Delaware gazette and American watchman. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1828-1837, 1832-09-28
MISCELLANY:
From the Times and Free Press.
CHILDREN IN FACTORIES.

1t is impossible that an intelligent community
cs.s :,,..-.:...ss .l,.ss
our numerous and extensive factories are worked
almost wholly by children-little creatures, who
by the charter of nature entitled to an exemp-
ton from labour and care, and whose proper place
would be their native hills as free aud Joyous as
the winds which play around them. Thousands
on thousands of these little slaves, are driven by
sun rise, with pale and saddened faces, and feeble
and reluctant limbs, TO their toll, from which.
with slight interval at noon, night alone releases
them. Day succeeds day, with the same heavy
task-and the same heavy heart to perform it.
Wearied, heart-sick, spiritless without a ioy 10
enliven the present, or hope to brighten the fu.
ture; destitute, frendIess, forsaken sinking be
meath the unequal burthen of toll, poverty and
oppresson-,hey realize all the ills of age without
the frmness by which age is enabled to endure
them. The children Of .freemen, they are made
SLAVES at an age uchen the children Of siaves are
free!
Beneath the suferings of a factory life man.
hood itself will often faint. But the heart sickens
to think that little innocents, fresh and tender
from the bosom of maternal affection, who live but
in joyous freedom from restraint, and whom,
under the simple Institutions of our fathers no fate
could depress, no poverty sadden should be cooped
up by thousands in diseased atmosphere to toll
and to tremble beneath the whip of the overseer
until blighted by oppression and suffering, they
sink into the grave.
An intelligent writer, speaking of children, very
Justly remarks, that the due framing OF the man,
is requisite that the child should grow up in a
certain carelessnes OF spirit. The natural mobil.
ty of child requires, for the full development OF
the mental as well as physical powers, to have
complete play. To train his infant limbs constant
| action is requisite. Watch a child, and see how
unceasing is the motion requisite to keep him in
state OF comfort; confiue him for a moment, and
he is uncomfortable and unhappy. In the early
days Of his infancy, unable to move himself suifi
GENTLY, the nurse keeps him in constant motion;
having acquired strength, he swings about his arms
kicks with his little legs, crawls and throws him.
sefinto every possible Contortion. The boy runs,
leaps, and keeps himself in one incessant turmoil.
1t is not requisite to explain, to attempt to ex.
plain these facts; TO state why this motion is need.
ed; suffice it that it is needed. But the action Of
the child is never spontaneously continuous
action of one sort. Put him to turn a wheel, and
you would ruin his health and stop his growth.' Is
there a bosom so indurated by avarice as to con-
template the horrors of confinement, mOnotony
and toll, to such nature, without pity and indIg.
nation. For the honour Of humanity we hope
there is not.
In defence Of system, worse in all lis features
than the slave trade, it is alleged that the power
ty Of the children makes this labour relief; or,
in other words, thar when misfortune falls upon
the weak and innocent, the way for christian
and philanthropst to relieve them, is to seize
on and to enslave them, drive them to toll which,
combined with the other hardships of their situa.
ton, murders them by hundreds-and for this,
[generous benefaciors they give them clothes to
cover their nakedness, and food to preserve their
Hives and to Protraet their misery. The argument