The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-02-20 00:00:00

SLAVERY-WHAT IS SLAVERY

• Sir Te THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES.
to e we desire to accomplish a good work, in order
onfer an act of kindness upon oar fellowman, there
roust
invent- always be a beginning. In these days of novel
be ions, inauguration speeches, and progress, it has
te?no„111,° an announcement of daily recurrence, that some-
araoslitlas begun.
.We live in a creative and prolific age ;
found a race Incessantly employ.ed in originating,
p,pr,it.
ill, multiplying, and constructing. Our morning
_or,.
_cords the birth of quite as many things as persons
edifices, enormous works, useful institutions,
systems, as of mere flesh and blood
infants T
heirs 1: .f one column acquaints us that sons and
hews have been born into certain respectable house-
elsewhere we find recorded the nativity of
•I'w
enterscions of the railway family, the commercial
faease family, the educational institute family,
mij! that it should still be so—the prison discipline
are 1Y• And of these offspring, in both categories, some
destined to become memorable for all time. In one nine
off,_bundle of squalling humanity, there may lie the germ
eot'.ueTruture statesman, poet, orator, warrior, and what
that ; 'll, the modest structure or experimental gathering
an day, Pev'ted public notice for the first time on the same
world may hereafter recognise the realisation of
the the beginning of a movement which shall influence
destinies of mankind from generation to generation.
halve f, sir, in the good cause, which I flatter myself I
nse,
,t,he past three months been advocating, I have
in Sour°co a good beginning, and that what Sal. appeared
11,,re, valuable and influential journal, will o prove,
seehatfter, to be the means, in some way or other, however
oe% t of re-modifying the general aspect.of society. Then
sese•
e HI to my subject.
ee,° would fancy that people need to be careful of their
a Wet, •
Priem in these times, fur every day we see the most
petit. e: Matters flush out in the full blaze of newspaper
lite.e'citY• Sometimes we have occasion to notice that a
a Carelessness in performing a surgical experiment on
• pauper b •
Jitez rings an unfortunate practitioner before
.the
umecsent of the public, and for which he has to writhe
I'leade the condemnation poured out upon him ie a
to hi '" of one of our daily papers, and which, owing,
In
el, want of skill, he becomes known as an " ignoramus'
itoeiner3: Part of the world. And why should such people,
g lathe higher walks of life, be exempt from being
sfsseenvP to exposure by that powerful engine, should they
4re `nre it, as well as the indigent classes of society, who
xleten dragged before a magistrate for committing
8-""n whiCh starvation too frequently leads them to ?
all t-O" ?f Your readers, very likely, may say what has
Slave: tong preamble to do with the matter at issue.-1
tell r Then, I would answer, wait awhile and
as a' If things have a beginning they must certainly,
ha matter of course, progress before they can ultimately
e an ACud . therefore give me time.
Wee Medical man is often one of those benevolent persons
&Dreg° about visiting in dark alleys and four-pair backs
tee' Pure motives of humanity, and as though fees wfre
rfle'tilearoratters of tradition. It is true. that many medicnal
4„°, actuated by benevolent
.motives like these, an
for a moment dispute it. But there are scores
a°tithe
iu a very different way altogether—the very
fromesis of all this—and I sneak as regards what has,
loMme to time, come under my own immediate
te rvation—though a non-medical, as 1 confess myself to
that Yen must know perfectly well, sir, as a journalist,
rush
iltwutaion a vacancy is created in any of our charitable
ns how the young aspirants of "Esculapius "
Ng,r into your columns with their advertisements, so
,„ 4,re they to get the appointment. Is it always
lesii"!io Philanthropic motives which so far actuates them
thei;''' apparently benign acts of charity in volunteering
colt unity?
gratis to the pauperised class of our
, Not exactly.
Isiene` re"aKe use of a hacknied phrase " there are wheels
how wheels " and this is about the true English of it—
as to 'O9 are Once set ageing should they be so fortunate
Neel be iustalled in the appointment they have so
aifer,-:7 been seeking after. I will, first of all, direct your
gtee-"on to the " parish doctor," whose services are not
ter n gratutiously but who receives a fair remuneration
cantliee,aical services given, and, moreover, besides this, he
disiP„`actice for himself. Let us then, in his case, draw a
and 'iehtion between the attention paid to the rich patient
Praeti-tP pauper. Now, as regards the former, if the
the toner be called in to attend ourselves or families in
eater".ollr of sickness, how do we meet his visits ? On
nes blug the sick chamber see how quietly he moves about
I' put, how soothingly and blandly we are asked to
the. out our tongue," how gently the pulse is felt, with
lier,„,la " repeater" brought into requisition in order to
Welj—e`e the s' ate of health we are in. This may all be very
leash 'au most of us when laid prostrate, no doubt value
ejrneettentious as these, and the wily doctor makes it his
is ineBt t'l(IY in bestowing them upon us, expecting, as
Letup erlablY the case, a good round fee for his trouble.
pee follow our medieal friend onhis next visit, which may
le chance be in the back street contiguous to our dwell-
'g• ‘eliatCould we only take a peep behind the scenes and
filth v a contrast should we behold ! Look at him in that
cere'eeal")artment—the garret or the cellar—there iu one
ilereie3,aisetithe poor afflicted wretch—patients they are
%Zenisne, ,7-writhing under sickness and afflictions most
seoffenel. "°lv are such sufferers too often treated. The
the voice, the pleasant manner, the cheering ways,
tee ehuulY word administered to the ear have all vanished,
Gilitvitrd be 'ring of the man changed entirely.
