Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1847-02-17
Mike Walsh on Slavery.

Mike Walsh on Slavery.
On the final passage ofthe "no-lnore.
slave-territory,' resolutions, which lately
passed the NY. Legislature,s Mike took
occasion to define his position on slavery.
| Hereit is. .5. -s Z
/ Mr.. WALSH being called, said, the
fprsyioas -qsesaisss llsasi:sse and
enforced, he was precluded from efeting
any amendment to the resolutions. And
he had contemplated offering amendments
to this effect-first that the land in the
acquired territory should not be monopoli-
zed-(a laugh)-secondly that all laws for
the collection of debts should be abolished
in the new territory, &c. &c. Sir, (continu-
ed Mr.. Walsh) there is as much slavery in
the north as in the south. call on any
man here to stand up and tell pe to what
depth of degradation the negro slave is
subjected at the south, that u poor man in
New York is not subject to? VIII any
gentleman tell me? Poverty, sir, by our
laws, is made3a a crime. A man is liable
here to be imprisoned, as ifa thief, for the
terrible crime of being willing to be content
with what poverty has left him. lfa man
is too honest to steal, if he is willing to
sleep out at night, rather than get lodging
that he cannot pay for-he is liable to be
imprisoned as thief. That, sir, isslavery.
The very men that are lauded in our streets
and in our editorial articles md in speeches,
as the men who have added honor and glory
to our country in battle, are liable at the
will Of somo contemplate, epauletted pau
per, educated perhaps at West Point, to be
tied up and hogged like q dog-taking out
of him all the qualities that can make him
either an honor to his friends or dangerous
to his enemies. Now, sir, ifby the sacrifice
of my life, could relieve every human
being from bondage, gladly would | lay il
down at any moment. | am opposed to
every species of slayery-and ] so declared
myself when at the South; but | am against
white slavery as much as negro slavery.
One thing, sir, have observed frequently.
There are many men that have particular
feeling of venerationfor the African race
and it generally extends to the female
portion Oft Laughter.) They have nc
love for white people. When worked
down here in Dean street, there was {
prominent abolitionist that worked on thu
> same floor with me. He could sympathizt
warmly with the African race-he coult
commiserate their condition-and yet, sir
} he could keep white women working FOL
! him, day in and day out, for two shillings
) day! He had no sympathy left for these
white women, who were laboring for {
dollar and half week. find, sir, il
looking over the report ofa committee o
I, the House of Commons on the working o
| the system of white slavery in England
7 and on looking at the comparative condition
n of the philanthropists who sympathize s
4 much with our slaves that they are in tn
S enjoyment of more luxuries to throw ava
d than their own laboring poor have to liv
G on. find these men living in affluenct
e and prominen. in their exhibitions
|, sympathy for the southern slave, and ye
It shutting their eyes to q system NOR
@ degrading and horrible than any system c
d negro slavery on earth-a system unde
IS which, by this report ofa committee OF tn
If House Of Commons, girls and boys ar
e kept laboring in the depths of the earth, fc
J. sixteen hours .day-shut out during the
is young days, from the sun, with no light b.
d the feeble glimmer Of lamp, no GOVERN
1t but their skins! These are the men, WI
% passively tolerate such a system Of oppre'
m sion and wrong, who are the foremost
N svmpathise with the slaves of the South
is They call their white slaves free. FRI
is in what? An idle and empty name! FRI
* to do what! To live, labor, suffer, die al
e. be forgotten like dog! May God, in !
n, infinite mercy, preserve every human bell
as from such freedom! don't want any
IS, it. have had my share of it. Laughter
m. The only difference, sir, between neg
es slave at the South, and white slave at t
Sc North--or rather the essential differen
ey is this; the one is the slave Of an individu
he the other is the slave of q class. VIII
as one man is owned by another, whether
ct. be white or black, the man who owns h
ars is interestedin the preservation ofhis heal
.p- and he is comparatively taken care
ed But ifa man is owned by o class, he pass
nd under the exactions of one and another
mn succession, until he is worked down, q
has outlived his labor--then he is to
ey "you..c can go into, the almshouse, exc 9
ce, your days there, and when you die, 81
,ut into pauper's grave, { Laughter, ID
cir is the freedom of the poor man. II 2 M
.ir, goes round with his labor in his hano, y
six ling to sell off that labor--if he can t hnt
aps purchaser, he is more abject slave tn
md any negro slave on earth. Far more 50
,ed have tried it [Laughter.] The last chill
III. had born, had not two cents to buy q ca
die with [Renewed laughter. could tn
tb. have got twenty thousand dollars anywhe
my in New York; but ! never borrowed trt