The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1861-12-07

there any such thing as freeman being
fixed for life in the condition of hired
| laborcr. Both these assumptions are false,
and all differences from them are grouud!ess
| Labor is prior to and independent of capital
Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could
never have existed if labor had not first
existed. Labor Is the superior of capital,
and deserves much the higher consideration.
Capital has its rights, which are as worthy
of protection us any other rights. Nor is it
denied that there is, and probably always
will be, u relation between labor and capital
producing mutual benefits. The error is in
assuming that the whole labor Of the com
munity exists within that relation. \ few
men own capital, and that few avoid labor
themselves, and with their capital hire, or
| buy another few to labor for them. a large
majority belong to neither class. neither work
! for others nor have Others working Tor them.
| In most of the Southern States majority OF
the whole people Of all co."rs are neither
| slaves nor masters while in the Northern Il
| large majority are neither hrcrs nor hired
| Men with their families, wives, sons, ana
| daughters, work fol themselves ON their farms,
| in thci. houses, and in their shops, taking the
whole product to themselves, and asking no
fav"rs Of capital on the one hand nor Of hired
| laborers or slaves on the other. 1t is not
| forgotten that u considerable number Of per-
| sons ninglc their own labor with their 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
| class. No principle stated is disturbed by
| the existence of this mixed class.
Again, as has already been said, there is
| not of necessity any such thing as the free
hired laborcr being fixed to that condition for
| life. Many independent men. everywhere in
1 few hlrl. hni
We're hired la1orcrs. The prudent, pennltss
beginner in the world labors for wages awhile,
| saves 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 system
which opens the way to all, gives hope to all,
| and consequently energy and progress and
| Improvement Of condition to all. No men
| living are more worthy to be trusted than those
who toll up from poverty; none less inclined
| to take or touch aught which they have not
honestly earned. Let them beware Of surrcn-
dering political power 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 disabili-
| ties and burdens upon them till all Of liberty
shall be lost.
From the first taking of our nat ional census
to the last is seventy years, and we find our
population at the end of the period eight times
as great as it was at the beginning. The
Increase Of those other things which men deem
desirable has been greater. We thus have
at one view what the popular principle applied
to government through the machinery of the
States and the Union has produced in given
time, and also what if firmly maintained it
promises for the future. There are already
among us those who if the Union be prcscr-
we'd, will live to see it contain two hundred
aud fifty millions The struggle Of to-day is
not altogether for to-day, it is for vast
| future also.