, let US proceed in the great
task which events have devolved on
TSened) ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
WASHINGTON, Dec. Sd, 1861.