Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1883-12-27
A FULL FLEDaED FREn TRADER.
Who Writes From the Standpoint of
QueruIOus Agrfculturist.

trhue lB an aDstrActiOn. Under existing cir
cumstances il is an absurdity. II is a practi
cal impossibility.-N. Y. World on ht
election Of Mr.. Carlisle.
Free trade here is announced to be al
abstraction, an absurdity, a practical i'm
possibility. In introducing few asser
tiOn counter to these cannot do better
than quote the language of vastly
greater luminary than the New York
World or even the New York sun
Hobbies, the great English philosopher
in explaining the generation" OF his
"leviathan," that is human government,
thus speaks:
The only way to erect such common
power as may be able to defend men from
the invasion of foreigners and the injuries OF
one another, and thereby to secure them in
such sort as that by their own industry and
by the fruits of the earth they may nourisb
themselves and live contentedly, is to confer
all their power and strength on one man OF
upon one assembly OF men that may reduce
all their wills by plurality of voices under
one will, which is as much as to say, to ap-
point one man or assembly of men TO bear
their person and every one to own and ac-
knowledge himself to be author of whatsoever
he that 30 beareth their person shall act or
cause to be acted in those things which con-
Germ the common peace and safety,
Here is clear statement OF the object
Of government, viz that common peace
and safety" which enables men by
their own industry and by the fruits OF
the earth to "nourish themselves and
live oontentedly." Here is clear def
milton of that authority, the when and
no more, the people as a political agency
have the right to confer on their repre-
sentative legislative bodies of men. And
II in popular governments the majority
oonfers greater authority, the majority
is tyrsnnic and jeOpardizss the rights OF
men as members OF human society and
If the legislative body, without the con-
sent of popular majority, swervee from
this object, "the common peace and
safety" which secures men as far as a
single government can in their natural
rights, it is in like manner usurpsiory
and tyrannous.
No political agency has the right to
deprive man of liberty, save as such
deprivation oondnoes to that common
peace and safety which must be- pre-
served. And no one, properly, is en-
titled to any peculiar privilege as oiti-
zen which is not subservient to the main.
tenance OF his rights as a man and the
rights of others as such.
On what principle then do our manu-
fscturers enjoy the prerogative of supply
ing, and that, too, at an enhanced cost,
our ignorant imbecile masses with the
necessaries of life and laborY Have they
any Legitimate civil right as fellow citi-
zens to do this II so, what natural
right of themselves or others does this
civil right support Does not this con-
ferred privilege on the contrary directly
antagonize most important natural
right of the labOring classes to buy the
necessaries of life where they can do 50
at the least cOst2
A free government is constituted TO
protect effectively the human rights OF
individuals not TO sacrifice them TO some
ambitious scheme of national sggrandize-
ment. How then can "the common peace
and safety" which is the object OF human
government be- maintained when the oOp-
stituted authorities instead OF securing
the people from, betrey them into the
power Of injustice; instead of taking all
proper means to prevent the diverting OF
the fruits Of the earth from their true
end and purpose, aid such diversion by
establishing system that impoverishes
the soil and the inhabitants OF the
scil TO enrich the city and the inhab
itauts of the city ; that with the assist
anoe of strikes supports class Of sristo-
cratic laborsrs, perchanos called opera
tives, in city and town life at the ex
psnse OF the cORrsely living, ignorant,
drudging masses of tine country; a
system directly conducive TO conspirGoits
aud giving birth, under the cloak of fsir
dealing, TO that very sort of injuries Oi
one another, of one class against another,
against which il is the Office OF lew tU
defendY
Is tbe conservation OF liberty, but
another name for Justice, on the part of
government or self-governing people
an abstraction
Experience shows that IL Is the viola
tion of justice tnat renders the annals of
every nation of the Old world succession
Of pictures dark with strife and blood.
ghed
But free trade "under existing circum-
stances" is also said to be an "sbsurdity."
What are there existing circum-
stances One of the circumstances ia
that on this flood tide of imprisoned
trade, iniquitously made by legislative
dammins up OF the natural currents, great
investments have been lsunohed which
upon the breaking down of these dams
will be left high and dry or to navigate
muoh shallower water, or TO pole them
selves of into the natural currents OF
foreign trade.
Very well; is it better that the laboring
masses of the ignorant poor, white and
black, should continue to be oppressed
and denied their rights as members of
human society rather than that these
rich, whose very ill.gotten booty per-
chance has purchased the legislative
continuance OF the pernioious system,
should find their peculiar occupation
gone and be- compelled to incur the loss
of a change of base?
A case worthy of mention in this con-
nection presents itself in our own recent
history. Years ago it YVES proposed 10
do away with African slavery, south
The laws and even the national Copsti
tuition, while forbidding further imports-
tioDs, still recognized and protected in
voluntary servituds of negroes then in
the south aid southerners, many OF
them men of humane sentiments, pur.
chased negroes on the strength of this
protection. But this fsct then made no
difference to the rnnp parliameUts of
New England and contiguous parts. The
people OF these sections then favored negro
emancipation, individual and general,
without compensation, notwithstanding
the pecUuiary loss southern owners
would thereby sustain. Their philau-
Lhropic spirits We're then oogpizant OF q
higher Law. But when it ia proposed to
emanoipste white and black from that
involuntary servitude (for involuntary it
is wherever there is not an African unooD-
! sciousndss of the relation sustained)
which is requisite to pay this BupeFsdded
cost of the neoessaries OF lie, these
northerners see nothing but the lower
Law and fslsify facts md fatter and de-
oeive ths tickle foolish popclsoe aud cor
rupt its representatives to keep their
own pockets intact.
And, touching the other important
existing circumstances, viz: Thai work
men i'll factories through the prohibition
of foreign commerce are enabled to enj oy
the comforts and privileges of town or
city life, it may well be asked indeed
why this class of men should be placed
| in possession of these comforts and
privileges by compelling the ignorant
orudgiDg population of the country to
buy the workmanship OF their hands, by
forcing the interests OF this country
population into dependence upon the
mschinations and violence of capitalists
and operatives Why should the children
Of city or town artisans have the
instruction of high schools by means oi
IL.