The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-11-23

10 help thee In thy sorest need,
To smile peaceful victory won,
Or bleed with thee, if thou must bleed.
CLARKE COUNTY, October, 1850.
WHITE SLAvERy-THE ENGLISH SYsTEM-My
attention has been called to a speech written by
my countryman, George Thompson, with an in
tention of delivering the same in Faneu Hail.
According to his own showing, it appears that his
object in coming to this country, was for the pur
pose Of agitating the question Of slavery. must
say, that am greatly surprised that any English
man, but especially member of Parliament,
should have come to this country for any such like
purpose. 1t appears that the sympathies of his
nature are OF such an extraordinary character that
they extend farand as wide as ''God' earth )"
that he knows of emo geographical boundaries. "
am sorry for this. l should strongly recommend
that his sympathsing heart should be confined
within some certain limits. Suppose, for instance,
they were bounded on the east by the German
ocean, on the ,cest by the Atlantic ocean, on the
north by the Polar sea, and on the south by the
English channel. i venture to affirm, without fear
of contradiction, that he would find within the
limits here prescribed, ample exercise for all the
sympathies of his heart, be they ever so extraor-
binary. There he might exercise his good dispo-
sltion to his hearts content, without being under
any necessity whatever of coming three thousand
miles in search Of obects. ] can assure him he
need never be at loss for want of material to
work upon-distressed agricultural laborers, worn
out miners, and factory cripples, might easily be
met with at every turn.
Unfortunately for these poor creatures, British
phianthropsts are all far sighted-they can see
objects at a very great distance, but nothing near
home.
There are several things mentioned in this re-
markable document which deserves particular at
tention. Speaking of Ireland, he says, "ln
melioratng the horrors of desolating famine In
Ireland" A famine in Ireland :! Who ever
heard of such thing within the last twenty
years. Nobody! Let God be true and all men
liars, there no famine in Ireland
What is fanine' In Johnson's dictionary
famine is defined to be a scarcity of provisions
dearth.
In proof Of the assertion which ] have here
made, have copied the following paragraph from
London Times newspaper Of the time to which
he refers:
"Poor Ireland exports more food than any other
country in the whole world-not merely more in
proportion TO its people, or its area, but absolutely
more. Its exports of food are greater than those
of the United States, or of Russia, vast and mex
haustible as we are apt to think the resources OF
those countries are. Such fact as this is very
compatible with people being poor; but it at
least shows that one ought to inquire what sort of
poverty it is. Stand on the quays Of Ireland, and
see the full freighted vessels leaving her noble
rivers and coves. You will there see, that, so far
from Ireland being utterly, radically and incuraby
poor, barren and Improbable, she is one OF the
great feeders of England nay, its chief purveyorr
ireland does this out of her poverty, besides feed
ing, after a manner, an immense population. 1t
is this that adds so painful an interest to her mis-
cradle state; that she should make many rich,
and yet remain herself so poor, and be the author
Of an abundance which she is not permitted to
enjoy"
of which George Thompson speaks was not the
result of the providence of God, but the mlsman-
agement Of the rulers of the land 1t is true that
20 900 people persisted for want Of the common
necessares of life; it is also that ship loads of
provisions were generally sent from this country
for the relief Of the suffering people; but it is not
true that there was desolatng famine in Ireland.
If the people had been allowed to eat the food
which God had given them, there would have
been necessity for such benevoence on the part
of the American people. What would George
Thompson and his colleagues have said if such an
occurrence had taken place in the Southern portion
Of this country?
We need not, however, be surprised at these
sad consequences, when we consider by what sort
of people Great Britain is governed. Take Mr..
Thompson 5 own words: I" i blush to say, with a
few honorable exceptions, you shall not find IN II
society besides, class of men of more AFFECT,
more soulless, more sycophantic and subservient, |
more utterly unprinciped in their politics, more |
corrupt, more ready to be the agents in the work
of corruption, more intensely selfish, or more re-
CARELESS of the interests of the nation, than those
who control the elections in the vast majority of
the parliamentary boroughs of the united king
dom" Well may he blush to own it, if these
component parts Of that body Of which he is
member. For the credit of my fellowworkmen,
must say, that they have part in sending such
men to govern the country.
In another part he says: 81 have through evil
and good report asserted, that taxation without
representation is tyranny" And again-''The
present state of our representation is libel upon
the intelligence and an insult TO the common sense
of the people" And again-"Eighty years ago,
it was judiciously decreed that slave touching
the soil Of England shall be FREE" How shall
we reconcile these Statements Are to sup
pose that Notwithstanding ''the insult to the com,
mon sense Of the people," and ''the tyranny OF
their rulers the people, in Mr.. Thompson S es'
timaton are all free.
"What is to be a slave? Ist not to spend
A life bowed down beneath grinding i'll;
To labor on TO serve another's end -
To give up leisure, health, and strength, and
skill
And give up each of these against your ,oiH'
Hank to the angry answer Theirs is not
A life of slavery ;ifthey abor-still
We pay their toll. Free service is their lot;
And what their labor yields, by us is fairly got.
Oh, men profane not freedom Are thew free
Who toll until the body's strength gives way?
Who may not set a term for Liberty,
Who have no time for food, or rest, or play,
But struggle through the long, unwelcome day
Without the leisure to be good or glad
Such is their service-call it what you may.
Poor i-fed creatures, overtasked and sad,
Your slavery hath no name-yet is it's curse as
bad" ''' ho"# ny i4.N
Within the eighty years specified byMr Thomp-
son, thousands Of her majesty's people have been
bought and sold, could furnish many instances,
ola my limits allow; take the following speci-
men: wv 4
"on the Sd Of April 1916, Mr.. r. Gordon
made the following statement in the House of
Commons;