Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1861-12-07

The inaugural address, at the beginning
of this administration and the message 10
Conoressat the late special session, were both
,na;nIv devoted to the domestic controversy
o,t Of which the instruction and consequent
war have sprung. Nothing now occurs 10
odd To or substraet from the principles OF
genera, purpose stated and expressed IN
those documents. a., rrion
The last ray of hope for preserving ,ne S S
no.ceahIv expired at the assault upon fort oum,
- ord general review of Whist mas occuiieu
80 nav not be improbable. what was paul
LII uncertain then is much lbetter denneu dnu
more distinctly now and the progress '.
il nlainIy in the right direction. Inc i,isus
confidently claimed s'rGng in sap and the friends
Sc tba Union were not free from apprehension Sn
a. no;nt This however, was soon set,ied ueih-
niteiv and on the right side. South OIL tna' M
noble little Delaware led of right from tnI nIs'
MARYLAND was made to seem against .no |
Our soldiers were aSsauieeu' her IL |
burned and railroads torn up WITHIN hel ~
mits and we we're many days, at one tune, Win
ont The ability to bring a single regiment o'ei
her soil to the Capitol. Now her oiiuse' az ~
railroads arc repaired and opened 10 lne
government. She already gives
regiments to the cause of the Union anu nono "
the enemy, and her people at q regular election
have sustained the Union by large majority anu
larger aggregate vote than they ever gave "
any candidate any question. hentuchy W.
| for some time in doubt, is now decidedly anu l
think unchangeablely, ranged on the side OF the
Union. Missouri Is comparatively quiet and
believe cannot again be over-run by the secession
| lists.
| Missouri neither of which would promise single
soldier at first, have now an aggregate OF not less
! than 40 GOO in the field for the Union, while of
and thar citizens certainly not more than third Of
the number and they ofdoubtful whereabouts,are IN
arms against it. After somewhat bloody srug-
gle of months, winter closes on the Union people,
ofWestern Virginia, leaving them masters OF their
| - country An insurqent force of about one thou
| sand ii va hundred men, for months dominating the
narrow penisuar region containing the counties OF
| Acoomac and Northampton, and known as the
| Eastern shore of Virginia, together with some
a"n,;,ous narts of Maryland, have laid down
| tboir arms and the people there have renewed
| tboir ALLEGIANCE to, and accepted the protection
| Of the old flag This leaves no armed lnsur-
rection North IF the Potomac or East OF theOheSa-
peake. -, - isolated
voints If the southern coast Of Hatteras. Port
Roval Tvbee Island near Savannah and snip
Island and we likewise have some general accounts
of popular movements IN behalf OF the Union
in North Carolina and tennessee. These things
demonstrate that the course OF tAe OnloA Is
advancing steadily southwark -.
has retired from the head of the army during
his long life the nation has not been unmindful OF
his merit. Yet on calling TO mind how falthluuy'
bravely and brilliantly he has served the Country
from time far back in our history When le" Oh
the now living had been porn, anu 'ueHoo
forward continuously, cannot but think that We
arc still his debtor. | submit therefore Tor your
consideration what further mark OF recognition
| is due to him and ourselves as grateful peOpe'
With the retirement Of Gen. Scott, came the
executive responsibility Of appointing IN MS
stead General-in-chief of the army. IL Is
fortunate circumstance that, neither IN council
or country, was there, so far as l know, any
difference of opinion as 10 the proper per-
son 10 be selected. The retiring ehlel
repeatly expressed his judgment in favor OF GEN.
Mcclellan for tne position, and In TINS the
nation seemed to give a unanimous concurrence.
The designation of Gen. Mcclellan is therefore IN
considerable degree the selection of the people as
we'll as the Executive and hence there Is the better
reason to hope that there will be given him the con-
fdence and cordial support thus by fair lmphca
ton promised and without which he cannot win
l so full efficiency, the Country IL mas
7 been said that one bad General is better than
e two good ones, and the saying is true
| if taken to only that an
: | army is better directed by single mlnd
though inferior than by two superior ones at va
rance and cross purposes ana me sAne Is uo -.
= all Joint operations wherein those engaged can
1 have none but common end in view and can
differ only as TO choice Of means. In storm az sea
no one on board wish the ship to SINK yet net
= unfreauently all 20 down together because TOO
I | many will direct ana no single niUu NhH "S -
: | lowed TO control
c II continues to be developed that the insure &C.
| tion is largely if not exclusively war upon the
: | first principles of popular government, ana Inc
rights of the people, Conclusive evidence OF TIL;
is found in thu most grave and maturely consider
n ed public documents well as in the general
tone of the insurgents, In these documents we
find the abridgement Of the existing right of suf
u rage and the denial to the people of all right to
= participate in the election of public officers ex
cept the legislative body, advocated with laoored
arguments 20 prove that large control Of the gov
eminent by the people is the source OF all POLITE;
al evil.
= Monarchy itself is sometimes limited at as a pos
ible refuge from the power Of the people In
Il nv present position could scarcely be justified
10 were to omit raising warning voice agalns
q this approach Of returning despotism.
Il It is not needful nor fitting here that genera
- | argument should be made in favor Of popular in
= stitutions; but there is one point with it:
u connections, not so hackneye1 as most others,
s. to which 1 ask a brief attention. 1t il
J. the effort to place capital equal footing
n with if not above labor in the structure of Gov
/ eminent 1t is assumed that labor is available
only in connection with capital, that nobody
labors unless somebody else, owning capital, some
how by the use Of it, induces him TO labor
= it is best that capital shall hir'
V laborers and thus induce them to work by theil
i own consent, or buy them and drive them to il
- without their consent. Having proceeded so far
u it is naturally concluded that all laborers ara
n either hired aoorers or what we call slaves and
d further it is assumed that whoever is once hired
d laborer is fixed in that condition for life. Now
there is no such relation between capital and lab
-, or as assumed, nor is there any such thing as
I, free man being fixed for life in the condition Of
= hired laborer. Both of these assumptions are
. false and all differences from them arc grouudless
n Labor is prior to and Independent of Capt.
h al. Capital is only the fruit Of labor and
IS could never have existed if labor had
n not first existed. Labor is the superior Of
" capital and deserves much the higher considera-
= ton. Capital has its rights which worthy
u of protection any other right Nor is it denied
n that there is, and probably always will be, a
n relation between labor and capital producing
h mutual benefits The error is in assuming
h that the whole labor Of the community
:. exists within that relation. A few
= men own capital and thereby avoid labor then
Z selves add with their capital hire buy anotA
st or few to labor for them. A large majority be-
t longing to neither class neither work for other:
nor have others working for them. In most Of
the Southern States a majority of the whole PEG.
-, pie of all (oOrs are neither slaves MOI
:, masters while in the Northern a large majority
u are neither hirers hired; men with theil
y families, wives, sons and daughters work
ing for themselves their farms
V in their houses and in their shops. taking the
whole products to themselves and asking no favor:
> Of capitalists on the hand nor hired laborer:
: or slaves on the other. 1t is not forgotten that
= considerable number of persons mingle their own
labor with capital, that is they labor with their
G own hands, and also buy or hire others to labor
IS for them; but this is only mixed and not dis
r tinct class No principle stated is disturbed by the
existence Of this mixed class Again, has already
6 been said, there is not Of necessity, any such
thing as the free hired laborers being fixed in that
9 condition for life. Many independent men,
Q every where in these States a few years back in