Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-12-15

4
In no inconsistency; lei us then, 20 on and
make that experiment in good faith, and not
be too easily disheartened The country IS
IN need Of labor, and the freedmen are In
need OF employment, culture, and protection.
while their right Of voluntary migration and
! expatriation is not to be questioned. | would
not advise their forced removal and colontza-
ton. Let us rather encourage them 10
1 honorable and useful industry, where ii may
be beneficial to themselves and 10 the eonn-
| try; and, instead OF hasty anticipations Of
the certainty Of failure, let there be nothing
wanting to the fair trial of the experiment.
! The change In their condition is the substi-
tuition Of labor by contract for the status of
! slavery. The freedmen cannot fairly be ae-
4 eused of nnwIllingness to work, so long as a
doubt remains about his freedom Of choice
| in his pursuits, and the certainty of hss re-
covering hls stipulated wages. In this the
interests OF the employer and the employed
coincide The employer desires in his WORK
men spirit and aacrity, and these can be
permanently secured in no other way. And
if the one ought to be able to enforce the
contract, 50 ought the other. The public
interest will be best promoted If tile several
States viii provide adequate protection and
| remedies for the freedmen Until this is in
some way accomplished, there isno chance
for the advantageous use of their labor; and
the blame OF Ill success will not rest on
them
1 know that sincere philanthrophy il ear
nest for the immediate realization Of its re-
motest aims; but time is always an element
In reform. 1t is one of the greatest acts on
record to have brought four millions of peo-
pie into freedom. The career of free indus
try must be fairly opened to them, and then
their future prosperity and condition must,
after all, rest mainly on themselves. Ifthey
fail, and so perish away, let us be careful
that the failure shall not be attributable to
any denial of justice In all that relates to
the destiny of the freedmen, we need not be
too anxious to read the future; many incl
dents which for a speculative point of view,
might rise alarm, viii quietly settle them
selves
Now that slavery is at an end or near It's
end. the greatness OF It's evil, in the point of
view Of public economy, becomes more and
more apparent. Slavery was essentially a
monopoly of labor, and as such locked The
States where it prevailed against the incom-
ing OF free industry. Where labor was the
property Of the capitalist. the white man
was excluded from employment, or had but
the second best chance of finding it, and the
gion where his condition would be so preca-
rious. With the destruction of the mono
poly, free labor viii hasten from all parts of
the civilized world to assist in developing
various immeasurable resources which have
hitherto lain dormant The eight or nine
States nearest the Gulf Of Mexico have
soil of exuberant fertility climate friendly
to long life, and can sustain a denser popu-
latlon than IS found as yet n any, part of
our country. And the future influx Of pop
ulation into them will be mainly from the
North, OF from the most cultivated nations
III Europe. From the sufferings that have
attended them during our late struggle, let
US look away to the future, which is sure to
be laden for them with greater prosperity
than has ever before been known. The re-
moyal OF the monopoly of slave labor is
pledge that those regions viii be peopled by
numerous and enterprising population,
which will vie with any in the Union in com
Pactness, inventive genius, wealth and IN
dustry.
Our Government springs from and was
made for the people-not the people for the
Government 10 them it owes allegiance;
from them it must derive its courage strength
and wisdom. But, while the Government
Is thus bound todefer to the people, from
lis
the very consideration of It's origin. be strong
in Its power of resistance to the establish
ment of inequalities. Monopolies, perpetu-
ties, and class legislation, are contrary to
the genius offree government, and ought not
to be allowed Here, there is no room for
favored classes or monopolies the principle
of our Government is that of equal laws and
freedom Of industry. Wherever monopoly
attalns toothold, it is sure to be source
OF danger, discord, and trouble We shall
but tultll our duties as Legislators by accor-
ding equal and exact justice to all men,
special privileges TO none The Govern
ment Is subordinate to the people; but, as
the agent and representative Of the people,
1t must be held superior to monopolies,
which IN themselves, ought never to be gran
ted and which, where they exist, must be
subordinate: and yield to the Government.
The Constitution confers on Congress the
right to regulate commerce among the sew
eral States 1t is of the frs necessity, for
the maintenance of the Union, that that
commerce should be free and unobstrueted
No State can be justified in any device to tax
the transit OF travel and commerce between
States. The position of many States is such
that, IT they were allowed to take advantage
OF 1t for purposes of local revenue, the COM
merce between States might be injuriously
burdened, or even virtually prohibited. 1t
IS best, while the country is still young, and
while the tendency to dangerous monopolies
of this kind is still feeble, to use the power
OF Congress so as to prevent any selfish i'm
pedlment to the free circulation of men and
merchandise. A tax on travel and merchan-
disc, In their transit, constitutes one of the
worst forms of monopoly, and the evil is
increased if coupled with a denial of the
choice OF route. When the vast extent of
our country is considered; il is plain that
every obstacle to the free circulation of COM
merce between the States ought to be stern
ly guarded against by the appropriate legis-
lation, within the limits Of the Constitu- |
ton.
The report of the Secretary of the Interi-
OF explains the condition of the public lands, |
the transactions Of the Patent Office and the |
Pension Bureau, the management of our
Indian affairs, the progress made in the con-
structlon OF our Pacific railroad and furn-
ishes information in reference TO matters of
local interest in the District of Columbia. |
1t also presents evidence of the successful |
operation of the Homestead Act, under the /
provisions of which / 100, 533 acres Of the
public lands were entered during the last |
fiscal year-more than one-fourth of the /
Whole number Of acres sold or otherwise /
disposed of during that period. 1t is esti-
mated that the receipts derived from this /
source are sufficient to cover the expenses
incident to the survey and disposal Of the
lands entered under this act, and that pay 7
ments in cash to the extent of from forty to