Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1845-06-25
Eageheld Court Mouse, C., June 95, 1s4o,

1t is roundly asserted that we are not-s
well educated nor so religious here I
elsewhere. will NOT 90 into iediol
statistical statement on these subjecrs.-
Nor have |, TO tell tile truth. much conf
dence in the details oil what are common
ly set forth as statistics. As 10 education
you will probably admit that STAKEHOLDER
should have more leisure. for menIa
culture than most people. And | believ
III is charged against them that they ar,
peculiarly fond of power, aud ambitious
OF ,honors. If this be so, as all the power:
and honors of this couhtry are won mainly
ny intellectual superiority, it might be
fairly presumed that shareholders would
mol be neglecluI of education.., In pruol
oil the accuracy of this presumption
point you 10 the facts, that our Presideu.
tlal chair has been occupied for forlyfour
out of fillysix years by slaveholders; tha,
another has been recently elected 10 fl il
lor four more, over an opponent who was
a stakeholder also; and that in The Federal
Offices and both Houses of Congress
considerably more than a due proportion
! Of those acknowledgment stand in. The first
rank are from the South. In this arena
the in,eIlecls of lhe free and slave States
meet in lall and fair competition. Nature
must have been unusually bountifu 10 us,
Or we have been al least reasonably assid-
uous in The cultivation of such gifts as she
has besto" ed--unless indeed you refer
our superiority to moral qualities, which |
am sure you will not. More wealthy we
are not; nor would mere wealth avail in
such rivalry: =: 80; W.:
The piety of: the SouIh is unoblrusive.
We think it proves but lilrle, though it is a
confden, Thing for a man 10 claim that he
stands higher in the estimation of his
Creator, and is less sinner than his
neigbhor II vocife.aIiou is to carry The
Question of religion, the North and proba-
bly, the Scotch have it. Our secls are
lew, harmonious. pretty much united
among themselves, and pursue their vo-
Gallons in humble peace. In fact, our
professors of Religion seem TO think.
whether correctly or not--that il is their
duty Ito do gond IN secret" and to carry
their holy comforts 10 the. heart Of each
individual, without reference 10 class or
color, for, hi, special enjoyment, and not
with II view 10 exiribil their zeal before
the world. So far as numbers are con-
cerned, l. believe our clergyinen, when
called on To make showing. have never
had occasion to blush. if comparisons were
drawn between tie free aud slave Stales.
Aad although our presses do no, team with
controversial pamphlets, nor our pulpit
shake with accommodating thunders,
the daily walk o.! our religious communi-
cants furnishes apparently as little food
for gossip as is 10 be found in most other
religions. II may be regarded as mark
Of our want of exctabiIity-though that
is qualify accredited to usin all eminent
degree--lhal lew of the remarkable reli-
gious Isms of the present day have taken
root among US. We have been SO irrev,
erent as to laugh at Mormonisn and
Mlle.ism, which nave created such COM
motions farther North; and modern Pro-
phels have no honor in our country
Shaker, Bappirts, Dunkers, Socialists.
FouTrierists aud the like keep themselves
afar off. Even Puseyism has not yet
moved us. You may attribute this 10 our
Domestic Slavery if you chose. believe
you would do so justly. There is no ma
terial here for such characters 10 operate
upon.
In an economical poinlof view--which
| will not omit; Slavery presepts some
difficulties. AS general rule, | agree it
must be admitted that free labor is cheap:
ef than slave labor. Ii is fallacy to
suppose that ours is unpaid labor. The
slave himself must be paid for, and thus
his labor is all purchased al once. aud for
no trifius sum. His price was in the first
place paid mostly to your country men,
and assisted in building up some Of those
colnrsal English fortunes since illustrated
by patents Of nobility, aud splendid piles
of architecture, stained aud ceinented. if
you like like ihr expression, with the blood
Of kidnapped innucen's; but loaded with
no heavier curse inan Abolition aud its
begollen lanalcisms have brought upon
your land i; some of Them fulfilled, some
vet To be. But besides the f'stcos of the
Slave, he must be fed aud clothed; well
fed and well clothed. if mol for humanity's
sake, that be may 10 gond work, retain
health and life, and rear family to supply
his place. When old or sick he is clear
expense, and 50 is The helpless portion of
his family. NopOor law proVides'for him
when unable to work, or brings up his
children for our service when we need
Them. These are all heavy. charges on
slave labor. Hence, in all countries
where the denseness Of The population has
reduced il to matter of perfect certainly
tina, labor can be obtained whenever
wanted, and the laborer be forced by
sheer necessity TO hire for the smallest
prtance thai will ksep soul and body
together, and rags upon his back, while in
actual employment dependant al al! other
times on aims or poor rates; in all ouch
countries il is found cheaper TO pay This
pittance than 10 clothe, feed, nurse, sup
por through childhood aud pension IN
old aye race Of slaves. Indeed the
advantage is SO great as speedily to com
pensate for the loss OF the value of the
!