New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-06-29
The Southern Press and The Tribune
Slavery and Wages.

The Southern Press replies at some length
to our late article on Slavery Reasoning
explaining that in assuming moral supe-
riority as the basis Of Slaveholding, it meant
to imply Intellectual as well. Very good
we accept the correction, and still contend
that wherever one Of two persons possesses
qualities which render him the others in
evitable superior, it is clearly, grossly wrong
to superimpose on this natural disparity an
artificial and immovable disparity created
by law. Here, for example, is Hon. Pierre
Soule, frst-rate counselor and advocate,
who can fairly earn at the bar of New-Or-
leans at least twenty-five dollars for every
working day. In the same City, of about
the same age, and Of not inferior moral
qualities (using the word moral in its
stricter sense lives Gumbo Squash, who
works on the levee or in a cotton-press-a
faithful, willing, hearty fellow-but who
can't earn, take the year through, more
than dollar and half per day. Now it
seems to us a most abominable perversion
Of the nature and functions of Law to enact
that Gumbo shall fork over dollar of this
dollar and a half to Pierre, so that of their
Joint earnings twenty-six dollars per day
shall accrue to the benefit of Pierre and only
half dollar to the sustenanee Of Gumbo.-
We freely concede to the Southern Press
that there are many things wrong in our
Northern laws and institutions-we are try
ing to right some of them-but there is re-
ally nothing half so bad as this stripping
Gumbo to the hide in order to put need
less extra suit upon the back of Pierre.
The Press closes as follows:
"Wby, every number of The Tribune that issues
with the imprimatur Of Greeley Il McElrath, pub
fishers, presenting to Us the evidence that hun.
bred men toll to send it forth, to propagate the
opinions Of its editor, and to swell the fortunes
ofits two proprietors-every such number, we say
uters a sarcasm either on the doctrine it teaches
or the candor Of the teacher that renders all further
exposure on our part superhuous."
Now we are very far from wishing to
be held up as models of Social Justice or to
set forth our establishments an example of
true and just Organization of Labor; but
this mistake of The Press is one so gener-
ally made and so constantly repeated that
we must contrive to check it, since it is en-
ployed to strengthen the lettering fabric of
Slavery and Social Wrong. The fact is that
Greeley & McElrath are but two among
twelve proprietors of The Tribune, all em-
plOyed in its Editorial, Printing and Pub
fishing Departments, each receiving stated
salary for his services and each receiving a
dividend from its profits. As yet, the two
original and for many years the only pro-
prietOrs are much the largest stockholders,
but others expect toincrease their respective
interests, and we presume that others still,
who as yet are only employed on the paper,
will ere long become proprietors also. We
mean to place our journal on such a basis
that the death or disability of no one man.
no two or three men, can destroy or essen
tally damage it. We mean that all who
contribute to elevate its character or increase
its acceptability shall be personally and per
manenily benefited thereby. In addition to
the above, every carrier Of The Tribune
within the City is in a limited sense pro-
prietor--his route is property, undisturbsd