The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-03-07


10 sacks potatoes, at s. a sack,
Tor Cd per Peck) being halfa & ID.
peck day, 4 I6 o
Two thirds of same for wife and
RENT 'a'i iss ss sRs average, g Sc
pair of shoes IS mending $751; O IL
Shoes for wife and children, o so
Various articles of clothing, in =
cludng mending, Is O
For tools, candles SOAP and mn.
merous other little things
with the occasional iururuof -
bread and bacon, and any
drink but water, $50
20 I6 n
What living for family This calculation sun
poses constant employment, and no sickness, and
very small family.
They taik about the public debt and the great
number OF ockhoiders having interest in it, as
safeguard to the government and bulwark against
revolution. What are all these to the vast throno
Of the STOCKHOLDERS human misery, reduced to the
extreme minimum Of the means of sustaining life.
or take food with The strong hand I---'s=
And it is with scorking animals thus maid ana
subsisted, that southern phiiosopherss and Mi
anthropists would have the free people Of the Init
ed States to contend Shall they !" calculate the
value" Of our Iaboring citizens, and measure rights
to the enjoyment Of life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness, by gallons of sweat, as extracted
from the bodies of fchite or black slares-mere ma
chimes, fastened like cabbages to the soil, and es-
teemed solely IN proportion to their ability to ad-
minister to the qualification of a superior or privi
legged class-though only flesh and blood like them
selvesf Yes-YES there are thousands even in
this land of the Free" it is boastingfy called
who have no heart for those who labor-no sympa.
thy Tor the industrious poor-no pride in the growth
OF a virtuous populace :" who resist all accumu-
lations of property by working men, and keep back
producers, that the distinction which belongs to
their own mobility may not be interfered with-tbe
descendants OF pedars talking about rank and those
a. 81 I'll
themselves respect because of the virtue o: their
ancestors five look closely into things we shall
see that such as these constitute the "house Of
lords" which forbids any reform" that NAV place
mechanics in the same rank with the owners Of
slaves. And they have admirably succeeded IN
bdnishing the virtueus and aspiring poor to new
habltations, while idleness is regarded sin and in
dustry obtains both responsibility and wealth. Look
at the census, for appalling effects of this nobility
policy, on certain sections of our country-some of
which are going into desolation for want of that re-
deemng par; OF the people which is as well the glo
ry as the shield of every enlightened and prosper.
Gus and happy community. How would these lave
laughed, had they heard it said of FRANKLIN, when
laborlng with his hard and blackened hands at a
printing press, that he would snatch the lightning
from heaven, and break the sceptre of tyrant
king ;'-how would they have been amazed if it
had been prophecied Of Sherman, while mending
an old shoe, that he would sign the great paper'
and pledge his honor Ia cobbler's honor y to sun
port its glorious declaration-aye. and that such
pledge Would be held valid, though the gbbet was
built to punish the cobblers presumption2 Let
them look to it and find it out if in all their own
generations since the flood, they have had such a
man as was that printer or that cobber! But there
was 8 no mistake" in these persons-they were the
Aipnightys own noblemen and extorted that hon.
age which even the centemptiblepays TO admantine
principle and useful talent.
Bring down the wages Of lahoring man In the
United States to IS. sterling, 178 cents per week
Ion which he must subsist himself and his family y
and ICE shall haoe need Of laus to protect the ma
.to'.ds ,ndtsiry There would be nothing worth
protecting-so far as such persons were concerned:
not eueIl LIFE itse5f, except to PUNISH such
degradation Of the human kind A member of
the House of Representatives of the United States
and with reference to the tariff bill of 1884, swore
by heaven" that if that bill should pass, q Geor.
ga would not submit to it." We shall not swear.
