Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1863-05-29


is the inherent selfshness of man. In tn,
rich soil of America these seeds have
sprouted, and are already thriving. 1t i:
the work of republic to weed them out
This must be done or all republic, vii
eventually run into monarchy.
Who has not seen the would-be ari.to
cratic nabob, whose only recommendation
is his wealth, pass as perfect stranger in
public places. some worthy laborer with
whom he his well acquainted; /; whose
fathers worked together in the same 6eld I
Merit Money?
Our boasted Democracy, as far as so.
cial intercourse is concerned, is a lie.---
We repeat the Declaration of Independ.
ence. and then 60 about among citizens
Civ ing the lie to our words. There are
many who do this unconsciously. They
pass into the customs Of society without
analyzing them, they join the great crowd
which sways the sceptre Of social oppress.
ion, which, aside from being unjust, is
fraught with the most injurious results
Who shall know how many have been
driven into crime, stung by the manner Of
the kings and queens Of society? Who
shall know how many young men and
women have been striving to do without
one word of encouragement who when
they have seen that money not merit
would give them places in society, have
said, "money | will have, ioully if not
fairly"
All this is made more Objectionable by
the fact that We claim to be governed by
different principles. No man or nation
can consistently support Democracy
unless by practice as well as theory the
rights of the laborer are regarded.
IL. say laborer, and would include
the slave as well as freeman. Doing
this, not as politician, but as a christian
philanthropist.
In the South oppression is carried to a
much greater extent. 1t is bold and In.
tense. 1t is the foundation upon which
their social system rests. 1t has the re-
deeming qualities Of fraukncss, which
oppression in the Norta has not. The
STAKEHOLDER is at least consistent. He
believes in oppression and practices it
avowcdly.
The extent to which the privileged
classes of the South, have encroached
upon the rights Of the laborer, is unpara-
Ielled in the history of civilization. The
expressions of the Northern laborer
dwinde to nothing when compared with
what the slave endures. Social privileges
are secuted. The right Of remuneration
laughed at, and fair dealing with them is
to | sh and to curse them to get as
much labor from them as possible, with
as little expense. In much mllder
form, these methods Of wronging are all
that they can obtain in the North. But
oppression there strides over these, and
having intensified aud legalized them
marches on to severing family ties; to
forcing immortality, even adultery and
/ fornication upon the lower class to chain
lny them down to ignorance by law; IN
fact, reducing men with minds capable OF
/ dcyelopcment to the level of the brute
/ And all this is not because he is black,
/ but because he is laborcr. 1t is useless
for me to hold up to your view specifically
what the slave suffers, for you already
know as well as can tell you. only
present you the outline leaving you to till
up the picture.
Ever since our formation as Nation
the condition of the laborcr in the South
has been growing worse and worse. No
legislation has been allowed for the pro-
lection of the slave. In the North the
social status of the laborer has been fall
Ing. though it can never fall so low as 1t
in the South. Here, the working man
has political, if not social privileges, and
unless he suffers himself to be hoodwinked
by political leaders, he can never lose
them. II the South triumph now, they
may well tremble. For tae present, the
aborcrs joined with those capitalists no
are true Republicans and are the majori-
ty. There is hope for the Northern
laborer if he will open his eyes in season.
And We are the only hope of the slave
Left to himself his condition is hopeless.
All is dark. No ray of freedom would
ever penetrate the gloom of his night
Toll, toll and chains for himself and his
children forever.
The sympathies of the free North have
ever been with the slave. And so hos
tility of feeling has long existed. Yet
the spirit which the North has in some
things exhibited, though in this correct,
has in sOme others been wrong. Very
ungenerously have many shouldered the
blame of slavery all upon the South
Not only ungeaerously but untruthtully.
And then turning to their manufactures.
began to oppress our owa laborers, all the
while pocketing the profits OF slavery, IN
directly. And 30 spirit OF dissension
and bitterness sprung up between the two
sections, and oppression was the root OF
! it all
In 1860 the intelligent free laborer of
the North, uniting with the part OF capi.
tai which favored the rights of labor,ros
in the majesty of freedom, and decidedly
expressed their sentiments upon this vital
subject. They elected as ruler man
who came from the laborlng class. We
did not purpose to meddle with slavery,
only that it should not eat up coil which
belongs to free labor The South under
stoed this. 1.-The laborer shall be pro-
tected :" this sentiment was what troubled
them. You know the result. The South
passed from war of words to a war OF
J. la,,nc tho attanE unon