The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-04-21


OF the Industrial, non -sIaveholding class
" We hold the following propositions
LIST. That, as labor, using the term
Is widest sense, is the foundation Of
wealih-the physical and intellectual W
- iare OF the laborer should be the first ca
OF wise government.
:. That in political and social orga
,sation in which large proportion of d
u laboring population are held as slaves
> celvlng for wages only the coarsest food al
: eiothing-and being moreover systema
e cally and intentionally shut out from educ
Ion, the labor Of (reemen is necessaril
: degraded, and its rewards lessened.
: !. That as slavery exists by virtue O
and IN conformity with the highest existin
law OF the State, it is the duty of ever
citizen to respect all rights appertaininy
thereto as they at present exist.
| !. That in changing the organic law
the people are sovereign, and their will su
Preme on all subjects, limited only by the
respect due to existing rights.
>. Ia any proposed change Of organic
Law, the greatest good Of the largest mum.
Der OF citizens TO be effected by the change
should be strictly kept in view.
With these fundamental propositions in
view, We proceed at once to examine sla.
very as it affects the interests Of working
men Of all classes.
There are in the State nearly 200. 900
slaves. What proportion OF these slaves
come into competition with white laborers
cannot with any accuracy be stated. II
one half are able.bodied men, they are
more numerous than the white laborers of
the State. That this large body Of degrad.
ed and ignorant laborers being in Our midst
does affect, in some way, the free labor OF
the State, will at once be admitted by all
and We hold that this effect is injurious ia |
every respect.
The wages of slave being only sufi-
Gent to keep him physically comfortable,
must, when the slave comes into direct
with the free laborer, have ten
iency to reduce the wages Of the freeman,
unless the freeman is willing TO come down
10 the degraded ignorance, and the coarse
God and clothing Of the slave. 1t may be
that the slave being ignorant, and
cannot in many instances
'ome into competition with the free labor.
n all employments requiring fair educa-
ion and high idea OF intellectual attain
nents thisis true. The professions-Clerks,
Statesmen, Printers, and some others are Of
;ourse exempt from the direct competition
4 slave labor. But this cannot be said OF
farmers, Bncklsyers, Carpenters. Plaster
rs, Blacksmilhs, laborers, and others which
iced not be mentioned.
IL the Printing Offices of Kentucky were {
verrun with BLACK RATs, as are several G
{ the mechanic shops in the interior towns,
Te should not see the great body IF the I
ewspapers Of the State in opposition to 1
smanciPation-and If all others who live
y labor could feel the direct competition 1
{ slave labor. as severely as il is felt in a
Ome less favored branches, Of productive O
ldusTry, this question would be soon set
ed. n
Every man acquainted practically with n
ne condition Of the laboring classes Of the 4
tate, knows that great portion Of our q
heap agricultural labor is performed by O
'hite men. There are also many slaves e
mployed as mechanics in the country, and e
be small towns Of the interior. We know
slaves that are good Blacksmiths, Iron
loulders, Bricklayers, Plasterers, Carpen- a
RS, and Painters, and we suppose there are i
Their branches Of mechanical industry in 3
Ihich they are employed. 4
There are instances within the knowl-
dge of all Of US in which master mechan-
s have become rich by the labor of their /
Iaves. This must always be the case un- a
er the present order Of things, and we
now OF no reason why il should not be so. a
the law should prescribe to the slave 1
older the occupation in which the slave b
lould be employed, there would soon be !
n end to slavery. II, therefore, slavery is =
} be perpetual in Kentucky, every man in c
he State who earns his bread by any oc- C
upation that slaves can be taught to per-
,rm, must erpect 10 loork for todges but :
lightly IN Advance Of those receiUed By .
ldUes. S
This is law Of slavery from which there !.
no possibility Of escape, and one that
hould be well considered by every intelli- t
ent voter.
la any county where large portion of !
ne laborers are held as slaves, the hours Of :
abor must necessarily be increased. The
oss arising from sickness, bad weather, or t
ny other unavoidable accident, must fall
N the slave-owner, or the slave-hirer- :
whereas, when the laborer is a freeman it Z
alls on himself. Consequently 1t is the !
interest Of those who employ slave labor to
york the slave as many hours as possible,
consistent with his physical strength. |,
In all those branches Of mechanical and
manufacturing industry in which the joint
abor OF slaves and freemen is employed.
The freeman must ioork as many hours as
he STARE, or the capitalist suffers the loss.
When the Journeymen Bricklsyers OF Lou
sville were struggling for the ten hour sys-
EN-, the employment Of slave labor was
he great practical difficulty in the way of
he accomplishmentof their object. If the
rec white mechanic was DESTROYS of little
ime for Intellectual improvement, after ten
hours OF hard and faithful labor in the broil-
ng sun, he was told that the consequence
would be heavy loss to his employer, by
eason Of the laboring slaves being hired by
he year. The journeymen Bricklayer was
hereupon compelled either to do injustice
o bis employer, work as many hours as
were NECESSARY for the nro6tahle ena,iov