ANNUAL ADDRESS. 
295 
hold that labor is prior to, and independent of, capital; that, in 
fact, capital is the fruit of labor, and could never have existed 
if labor had not first existed—that labor can exist without cap¬ 
ital, but that capital could never have existed without labor. 
Hence they hold that labor is the superior— greatly the supe¬ 
rior of capital. 
They do not deny that there is, and probably always will be, 
a relation between labor and capital. The error, as they hold, 
is in assuming that the whole labor of the world exists within 
that relation. A few men own capital ; and that few avoid la¬ 
bor 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.— 
Even in all our slave States, except South Carolina, a majority 
of the whole people of all colors, are neither slaves nor mas¬ 
ters. In these free States, a large majority are neither hirers 
nor hired. Men, with their families—wives, sons, and daugh¬ 
ters—work for themselves, on their farms, in their houses and 
in their shops, taking the whole product to themselves, and ask¬ 
ing no favors of capital on the one hand, nor of hirelings or 
slaves on the other. It is not forgotton that a considerable 
number of persons mingle their own labor with capital ; that 
is, labor with their own hands, and also buy slaves or hire free¬ 
men to labor for them; but this is only a mixed, and not a dis¬ 
tinct class. No principle stated is disturbed by the existence 
of this mixed class. Again, as has already been said, the op¬ 
ponents of the “mud-sill” theory insist that there is not, of ne¬ 
cessity, any such thing as the free hired laborer being fixed to 
that condition for life. There is demonstration for saying this. 
Many independent men, in this assembly, doubtless a few years 
ago were hired laborers. And their case is almost if not quite 
the general rule. 
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 say its 
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