Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1844-06-25
TIE AGRICULTURAL POPULATION
OF ENGLAND.
THE DEGRADATION OF THE LasoRER.

THE DEGRADATION OF THE LABoRER
The first number Of Henry CoLMax's
Agricultural Tour in En- land, i Just laid
on our table. and an attentive reqdng con-
vlnces us that he has made very valuable
contribution TO Agricultural History.
His view OF the agricultural hborinc
population of England should be attent vply
examined by every American. The pc
ture is absolutely frghtfll, aud notwith-
standing his manifest efEorts 10 put th , hes;
tlcc Oh It's horrors, VIC bape no hesitation in
saying, that the destiiulion, the proflipacy.
the slckning poverty and the tyranny to
which they must of necessity be exposed.
almost exceeds belief and :. defies the DOW
ers of the Imagination The negroes of
the South cannot be in a worse condition,
They do not starye in the midst of plenty.
and they arc sure of being provided for. in
their old age. This cannot be said of the
Engl SD laborers Meagre Diet. hard USAGE
bowed and CRIPPLED form, squallid ap-
pcarance, and the cold grare seems TO be
the certain lot of the English farm laborer:
and he too, is probably better off than the
manufacturing laboFcr.
As bad as is the present, there is no hone
even in the future. Mr.. CoLMAy sadly re-
marks, In the present condition of society
. in England. no material alteration is TO
= be looked form the position of the labor
= ing classes. Their lot seems TO he seal
= cd. and they must remain in this condi-
ton OF servllity and dependence. They
- cannot rise above it. They are not slaves.
: bat they are not free Liberty and indie
. Pendence are to them words without
: meaning. They have no chains upon
-" their hands, but the iron enters into their
. souls. Their limLs may be unshlcklcd.
= but their spirits arc bound" Arain he
observes: = Their wages are inadequate to
"ther comfortable support, and thcir situa-
= ton affords little or no hope of improve
"meni,--d at least the powtr Of making it
- better does not rest &c iere IL o49ht, nth
+" Themselves" The circumstance m7y fair
ly be considered the essential element of
slavery
1t will certainly be important to know
how many are thus suffering the actull hor-
rors of slavery. The last census of Great
Britain shows TINT the number of aaricnL
'aral iahorcrs was SS7,lj6: these, With
their tImhes, compose population of no.
less than 3,5tG,o ESQ. or one fifth OF tha
Whole population of the kingdom. The
manufacturing population comprises at lea st
3,oeo,o0e more, who are probably in even
greater state of restitution.
Tbs vast amount of human wee cxis'
in country loaded with abundance. and
tho Accommodations of whose '. ealth surpas.
the visions of oriental splcndor and mlgni.
ficence,' and why? Is IT not from the cru
ell and grinding SYSTEM of her Laws. which
have steadily exalted capital above labor
and which by special privileges, grants. anc
| legislative power, have pursued with th,
scent of the od-hound, the object of ma
king the toiling millions the acturl slaves OF
the favored few, who have lived
g To trample their fcIIow-worm,
And all the burial sod"
The labOFers 8 have no chains upon their
hands, but the iron enters into their souls. :
Americans call this the English SYSTEM
but is it not in truth that of all governments
There is Il tendency in legislation in this
country as well as in Europe, to build up a
lecl and strengthen capital, under the euise
of advancing labor. Ultra Tariffs hive this
tendency. Their expressions are not felt
at first, and perhaps for series Of years,
because the elasticity of the American
population is such that they rise superior
even to this weight. But system of class
legislation must in this country, af.er the
lapse Of years, produce the same effect as
is now SO prominent in Eagl1nd. Capital
finally gets the complete mastery over la
Dor; and then the same precariousness. the
same wretched dependence, the same hope
less poverty in which the laborcr cannot
rise above the condition in which he was
born, falls upon the millions who toll and
sweat and die, in order that the thousands
may riot in the prolus;on OF cxtravagance.
Can this be the object or policy Of wise or
u Just government?
AHaay Argus.
Il