America
is returning to Despotism! This was Abraham Lincoln's warning to the
congress and the American people in 1861 at the onset of the civil war.
Popular opinion, especially that among the insurgents of the south was
that the civil war was being fought over 'popular sovereignty'. In
his First Annual Message, Lincoln stated:
"It continues to develop that the insurrection is largely, if not exclusively, a war upon the first principle of popular government--the rights of the people. Conclusive evidence of this is found in the most grave and maturely considered public documents, as well as in the general tone of the insurgents. In those documents we find the abridgment of the existing right of suffrage and the denial to the people of all right to participate in the selection of public officers except the legislative boldly advocated, with labored arguments to prove that large control of the people in government is the source of all political evil. Monarchy itself is sometimes hinted at as a possible refuge from the power of the people."
Lincoln knew that it was not the will of the people to institute slavery, but rather it was the slave breeders, the slave traders and the plantation owners that who had become the masters. Lincoln referred to this as 'capital'. He explained that when capital is set at equal or greater footing than labor, it leads to despotism. Lincoln explained:
"In my present position I could scarcely be justified were I to omit raising a warning voice against this approach of returning despotism.
It is not needed nor fitting here that a general argument should be made in favor of popular institutions, but there is one point, with its connections, not so hackneyed as most others, to which I ask a brief attention. It is the effort to place capital on an equal footing with, if not above, labor in the structure of government. It is assumed that labor is available only in connection with capital; that nobody labors unless somebody else, owning capital, somehow by the use of it induces him to labor. This assumed, it is next considered whether it is best that capital shall hire laborers, and thus induce them to work by their own consent, or buy them and drive them to it without their consent. Having proceeded so far, it is naturally concluded that all laborers are either hired laborers or what we call slaves. And further, it is assumed that whoever is once a hired laborer is fixed in that condition for life."
Lincoln continued to argue that any assumption that is a natural relationship between capital and labor is totally false, just like there is no such thing as a man who is destined to be a hired labor. What the president is trying to explain here, is that it is the worker who creates value, not the capital. This is not to say that there is not a connection between the two. There is, both capital and labor work together to produce mutual benefits. But where society gets it wrong, is when they assume that labor is dependent upon the capital, as if man can not produce value without there first being capital. Labor does not seek out capital, but rather it is capital that seeks out labor. Lincoln gave strong evidence by pointing to the many farmers in both the North and the South who work for themselves, creating value or product without asking anyone for "favors of capital".
"Now there is no such relation between capital and labor as assumed, nor is there any such thing as a free man being fixed for life in the condition of a hired laborer. Both these assumptions are false, and all inferences from them are groundless.
Labor is prior to and independent of capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration. Capital has its rights, which are as worthy of protection as any other rights. Nor is it denied that there is, and probably always will be, a relation between labor and capital producing mutual benefits. The error is in assuming that the whole labor of community exists within that relation. A few men own capital, and that few avoid labor themselves, and with their capital hire or buy another few to labor for them. A large majority belong to neither class--neither work for others nor have others working for them. In most of the Southern States a majority of the whole people of all colors are neither slaves nor masters, while in the Northern a large majority are neither hirers nor hired. Men, with their families--wives, sons, and daughters--work for themselves on their farms, in their houses, and in their shops, taking the whole product to themselves, and asking no favors of capital on the one hand nor of hired laborers or slaves on the other. It is not forgotten that a considerable number of persons mingle their own labor with capital; that is, they labor with their own hands and also buy or hire others to labor for them; but this is only a mixed and not a distinct class. No principle stated is disturbed by the existence of this mixed class."
Lincoln was not against hard labor, or menial jobs, but he gave a warning to those who had toiled their way up from poverty. Lincoln explained, that there is no need for a permanent class of laborers, nor should anyone be stuck at the bottom. "The prudent, penniless beginner in the world labors for wages awhile, saves a surplus with which to buy tools or land for himself, then labors on his own account another while, and at length hires another new beginner to help him". This in Lincoln's mind was the "just and generous and prosperous" system that works to improve the condition of all. If ever this "door of advancement" be closed, then all of liberty would be lost.
"Again, as has already been said, there is not of necessity any such thing as the free hired laborer being fixed to that condition for life. Many independent men everywhere in these States a few years back in their lives were hired laborers. The prudent, penniless beginner in the world labors for wages awhile, saves a surplus with which to buy tools or land for himself, then labors on his own account another while, and at length hires another new beginner to help him. This is the just and generous and prosperous system which opens the way to all, gives hope to all, and consequent energy and progress and improvement of condition to all. No men living are more worthy to be trusted than those who toil up from poverty; none less inclined to take or touch aught which they have not honestly earned. Let them beware of surrendering a political power which they already possess, and which if surrendered will surely be used to close the door of advancement against such as they and to fix new disabilities and burdens upon them till all of liberty shall be lost."
This was not a novel idea in Lincoln's head, In a letter to Joshua Speed 6 years earlier, Lincoln expressed this notion even clearer when he explained his position on the Know-Nothing party.
"I am not a Know-Nothing. That is certain. How could I be? How can any one who abhors the oppression of negroes, be in favor or degrading classes of white people? Our progress in degeneracy appears to me to be pretty rapid. As a nation, we began by declaring that "all men are created equal." We now practically read it "all men are created equal, except negroes" When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read "all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics." When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretence of loving liberty -- to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocracy [sic]."
Lincoln was fighting to end despotism. Perhaps he was fighting to free not just the blacks from slavery, but you and I also.
References
Presidency.ucsb.edu. (2017). Abraham Lincoln: First Annual Message. [online] Available at: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=29502 [Accessed 7 Dec. 2017].
Abrahamlincolnonline.org. (2017). Abraham Lincoln's 1855 Letter to Joshua Speed. [online] Available at: http://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/speed.htm [Accessed 7 Dec. 2017].
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