The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-03-10
slavery aud White L.bsrsr-.

We understand that strenuous efforts are
made in some parts of Kentucky to array poor
men, men who depend upon their daily labor
for their daily bread, against the emancipation
cause. These men are told that, II the eman-
cipatiOn party should succeed, their condition
will be materially injured; that instead Of hold
ing position Of responsibility in society, they
will become low and degraded caste. Tkey
are told that while slavery exists, all mental
services will be performed by blacks; but when
slavery shall be done away with, the poorer
class Of white people viii have 10 engage In
those services and will thereby be injured and
disgraced. Slavery is thus represented as the
friend Of the poor white nan and freedcmts
his foe.
Let us look into this matter little and see II
il be true that the white Iaborer finds in slavery
friend-in freedom foe; for If this be SO, we
might as well cease from further effort In behalf
Of fsssdsm.
You say thsi n sIA-~-,s wers abolished,
mental IabOrs would devoIve upon poor white
people. You lake il for granted, when making
this assertion, that all the blacks are TO be re-
moved from the State, for II they remain here,
even as free men, uoon them would fall many
Of the same lsoOrs which they now perform.
But admitting that all the blacks should be
removed, and that none but white laborers
should exist in the State, and, consequently,
that labor Of every kind sho1ld devove upon
them, would they thereby be degraded and dis
srsced1
We answer with all confidence and earnest
ness, no, by no means. No labor was ever
known, no labor can ever be known, possessed
of power to disgrace a man. Idleness may dis
grace man. and crime may Disgrace him, but
labor, honest labor, never.
What, say you, is not a man degraded by
menial occupations7 All, there is the difficulty;
meHial occupations, /. e., as the word implies,
the occupations of meniaIs. of servants, slaves.
Because certain labors have chiefly been done
by slaves, therefore they are regarded as slayish
or mental occupations. Here We have one
illustration Of the dark influence Of slavery; IL
has placed its foul mark upon labor. and hence
labor is regarded as degraded and degrading
The degradation is in slavery not in labor.
Suppose that instead of seeing the labOrs,
which you call mental, performed by slaves
Won had been accustomed to see them performed
by persons beloved and respected, would those
lsbors be considered by you either as degraded
or degr.dingl Or, to bring the matter nearer
home, are there any labors, whether called
mental or not, which you would shrink from
performing for one beloved and respected, q
father, mother or sisterl Or would you con-
slider yourself disgraced by performing such
l.bor,7 Surely not. Why mott If labor, any
labor. be degraded in itself, then its performance
must be degrading, under any circumstances,
rnaa, all circumstances. IL labor be defling,
than all who labor must be defled. IL the de-
,r,.as,iop be inherent in labor, it must always
,nhere. and every lsborer must psrtake Of the
degradation.
Ru, n il not inherent. Whatever degradation
attaches to labor is the result OF accidental
ss.ocistion. Sever il from its unnatural and
uphsIloved association, and II stands forth In |
a. native character stainless and honorable.
Let ma present simple fact in illustration Of
this statement. One Of the most eminent, use
ful and honored bishops Of the Episcopal
Church I'm the United States, was accustomed |
all his life to perform the mental labor Of brush |
inc his own boots Was the venerable man
deersded thereby Was he disgraced by the |
lsborq Certainly not. The labor. in this in |
stance. had no slsve-msrk upon 1t, and II was
respectable, honorable labor.
Take another illustration. In our school-boy |
DAVIS we had classmate, whose mind glowed |
with high and holy ambition. He aspired to
reach the heights Of intellectual and moral |
Greatness, but the hand Of poverty pressed
heavily upon him. What should he dot Give
nm the eager pursuit, renounce his fond hOpss'
oh no; that would be death. To science and |
sound learning he had consecra'ed mind and
heart. With the whole-souled devotion Of
youth he had offered his VOWS and the vows
mus, be paid. But whence should he obtain
the means Of intellectual progress1 No rich |
relatives stood near with outstretched arm and
helping hand. He could not beg. But he
could work, end work he did. With manly |
Independence he hired himself out to a family |
70 do for them menial services, If such you ]