The native American., 1838-04-07
From The Connectica Observer.
THE LABoRING CLASSES In EUROPE.

i WHICH,, III COncluSlOu tqudlS Tie present pOT
ton, ought to be circulated by thousands, as
tract, throughout the land. We have Just beef
looking it overland the feeling which crowds OF
the mind would imbody itself, as regards our owr
country, in the language of the Psalmist, "He
hath not dealt SO with any naton' A better
service, in the present state of things, could moi
well be rendered by the pastors in our churches
than on the coming anniversary of thanksgiving,
to contrast the blessings enjoyed by the common
people in the United States, with those enoyed
by the laborng classes of Europe. The gratitude
of our countrymen is cold-nay, they are too of
ten disposed to complain and be discontened-
when, if they knew the peculiar favors they re-
ceive from heaven, the voice Of complaining would
give place to the song Of praise. We tri1e with
our privileges, because we do not know their
comparative value; and are discontented with our
lot, because we know not how much more envia-
BILE it is than that of most others. The Psalmist
did not think it an improper mode of exciting his
gratitude to contrast the mercies bestowed on Ja-
cob with those bestowed on other lands: ssHe
hath not dealt so with any other nation.''
The writer of the interesting article to which
we have just referred, notices the condition Of
the laboring classes in Europe, in respect "to the
rate of wages, the burden of taxation the means
of subsistence, the facilities of acquiring educa-
ton, and the share, if any, which these classes
have in the government The facts, in regard
to each of these particulars, ought to make those
hang their heads with shame, who, in this coun-
try, talk of the oppression of the aboring classes
by the rich, and of the Withholding of rights from
the common people.
In Norway, ''the ordinary food of the peas
antry, is bread and Cruel, both prepared Of oat
meal, with an occasional nermixture of dried
fish. Meat is luxury which they rarely en-
JOY"
In Sweden, the dress of the peasantry is pre-
scribed by law. '''Their food consists of hard
bread, dried fish and Cruel, without meat"
In Denmark, "the peasantry are still held in
bondage, and are bought and sold together with
the land on which they labor
In Russia, s'the bondage of the peasantry is
even more complete than it is in Denmark The
mobiles own all the land in the empire, and the
peasantry who reside upon it are transferred
with the estate.
"A great majority have only cottages, one
portion ofwhich is occupied by the family, while
the other is appropriated to domestic animals.
Few, if any, have beds-but sleep upon bare
boards, or upon parts of the immense stoves by
which their houses are warmed. Their food con-
sists of black bread cabbage, and other vegetables
without the addition Of butter.'
In Poland, ''the mobiles are the proprietors Of
the land, and the peasants are slaves" A recent
traveller says, 81 travelled in every direction and
never saw wheaton loaf to the eastward of the
Rhine, in any part of Northern Germany, Poland,
or Denmark. The common food of the peasarl-
try Of Poland, 'the workingmen, is cabbage, po-
tatoes, sometimes, but not generally, peas, black
bread and soup, or rather cruel, without the ad-
dition of butter or meat @
In Austria, 'sthe mobiles are the proprietors O
the land, and the peasants are compelled to work
for their masters during every day Of the weel
excepting Sunday. The cultivators ofthe soil arr
in state of bondage"
(. In Hungary their state is, if possible, still
worse. The mobiles own the land, do no work
and pay no taxes. The laboring classes are OBJ
liged to repair all the highways and bridges, are
liable at any time to have soldiers quartered upon
them, and are compelled to pay one-tenth Of the
produce of their labor to the church, and one-ninth
to the lord whose land they occupy
Of the people of France, '1seven and hall
millions do not eat meat, or wheaton bread. They
live upon barley, rye, buckwheat, chestnuts, and
a few potatoes" We saw it stated the other day
that some workmen, we forget in what part o
New England, had turn out, because their EN-
ployers would not furnish them with tea and cof
fee at dinner
The common wages Of hired laborer in France
| is $37 SO for man, and $l8 rs for woman
annually. ''The taxes upon the land are equa
to one-fifth of its net products
Inl79l, there were 700, 900 houses in Ireland
| OF these, 5000 were occupied by paupers-
and more than 1000 had only one hearth. Th'
average wages Of laborer is from nine and
half to eleven cents day.
| Among the laboring classes of the industrious
Scotch, s'meat, except on Sundays, is rarely
used"
In England, the price Of labor varies. "'Th'
Nottingham stocking -weavers, as stated by then
in public address, after working from fourteen
to sixteen hours in day, only earned from fou
to seven shlings week, and were obliged to sub
sst upon bread and water, or potatoes and salt!
| CALAMITIEs AT SEA.--Ahough accustom ec
TO remark upon the frequency of shpwrecks, and th
fearful destruction Of human life consequent upon them
we can scarcely credit the awful Of suffering
single wear when it placed before the eye at single
view During its progress, it generally said tha
last wear was remarkable for its number of casualties
sea- vet still the aggregate is astounding. The follow
ing details being taken from the New York Sailors Ma
gazine refer principally, if not entirely to American
Shipping and the records refer only to those shpwreck
which resulted in total loss detail OF all would l
volume.
j The whole number Of total losses recorded in 1887
was four hundred and nineiy-one! while the number o.
lives destroyed in them t'ceve hundred and ninety