The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-11-07

there 70 20 doubt that my conscsentious'y
Advocassd Il, and loaned thsir mepey fer
that purpose tbsrs Is - rssssa y sasbss'
Bat that was seR The cole ssAscn, though
Il served a . psstsxt Tbs esszs proper
existed sAisrior y the prytsxf. ssd may ~
found in the tendency Or events. - we shsli
aim to demonstrate. In doing 80, We ask
our readers. in all eandor. 70 dismiss NIL pre-
judics aud passion, and consider the ques-
ton With unbiased minds, and draw from It
such conclusions as their Judgment and rsa-
son may dictate. .A.es
The cause. a. we have said, may
found In the tendency Of events. Nan
has . natural desire for power, and
whom not perverted, IL 10 q noble quality IN
his nature, but when perverted 1t becomes .
dangerous element, and productive Of
mach evil. This slemeat, Ia its perverted
form has manifested itself 10 various wars,
and at various periods. Ia al new eoun-
tries il aggregates, censralises and consoli-
dates itself, its object being to get posses-
uOn Of the governing power. This has been
Its history ever Since the world began. The
founders Of this rspublle were fully cOgnizant
OF this aggressive spirit in ths nature OF
man, and Of the principle Of the sventualitv
Of things, aud sought in establishing the
American systeA Of government, 10 coun-
tsrAct this aggressive spirit and turn il TO
the advantage OF the human family. But
the American republic was not to be an ex-
ception TO abe general law. Ambition, avsr-
ice and eupidisy have done their work here
a well ~ in the former republics. BY the
impereeptible working Of the nature OF
things, society here has formed itself into
tive classes, the one to toll and the other to
live of the toileT. In This change m th cor
gaDizatiou Of society, the elements that de-
SIRE power have become centralized, and BY
the law of mntnality have consolidated, and
seek power. Their riches procure for them
all that their vanity and sppetites can desire,
but their ambition must be satisfied, and
their thirst for power satiated, but to all
their desires there is an insurmountable
barrier in the way. The republic was es-
abolished and proclaimed % the world, the
masses had tasted OF the cup Of liberty, and
they feel reluctant to rellpquish the great
boon.
But the pOwer-seekiDg element in our
simple republic have acquired wealth, Gland
and money, } and not satisfied with the sim
plicity Of our rep ,blican institutions, they
clamored FOE q stronger and grandsr form Of
government. This could only be done By
impoverisAi ( and enslaving the white work
ing massss Of the republic, and this would
have to be done with their own eons emit. I'd
DO this, and make them believe they stil
would be free and independent, was the pro-
blem TO be solved. Three agencies present
ed themselves by which this problem could
be solved-MoSET, Was, aud DEsr. Tn,
6rst-mOney-wss tried, bat was found q
be too slo1 process for the active spirit
of the American monarchist, hence war had
to be lnangurated, and they had to make Of
it such . war 90 would entail upon tb'
masses . debt, the magnitude Of which
would lay the foundation upon which woulC
be built the future consolidated, anifioate<
empire OF North America. Such . result
could not be brought about by . foreigs
war, because were We to be successful, (ant
tWho would be 80 insane ~ to doubt oul
success,) we could, and would demand in
Identification hence, . foreign war has al
ways been studiously avoided. Civil wal
was the grAST idea to be carried. and Il
En-. pretext for THAI presext that woult
carry with it the appearance Of Justice and
right, and one with which the passions oil
the masses could be stirred up, was the first
step in the order OF things. This was found
IN the institution Of slavery. Slavery WA
the vulnerable spot In the American -epub
lie, and ali that money, ambition, prejudlct
and passion could bring. was brought to
bear against it. The result was civil war
and debt Of over s., 500, 0O0, 900, under the
plea of philanthropy for the negro, the Jet.
ters for the Caucasian were cast. Let NJ
ask you, fellow-citizeDs, with permG.
nsnt national debt Of over six billions, Eve
hundred millions Of dollars. what hope 10
there for your Our late domestic war, in
surrecti9n, rebellion,o or which ever name you
choose to call it by, was not the sole cause
Of this great debt. The rebellion was
merely the prstext. The cause 10 oo-exiss-
emit with the formation Of the government.
1t showed itself in the confederation. 1t
sought to be recognised in the convention
that framed it in the federal constitution.
II found friends in Iae various political or
ganisatious that have from time to time ex-
isted, anu in the war party-both demo-
cratic and republican-nOrth and south, it
had its final triumph: The love OF power,
and the desire to change the present form
Of government, and to institute one in which
the working masses win have less, and the
monarchical classes more power, 10 the real
cause Of the great permanent national debt
Of six billions, Eve hundred millions Of dol
lars y
In q future issue We shall treat Of the
means Of paying the debt, and TO whom
it is to be paid.
THE NATIONAL PLATFORM.