Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1865-07-01
A Free People.

uet now on the qpesuon wnetper tno Wsr
las yet made this country wholly "ireo."
For example, one leading Journal, belong
ng to the extreme radical party, says,
distinctly and emphs,ically, "cur country
remains one, and is all FREE" while 9TH
ers declare that until equal political rights
are guaranteed TO blacks as we'll as whites,
there is no propriety in calling this free
people and yet others, such as the editor
Of the Independent, in letter sent by him
to Boston meeting, insist that the princi-
Piles Of liberty demand the extension Of the
right of suffrage to a woman, and that
nothing short Of that is consistent with
the idea Of free country.
1, is manifestly good time to study the
question what is liberty, or what cousti-
tu,es free people. There was never
time when the question was more impor'
tant to our own nation. For the line be-
tween oppression and freedom, and the
other line between liberty and licentious.
ness, have been diligently sought by ma.
ny nations, and have seldom been found
or, il found, those lines have been sooner
or later lost to sight; now, by people who
lay supine while designing men destroyed
their liberties, removing, one by one, the
monuments which marked the division be-
tween despotism and freedom now, by
people who loolishly neglected to recognize
the existence of one line between the
guarded and cherished rights of freedom
aud the wild rage Of absolute license. We
need more than ever to find those lines
and establi sh the monuments to preserve
them.
They are not necessarily permanent
lines. Circumstances may change them
Perhaps it would be more correct TO say
that the lines are permanent, but that the
advance of education, civilization, and
other changes may transfer indiyi duals
from one side to the other of the establish.
ed lines. As long as human nature is just
what it is, there must be a difference in
the amount of freedom accorded by law
to different men. The man of weak in
tellect is the subject Of guardianship. The
man who, by misfortune and vice, is un-
fitted to take proper care of his own prop
erty, must be deprived of its control. The
child mus, be the servant, ward, and, in
many respects, the property of his parents
until he reaches years of discretion. Where
there are large classes Of persons subjec,
to disabilities like these, the law must pro
vide for the entire class. There may be
many young persons who are fully able to
govern their own affairs with discretion
before they reach the age Of twenty-one,
and there may be others who fail TO ac
qulre the necessary experience until long
after that age It is 30, possible to judge
in each case and give to each one the
stamp of freedom as be seems fitted for it..
So the law has determined an ago at
which all shall have the same privilege
Il may be that some remain in servitude
longer than is necessary; it may be too
that others acquire freedom sooner than
they are 6t for it +; but the general result
is probably good. Such is the theory of
the law. II would be good plan for any
person really desirous of understanding
the subject Of liberty, as regulated by law,
to study the case ofa young man in his
twenty.first year, asking, first, what is the
reason why he cannot vote, buy and sell
property, make contracts, earn money for
himself free from his fathers control, 90
and come just as he pleases, and when be
is twenty years and six months old; and,
second, why six months later this should
be changed and bis policy and individual
rights be suddenly his own. The study
will show one Of the monun ents which
mark the line between liberty and servi-
tude, and from this point the line may be
traced through many other classes of So
ciety and life.
It is impossible to establish perfect
liberty on earth. Much more it is impos.
sible to raise all classes of people at once
to the same degree of liberty in any couu,
try. This truth, impressed on the minds
of the American people may save us great
trouble in the future. We recognize it in
reference to immigrants, and to Indians
who are native to the soil. We recognize
it in relation TO women and minors, per.
sons Of weak intellect ann habitual drunk.
ards 1t is not surprising that those who
refuse to recognize it should be doubling
whether we are free people 1t is true
that in the broadest sense we are not and
never can be free people. The accom-.
plishment of the insane notions OF those
who would extend equal suffrage to all
classes, and Of those who would extend it
to all sexes, wonld soon lead US to the ex-
tincti on of even the measnra of l;ha,t,