tha esaY What you will to the contrary, this is frequently
csrtejaes°; The pail practitioner engaged to perform
tsEtA " unties for a given salary forgets that his appoint
leu,„eatalls upon him a serious amount of responsibility,
eo,ne-'ach if lei wilfully neglects such paupers who may
es under his care he must expect to meet with that due
eation which may be, and has perhaps been truly
he jrcled to him. Then, after the lashings, as it may be
de ,plas met with, h isiv is the " milk of human kindness,"
It suppose, diffused in a bosom like his ? How does
lus;"0" towards his poorer brethren ? Does he for an
I,crloiat:tnhkis he is administerine to the wants of those
Own flesh and blood ? Does he so far dive
slieuieh° conaplaint of the poor miserable mortal that
resn'lt be requisite to administer wholesome tonics! or
h. 'tqbe valuable medicines by which the disease might
ea-ElZaedicated ? I fear, in many instances, it is not the
litAteel?,d that, too frequently, the parish doctor is greatly
then. e°l of his duty—l say this fearlessly. What slave,
a ehr. an be worse treated than paupers like these, and in
teeseftan country too ? Do not let it be supposed. for
slur 'lent that, by remarks such as these, I am casting a
tee !Pon the profession in general. No ; far be it from
a°lnniessati to do so, as I know full well there are many
hearts beat warmly towards the indigent classes,
eeer,,,,ho are never backward in putting forth their
Of eg,e„ to;attend them, and to assist them in every act
/a :14 and kindness.
au. Y last, I dwelt at some length in picturing toyour
bead the life and habits of the "medical student," and
4sir; ',ringing this part of my subject to a close, I would
steinf iurther to expatiate upon it. Should we not
vihor:s how the morals of such young men are cared for,
Parents
hers mhl Part with from under their own immediate
!f ace them under the management and control of
ter,,,•°r their future good, as they may fancy, as what
tt°lls" In-door pupils" in any of our public institu.
the Whether it may be in the infirmary, the hospital, or
perliPensary ?
e~tne PS, air, you have never had the opportunity. of
the e i.7lsg the scenes and freaks too often carried on in
Of tele.-11,?1,18. parlour," somewhere about the sombre hour
wasse'aCit, when the " house surgeon," matron, and
milres are all Quietly ;reposing in their beds. The
kiwitable
, " Boz "- in depicting the character of "Bob
his unmistakeable work Pickwick, where he so
'r; h3rotisly pourtreys the scene in the back shop, drink-
%)Jeikrite out of the' measure glass, &c., is nothing to be
P'rtirred to it. Immorality of the grossest and most
steeOlous description is, night by night, carried on—
e 4.. g, drinking, card-playing, gambling in every.form
bie ,B'aPe ; aye, and even worse than gout this, if
viattjeubie is only taken to find it . The
lvhat!,,s of the institution are very likely ignorant of
t7hy on, or may appear to. be. so, at least. Simply
.44,11.0115eeause their too formal visits are made durdng,a
ce'"l everything is seemingly being carried on or er,y
Est d, If, however, my. statements are for a momente
stsee • let the weekly visitor, whoever he may b
‘,of always taking "his rounds" in the early part
t-right, ir,V. step in o^casionally quietly amongst them at.
Litlly he desires to see, at all, how things are really and
earoBressing—how the pupils, who are so far under
krlsherd
and guidance conduct themselves.
u '
idi?vl, sir, after this frivolous way of pupils
.like
l4odie-"ag their valuable time away, reviewing it quietly
'isei Passionately, as we have been, how can we be surd-
11,ses t° er' ao many worthlese students being pitchforke
g-ailledical-world, and hence so many cha.nce medley
et if generally hear of. It is very evident, then,
te.'a4lrindatle,ll, Palpale evils as these are. tolerated, we are
:lee ie there is something wrong in the state of pen-
-41114e 014nY young men who lead a hard and sinful
life,
hsuch as I havedescribed, inevitably die
fth 'l°Y fall like shadows, or turnUe like wrecks andt
meitt,i_the grave almost before they are huned forty.
pee 14°' Bed, to quote Holy Writ, 0' liveth not ha
andi
th_fligee arely, after all these instances of. immoralityassign
Is rean9', the truth will at once be ratified, and. s
geitt,ll, r.ip7irlbt, describing the dissolute. as " fast men ~'ntelipaxt
• leil`ne.,, tb'c fast ; they spend their twelve hours i
ttliqßfr?at the
the whole before the meridian, and idroipr:
',(ll,Tce, eeeinght and into darkness while others are
ose,tete:,;"l glory of life. Their sun goes down while
c;rlsq,,,f3oe--h;,k,nd they.might have helped it, had they no
ityretes sae es to vice when in their youth Many a
flefecal an',',"g before he need. Your
.mrnyof genius, lilt!:
114"71 thilcthera, to whom, when dissipated and preset
r'3"seven is so fatal ; and your obscure and
te,eit,!itie!Hs:th"awandering stars," who waste their hours in
rh Th-'llllzetiCe—tkey cannot lice long. They must die
!tie?' rue -le, Put on the steam till they blow up the boiler.
`lee, The such a rate that the fire goes out for want of
Ylt; tvea-rtoachinery is destroyed by reckless speed and
'kt 14 ea ' Nothing can save them. Their physical
oetbanot stand the strain they put it to ; while the
I.lr. trr minds is often such, that the soul would eat
° substance of the most robust body, and make
t lieitione,ltwaY of escape from the incessant hell of its
trqic,letlt e°4clusion, all probabilities are on the side of a
'otroins eetto for the good Peace and contentment,
LfpleoNitre.......atiSreligious virtue, are so many guarantees
'Pool Feb. Yours, &c., VERITAS.
z' 18, 1857.