The Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1861-1862, 1861-12-07

given him the confidence and cordial support
tAhs by fair implication promised and with
out which he cannct with so full efficiency
\ serve the country. It has been said that ono
bad General b BETH than tro good onez and
the saying Is ilne j iAken % mean no more
than that an army is better directed BY, ! sin.
ngie mid th1Agh inloiior, than by two supe-
rior ones at variance md crdss purposes with
each other, and the kaIne Is true in an Joint
operations wherein those engaged can have
none but common end in view, and can diff
fer only as to the choice Of means. In storm
at sea, no one on board can wish the snip to-
sink, and vet, not unfrequently all go down
] together, 6ecAHsc too many viii direct and no
single mind can be allowed to control it.
Every day continues to developc that the.
insurrection is largely, if not exclusively,
war upon the inst principle 6f popular govern;
ment the rights Of the people. Conclusive
evidence 1f this is fotind in the most grave and
matarely considered public documents, as
well as in the general tone Of the insurgents.
In these documents we find the abridgment
of the existing right suffrage and the denial
to the pe1plc of all right to participate in the
selection Of public officers t3rept, the legisla-
ture, boldly advocated with labored arguments
to prove that large control OF the people in
the government is the source Of all political
evil, Monarchy itself is sometimes Fntcd at
and ! possible refuge from the power of the
people. In the present position, | could
scarcely be Justified were too omit raising
warning voice against this approach Of return
ing despotism. .,r.
1t is not needed, nor fitting here, that q
general argument should be made n-favor Of
popular institutions, but there is one point;
with its connection, not so hsckneycd as MOST
others, to which ] ask brief, attention. II
is tho cffHrt n place a, capital on an equal
footing with, if not above labor, in the. struc-
turc Of government. It is presumed that h.
Dor is available only in connection with caPi;
tai; that nobody labors unless some body else
owning capital, somehow, by the Use Of it,
induces him to labor. This assumed, it is
next considered whether it is best that cap-
tai shall hire laborcrs and thus induce them
to work by their own consent or buy them,
and drive them to it without their consent.
Having proceeded 50 far it Is naturally con-
cludeA that all laborcrs ar either hired laborcrs
, OF what We call slaves; and further, it is as.
sumed that whoever is once hired laborcI
is fixed in that condition for life.
Now there is no such relation between cap
Q ital and labor as assumed nor il there an,
-. such thing as free man being fixed for lif
: in the condition of a hired laborer.
: Both these assumptions are false, and al
differences from them are sroundless. Labo
: is prior to and independent of capital. Capi
| tal is only the fruits Of labor, and could neve
: have existed if labor had not first existed
9 Labor is the superior of capital and deserve
: mnch the higher consideration. Capital ha
, its rights which are as worthy of protection
1 as any other rights; nor is it denied that tn n
i il, and probably always will be, relation he
c tw zen labor and capital producing mutua
: benefits. The error is in assNming that tn
: whole labering community exists Within thc
c relation A few men own capital and this
r few would labor themselves and with thci
l capital hire or buy another few TO lslpr f,
: them. A large malt;rity betting to neitht
! class; neither work iiIr others nor have otlier
working for them. In most of the southern
states a majority Of the people Of all cjlor
are neither slaves nor masters, while in tho
northern a large majority are neither hircrS
and daughters, work for themselves on their
farms in their houses and in their shops, tak-
Inc the whole product to themselves, and ask
ing no flvors of capital on one hand nor OF
hired labtfrrs On the other. 1t is not forgot
tt.n that cNnsidSfable number OF persons
nisnclc their own labor with capital, that is
they labor with their own Hands and also buy
Hr hire Others to labor for them; but this is
HnIy mixed and not q distinct class;
10 l.incipiG staisA Is distI'fbtd by tlit tx.
istcmce of this class Again, as has already
been said, there is not, of necessity, any such
thing as the free hired laborer !ring fixed to
that ccnditinn for life. Many Independent men
everywhere in these States few years back in
their lives were hired laborers, The prudent
penniless beg nncr in the world labofs for wa
gcs awhile, saves a surplus with which to buy
tools or land for himself then labors on his
own account another while, and at length hires
another new beginner to help him. This is
the just and generous and prosperous systems,
which opens the way to all--Svcs hope to all
and consequent energy and progress to oil.
No men living arc more worthy to be trusted
than those who toll up from poverty, none less
inclined to take or touch ought which they
have ntt honestly earned. let them beware
of surrcnd ring political power which they al
ready possess, and which, if surrendered, will
surely be used to close the door Of advance
mcnt against such as they and to fix new dis
abilities and burdens upon them till all Of lib
crtt shall he i''sts
From the first takin. our National Censns
to the last, arc seventy years, and VIC find our
population at the end of the period eight times
as great as it was at the beginning. The in
ctcaSc of these other things witch men leems
cd desirable, has been even greater: We THUS
have at one view what the popular principle
applied to government through tho machinery
If the States and tho Union has produced in
\ given time, and also what, if firmly main
tainedS it promises for the future There
arc already among us those who ifthe Union
bc preserved, will live to see it contain two
hundred and Atty millions The struggle of
to-day is not altogether for to-day--it is fer a
vast future alsjl With reliance On prpyi
dplge; all the ntBre flrm and eafntst let us pro-
cecd in the great task which events have de-
volvcd upon us.
ABRAHAM L1NCOhN
! WAsHrSGroS, DEC. 3, 1857.
Large Cargeep Of Cotton shortly FIX.
Pectcd from siie south.