The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1842-05-18

plank on one side of the work BENCH While dlrty
vulpar little nero is at the other-and often lhe
and director of his labor VIII ne
nerro mechanic. This is a position TO Which no
freeman will voluntarily reduce his chlld-as IL
must almost Of necessity result IN his demoraI-
zation and ruin. Associations between ti'c
slave and frecmen arc unlavorable to the charac-
tiers OF both when permitted on terms OF cquallty;
Il teaches the slave to forget his position anu
habits of subordnaton, and Is degrading " .iie
frcemen will put case-suppose Pianter
to work fifty hands on his plantation ana llial nc
should hire fifty white trcemcn, sucf as Iie eouln
ret to work with them, would not the eilec,s up
on both classes be such as TO make any PiaiteI
rcicc: the idea the moment the proposition W0ulu
be made TO him! He could get no man OF chal-
actor to he day laborcr with his negroes. res
What is there in nature or reason 10 i,aNe ai-
fcrent in the mechanical pursuits! IL iliaysess
said that many small planters ana .he't SUNS ID
bor with their negroes, and this chect IS llol Pio-
duced; cranted-but they don't meet or r. iaoor is
eouals, it is rs master and slave. lhe'e 70
another point view in which this question OF
MORO mechanics should be presented--as 1t
hears directly on the prosperity oil Charleston-
for Il will bc conceded, that unless the State
ran retain her populaton, Charleston never can
v. IL
cos oftbe State increase, the commercial empo-
rium must feel the effect. But would ask
how can our small planters remain IN the otale,
while the mechanical pursuits are closed against
their sons! The small planters have not thc
means of irving such an education TO their sons
as to qualify them for the professions, nor can
they get situations for them all as clerks or over
seers. Suppose small planter with family
or from five TO ten children,and the ownerol two
hundred acres of land. If he can't make some
of them mechanics, he will have to do as others
before have done-his small plantations wont 10
10 divide among his children-he is too poor TO
purchase settlement for them; the consequence
is. he sells his land-it becomes the grazing
ground, or common, for the poor cattle OF some
rich ncirhbor-he leaves the home OF his iatlers'
perllaps not even a stone to mark where II stoou'
and rocs 10 the west, where his children may
obtain pre-emptions by settling ON the Puolc
lands. If this state ofthiugs is permitted to con-
tinuc, the day is very distant when either
Charleston or South Carolina will have much
increased in either wealth or population. 1t is
only amazing that we have maintained our po-
siton as well as we have, when we reject on
the hundreds of thousands of our population; ana
millions of our wealth that have been ana are
constantly transferring to the west we must
rive announcement to the mechanical arts De-
fore this state of things can be arrested. IL is
possible Charleston does encourage mechanics
more than am aware Of, but | think am not
deceived when say that she has not, nor mas
she produced state OF things likely ever 10 give
her a class of native mcchancs-but they are
not her own would ask how much OF tie lWo
million loan went to resident mechanics ior tlc
the city! venture to say az a guess
or being South Carolinian, reckon, the norIh-
ern workmcn got most of the good Jobs, Who'
when YOUR work was done, transferred them-
selves and YOUR wealth 10 the north, leaving you
and your mortgaged house to Pay your acp's .nJ
best way they can. Then having thus employed
a set of men who have no common sympathy lot
Won or YOUR institutions, but too often hostile 10
both. how much better would it have been that
YOUR money had gone into the pocKcts oi
native resident mechanics, who would nave. De-
come tenants for your houses, (Which now are
tenantless) and supporters of your traders, great
and small. venture to say that your northern
Workmen, who have taken away your money
have generally even brought their provisions
and supplies, and cook, from home, that ls' the
north) with them, and that they spent in the cIty
as little as possible. Such policy is SUICIDAL
and can have but one result, while II a contrary
policy was adopted, venture to say that ten
years will add fifty per cent to the population OF
your city, and in like proportion to every town II IN
the State; and would produce great, general
and permanent prosperity throughout the State
admit such results would not occur in the first
ten years, nnless radical measures were resorted
to, and those would not urge, but would pro-
vide for the future, and not permit negroes here
after TO be instructed in the mechanical arts
respecting so far as possible present vested
rirhts-but no man hereafter, with my consent,
should erect public nuisance in the form OF
negro mechanic
am no alarmist nor have l much anprehen-
sion from abolition agitation from any quarter
butto such as have, | would recommend the
measure proposed as one giving great safety to
our institution of slavery, for there is no doubt
that our danger, if any, is from quasi freedom and
intelligence of the negro mcchanics-and that
danger Gf any menaces your city, and the towns
in the State, much more than the country. They
are the points of the inducement and weakness
Adopt the policy recommended and the strength
of your city and towns will overawc and control
the surrounding country; thus uniting safety
with prosperity and happiness, which trust may
be the destiny of Charleston.
have said more than intended on this SUBJ
iect, but not half what the importance ofthc SUBJ
ect suggests and demands. hope, however, it
may be enough TO call ADLER pens than mine to
the good work, for am deeply convinced that
the subject is worthy of the patriots best efforts.
ANOTHER OF THE pEOpI IF.