Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1867-07-23
Washington Correspondence C;a. Commercial
CoIfScation,

Mr.. Stevens intends to rally ali the faith
+ tul to the support of his coutiscaton bill. and
expresses himself confident of success -
Boutwell,, Butler, Logan. and such men are
with him. IL has already been given out
that without this. the success of the EeDUb-
liean party in the South is uncertain but
only give the loyal blacks fifty acres each and
Z they vii! be sure 10 vote right Such is the
report from the radical missionaries who have
\ been down South aud have returned to report
progress. Butler cschews politics. and scars
into abstract principles when ne talks on this
subject. lie has discovered an axiom in the
science of government which has lain dor
Ihant since creation, aud would probably have
never seen the light but for his acute tho
strab:smical, vision. There can be no repub-
ican government, he says, where the land is
owned IL large tracts and TILED by hired
labor. Why not extend the principle to New
England, and say there can be no republican
government where the cotton factories are
owned by wealthy men and worked Ly hired
and poorly paid labor: Ii the negroes oftbe
South own, by the right of labor. the lands
they have cultivated, why don't the factory
girls OF lowell own Zen. Buffers factory !:
The fact that the negroes We're until recently
Ie.d as slaves doesn't alter the principle at ali
phe planter paid Cor the cultivation OF his land
IN food aud clothing; the New En.lauI
nanufacturer paid COX working his looms and
Spindels with i sum Of money scarcely srGi-
seient to buy food aud clothing for his opera
ives. What. then, Is the essential difference
lsisce Butler treats the subject Of couGscatjon
g principle of government, not as Il punish
Nc for rebeliion) between the planter and
Sacturer, that the one should be
surrender his property and the
None At ali 81 IL we are
for the sake Of m1iutain-
SIn form Of .rvernucut' - Ter US
-on good square. broad basis New
Lgngiaal lOves the Republic quite rs much ~
any other section; she Lowell 1t well enough
during the war to scrlpe Up ali the negro
substitutes she could fad in the rear of The
armies, that, though they might die. the
country might live. Let her now come for
ward and sacrifice her cotton factories on the
alter OF freedom. Let MIR. Spraguc. who Is Il
patriot. divide his factory property into shares
and distribute among the la borin- classes -
for whose welfare such great anxiety has
suddenly been manifested. If Mr. Buffers
theory be correct IN regard 20 Southern lands.
it Is correct in regard TO Northern lands. and
ii true Of lands it is equally tire of other
property. ifrepu5'.cIn governments can only
be maintained on the forty acre principle in
the S)I.iI. it certainly cant be maintained on
the three or four million dollar principle in
the North. The result of the agitation Of
such questions these. at the present. time,
needs no very keen foresight to predict In
the first place. it will divide the Republican
narty-;hat's certain In the second pace,
1t vii! defeat it-tha;'s eqpnIiy certain ami
these are, perhaps. the least Important of all
the consequences likely 10 flpw from. it before
the end is reached Men who We're fighting
the battles Of the anti slavery party while
Butler was voting for jon Davis in the
Charleston Convention. and while boutwell,
was Democratic Governor of Massachusetts.
see this. but the zeal Of new converts Is
proverJ:al