New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-06-20
slavery and Freedom.


which has just appeared at Washington, in
the very beginning Of its career, pays a
special degree of attention to The Tribune.
and we know no better way to show our
sense of this mark Of regard than by re-
turning it in kind
The Southern Press makes two quota
tons from The Tribune, one from a re-
cent Editorial letter describing the state
of decay which prevails in naturally
rich and beautiful districts Of Virginia /;
the other from an article portraying the
dreadful misery, degradation and brutal
ity which exist among the lowest and
most abandoned classes in this City. From
the latter extract The Southern Press
tauntingly draws the inference that North
ern men and Northern journals have no
right to find fault with Slavery, which,
whatever be its faults, can show nothing so
shocking to humanity nor 50 dangerous TO
social peace as these reeking evils which
exist in the great cities of the Free States.
This is no new argument. 1t has been
urged before on various occasions. Senator
Clemens urged it when he maintained that
there was Slavery at Lowell as we'll as in
Alabama and every advocate Of Slavery
makes of it last resort in defending the
patriarchal institution. 1t has been vari-
ously met by indignant denial and elaborate
refutatiOn. The free laborers of the North,
when charged with being slaves, have again
and again repudiated the calumny with
spirit which we shall long wait to see mani
tested or tolerated among the fettered chat
tells who tremble as the overseer's whip
scourges them to toll in the rice or cotton
fields of Carolina and Mississippi. 1t is at
least proof that they are not reduced be-
low the condition Of manhood when they
can raise a bold and clear voice to assert
their own freedom; slaves are not allowed
to discuss their own position in society
through the public prints; at least. that
privilege has not been accorded them by the
originators and supporters Of The Southern
Press.
For our part we do not assail Slavery and
expose its pernicious, its fatal consequences
because we are content with the state Of
things which exists at our own doors. We
do not consider it necessary to wait till per-
feet justice and harmony in Social relations
shall be established in New-York and Bos-
ton before we raise voice Of warning to all
men in Virginia who can be reused to res
cue their State from the blight that Bondage
has long been casting over it. Because
hundred wretched beings will this night
make pandemonium of some cellar in Wa
ter.st. we shall not consent that droves OF
fettered slaves may be taken with the clank
of chains and the crack Of whips across the
frontiers of New-Mexico God knows this
state of things here is bad enough, diseased
enough, wrong enough. 1t abounds IN NO
lations of natural laws, of justice, Of human
rights. Since we began to think, We have
never regarded it as other than temporary
stage in the progress of the human family,
and we are not conscious OF any desire to
conceal one Of its defects or imperfections.
But bad as may be the state OF Society IN
the Northern States, with their great COM
mercial cities, gigantic but necessary evils
as the world is now organized, -sweltering
with vice and ulcerous with misery, it is
better, far better than Slavery in its best
form and under the most favorable circum-
stances. The reason of this is plain, and it
is one which The Southern Press with all its /
ingenuity and all its talent can never argue |
out Of sight Society based on Free, or
more exactly speaking on Hireling Labor, is !
progressive; Society based on Slavery is |
stagnant, inclining always to decay The /
former advances ever more and more rapid |
ly and surely toward better condition |
the latter stands still or tends toward de-
cline, bankruptcy, dissolution. The former
improves in spite of the evils attending its
imperfections the latter cannot improve
until it has utterly changed its character
and ceased to be itself This is the simple
truth Of the matter, the perception of which
causes Us to listen with no emotion but
regret at the blindness Of our opponents,
to such arguments as that brought forward
BY The Southern Press.
We are free to admit that Individually
considered, there may be evils connected with
the system Of Hired Labor, or of Freedom
which are not found in Slavery. For in
stance starvation sometimes oyertakes the