but venture to say-that the people of the United
states will not submit to living on POTATOES
oNLf, that England may have !" free trade" sriH
.es-to iced the dstempered imagination, or CRAFTY
the sordtd passions, of an unproductive laborhat-
ing sew: say "sordid passions, for it begins to-
De manifest that mean self interest is at the bot
tom OF the opposition to the protecting principle
aoeu, perhaps, by "scURvy POLITICIANS" with
glass eyes," seeming to see the things thew see
moi. The musket bearers ofthe land-the ii MEN
who know their rights, and knowing dare maintain
mem, cannot submit to that legislation which
shali grind themselves into poverty, that the ,cd
fdncies or ardricious propensities of few of the
nation of South Carolina, and some in lotcer Vir.
gina, may be INDUCED What would these think
OF subsising themselves. with their wives and chill
dren, on IT'S cents per week Why-even a cruel
master gives better provision and shelter to his
black slaves, than this amount of money purchases
In England-where provisions are deaIer though
labor is cheaper, than with And what do these
persons mean by :" free trade ~ 1t is simply this
that they may export their cotton to England and
exchange 1t Tor what is the cheaper labor of that
country, though cheapened by the competition Of
the United States, France, Germany, &c. 1t has
appeared TO me, that the whole crop of cotton-nul-
hfcators-(a small part however, of the cotton
growers, as shall mention below,) prepared
to crawl beneath the throne of England and say, O.
king live for ever be graciousy pleased to buy
our prohibit, if it seemeth good in thy
sight, all other products of American forests Amer
lean helds, American workshops, American fisher
les, and even, o, king, those Of American sugar,
ana tobacco and rice plantations-also Do as
thou wilt with all these, but let there be " free
! trade" between thee and us-our cotton, the pro-
auct OF our slaves, being exchanged with thee for
cacoes and negro cloths, the produc: thy slaves"
And herein, think, if any one will look seriously
into the matter, he will find the whole merit Of the
question which has been violently raised in South
Carolina! And what is cotton after all 1t has
hardly greater value, (f so large one,) as its
manufacture in the United States, and It's culture
subsists not one third many of the people as its
manufacture plentifny feeds In the gross amount
Of annual production in the United States it stands
about as 80 millions of dollars is to 200 MILLIONS
1t has less value than several branches OF manuac-
ture ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iron. wool, or leath-
S err; and, compared with the supplies of grain and
meats, raised to- feed the manufacturers and meehan-
y ics it is pitifu concern.
But tchy all this excitement in South Carolina
: ask WHY7 This State contains less than n
forieM part ofthe people of the United States and
grows less than ah part of the whole quantity OF
cotton Louisiana has much deeper interest in
this product than South Carolina-but the voice of
complaint is not heard from ner cotton planters.
4 No doubt they would like higher price but mapy
of the most Intelligent of them inform us that thew
: expect yet reduced enc, because of excessive
, cultivation but say, they can make cottona at
sir cents less, the pound-and still do pretty
welE"-and BESIDES the cotton of Louisiana sworth
one cent pound more than that Of South Carolina
! her small crop Of Sea Island excepted have d.
rect information from one of the most wealthy and
extensive planters of cotton in Louisiana IA yerv
correct and careful gentleman too who attends To
all his own business, and adds up his own accounts
J Of cash paid out or received, that his WHOLE
PLANTATION EXPENSES, even including the abom-
Unable taxes" on cotton bagging and negro cloths
does not exceed three cents per pound on his crop
ofcottonand that all which be receives above that
price is for interest capital or personal profit
for the support of himself and his own proper ami
/ ly. His product is about 800 600 lbs-then II the
price be only cents, he gains $4,000 year; one
third oil which gives him per cent. on his capital
/ and he has 10000 for his personal profits, not
counting his interest on capital as SUCH though It
should be SO regarded. Nearly the like facts occur
IN other States-but this example is sufficient and,
Win sucn things before us, may we not well ask
! why TINS wild riot and hoisterous clamor in South
| Carolina Let the nulifers be consoled with the
hal \ -