Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-08-05

too IS liC.Iaca be wastefui and cxlrayasant m
ms consumption, lac is compelled to PRACTISE economy.
but IS CHIEFLY IN Its effects the free population
that The mischief of slavery is felt by lessening
he Inducements TO industry; by making manual Ia
ooar degrading; by furnishing the means Of expense
anu IN many ways cherishing taste for IT; by super
inducing habits of idlencss and pleasure, slavery
diminishes the productive industry of country IN
tar greater degree, than by its Immediate effects ON
The slaves themselves. In the latter case, II merely
makes one class OF the Community earn something
less; i'm the former il makes another class,
thing. II merely iaciines the slave TO waste but II
furnishes the master with both the inclination and
| the means Of extravaganza.
But an opinion has generally prevailed, that howe
the labour of slaves may comport with agrcaltu-
raj employments, il is unfit for
waste their negligence, their stupidity, when super
added to their aversion to labour, being supposed
altogether Incompatible with success IN the latter
employment. Yet in the teeth of this opinion, good
mechanics to be found among se slaves in all the
southern states. They often ingenious and ex-
pert as backsmiths carpenters, shoemakers, wheel
wrights, coopers, and in short IN the exercise OF
every mechanical art in which they have bcen in
structed. large proportion of the slaves of this
class, are also sober industrious and respectable
Certainly they would NOT be UNFIT for any ot the oper-
atoms OF mandatory.
But we actually have experimental proof On this
subject. the stemmerics and other manuacto.
ries Of tobacco in this state carried on by slaves.
ut several of the IRON works, slaves perform the
principal part of the labour. The most successful
establishment, perhaps of This kind in the state, is
that OF Clover Dale i'll Botetourt, having about 200
slaves attached 20 IT. although too. II until late
y under the disadvantage OF being 500 miles distant
from its proprietor, the late Col. 1ayloe, OF Wash
Ington.
In these establishments, ny much thc most consid-
e>b!e part OF the Gbour consists making cha rcual
digging up the ORE and wagynniug both that and the
coal 10 the jUraace IN vi which tire operations are
similar TO those OF farm. aud aud subjected
the same superntendance. But in the forge, the
operations have more resemblance To those Of an
binary manuiactory, and yet the slaves employed n
the duties OF The forge c.mmonly perform those du-
ties Mach better than tn who employed about
tie furnace, aHd are much more easily managed.
1 ne 'hauimer man. principal workman in forge,
Is sometimes slave, and will commonly sell or twice
or thrice as much an ordinary labouTer.
AS further proof that ,lgves not unfit for the
operations Of Il mandatory, 1t may be mentioned
lt Children more or less employed in all of them,
and they cannot be supposed To have more motives
to abour than slaves more care, or foresight, an.
terest ~ the success OF their iabgurs.
90 bes'its, the expense of euperintendcnce must be
incurred IN manufacturing establishments, when they
are carried on by free lGbouTefs. These must be
directed IN their operations. kent steady TO their en-
p!oynents, aud prevented from negligence or waste;
and the persons who are required TO perform these
offices with frcemen, would be sufficient to pei form
them with slaves. This circumstance suggests an
advantage which the employment of slaves III manu-
features has over their employment in agriculture
since IN the occupations OF husbandry, ftsemen
commonly exempt from this Charge Oi superinteu-
dence, but IN manufachres they share IT III
with slaves. Save abour Is therefore IIo!e capable
OF entering into competition with free labOur in
uiaciurng, than in agricultural njuStry and must
NOT be forgotten, that the question which we are
discussing and which most materially concerns the
virginia statesman, Is not whether slaves can be
maze to earn as much as freemen, bur whether they
cannot earn more in manufactures, than they now
earn III agriculture.
For these reasons we must conclude that slavery
presents no insupcrabie obstacles our success in
manufactures. X