The Portland daily press., 1881-01-14

of suffrage, or that right of suffrage will in the
end, divide their estates.
Is it not time that we paused in our career
and reviewed our principles?
FREEHOLDS.
Our institutions were founded upon equality
CT rather grew out of equality-that condition
OF comparative equality, as to property that
characterized the early settlers of New Eng
land. They brought with them no great cap
itals and, fortunately for humanity, there was
nothing here productive, to tempt investments.
If one millionaire had come over in the May
flower he would have blasted the prospects of
continent; for ours, then, would have been
government not to protect labor but capital.
Capital would have shaped it. Our ancestors
came here all upon an equality as to property,
or rather as to poverty. But the lands were
all open and free to them. They entered into
possession and established the town system,
the hundred acre lot system; and upon this
foundation they builded their free and Chris
tan republic. All were tillers of the soil
farmers-not tenant farmers but freeholders,
having absolute domination over their acres,
recognizing no man as lord or master, no
power between them and the God they wor-
shipped. They were lords and sovereigns
themselves, and if we are nation of sover-
eigns to- day, it is only so far as we are a ma
ton of freeholders. When these sovereigns
got together to form government what kind
of government could they forms Only that
under which all were equals, all
were sovereigns. They could not have form
ed any other if they had tried. at was this
necessary act of parcelling out the land into
small free holds" says Webster, "that fixed
the future frame and form of their govern
ment."
1I1,N L.
gan their system of government under con-
dition of comparative equality as to property,
but all their laws were of nature to favor
and perpetuate that equality. This is I'M
doubtedly the true principle Of legislation.
Any system of legislation therefore that tends
to destroy this happy equality, wipe out the
small freeholds and centralize the ownership
land in the hands of the few, not only des-
troys the prosperity and independence of the
people, but strikes at the very foundation of
our republic There is nothing in this country
so sacred as the freehold. 1t was the imme-
date parent of our free school system and
constitutes the essential condition of its ex-
istence for in country of great landed es-
tates the district school system is as impossi-
bic as it is unknown.
CONCLUSION.
At the foundation of our free system there
tore lies the principle OF EQUALITY, and
only upon that principle can it be preserved !;
for it can rest in the love of all only as it rests
i'll the interests of all Move il from this basis of
equality and our temple of liberty falls and
then who shall raise up its stately columns
again? 1t was only by the happy concurrence
OF the most fortunate circumstances, our con-
stiution was framed and adopted. No other
people, no other country, no other age was
equal to the work. Ho W far beyond the pow
ers of the American people to- day is such an
| achievement We should know, since we are
not able to supply its one little defect in rela-
ton to counting the electoral votes. The wis
dom and patriotism of Congress is unequal to
the task though urged to it by every consid-
Grafton of public safety. No, if our expert
ment of free government shall fail from the
earth, it will be the knell of popular liberty
the world over and for all time.
Cicero, in one Of his orations, is led off into
panegyric upon the Roman constitution.
How apt are his words, when applied to our
immaculate charter, that browning glory of
the Revolution-that master piece of human
invention, at once the wonder and hope of the
world-the constitution under which we live !
| for, says the great orator, 80 wonderful sys-
TEN and discipline of government which we
have received from our fathers.-oNLY LET US
PRESERVE IT." HARRIS M. PLAIsTED.