New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-07-07
The Mechanics Of virginia.

The Mechanic. Of virginia.
We have received from Portsmouth, Va,
a copy of an address put forth by the Me-
CHANCES Association of that place to the
Mechanics of the State, calling upon them
to organize in order TO vindcate their rights
and put an end to the practice of teaching
slaves mechanical trades 1t seems that
the owners of negroes are to a considerable
extent in the habit of bringing them up as
carpenters, coopers, backsmths, &c, and
that the white mechanics feel themselves
. degraded by this competition, at the same
! time that it threatens more and more to de-
press their wages. And now, they say, while
the State is agitated by the questions con
nected with Constitutional reform, and
new and better era seems to be at hand IN
her history. every consideration of public
aud private interest, the good of the State,
their own good, and the good of their pro-
genv, ought to rouse the mechanics to move
in this matter. Thus they NAV contribute
to the great work OF eradlcatlng every vr,-
tige of aristocracy and disseminating the
pure principles of Republicanism and when
they have accomplished this "grand Sc
quel to their determined and fixed efforts"
when negroes are excluded from mechanical
omployments, and placed in their proper
and legitimate sphere" then the bonds of
general friendship will be more firmly ce-
mented, monopoies be destroyed, the doe
time of equal rights and mutual benefits
reign predominant, and such prosperity en-
sue as the Old Dominion never witnessed.
But if the movement should he success
fully resisted, if the slave owners should
pcrist in making mechanics of their slaves,
why then. the Address hints, the cOnse-
quences NAV be disastrous to the eternity
of Slavery Mechanics will then cease to
help maintain that species of property.
Their own rights must first be secured or
they will do nothing to protect those OF the
other party, which will accordingly he left
to struggle unsupported against abolition.
Not that the mechanics now entertain abo
lition views and feelings. All they ask Is
Justice to themselves, their offspring and
the State. To themselves, because their
responsibility as class suffers by such de-
eterious competition; to their offspring be-
cause the increase of the evil will beggar
and degrade them and to the State because
the citizens of other States are prevented
from settling within her borders, ingenuity,
invention and enterprise are repealed, and
prosperity is impossible. This being the case
the mechanics confidently appealto farmers.
laborers merchants, and all other citizens
"to come forward and aid them in this work
of Justice and equity"
Now though the Address, whose sub
stance is above faithfully given. lacks con-
siderably in respect of logical consistency
and penetration, il is impossible To deny
that there is reason in its complaint. The
excellence of our country consists very
much in the just independence and and self
respect of the laboring classes. The Ameri-
canmechanic, especially, is man of intelli-
gence. and careful of his character and social
position, But when he is brought into com
petition with slaves all his manly feelings
are outraged To work with them in the
same shop, at the same branch of labor, is
to be put ON the level TO which bondage re-
duces them. At this he revolts, and we
honor him for 50 doing. Between the Dig
nifty of Freedom and the debasement of
Slavery there is great gulf
But we fail utterly to perceive the just
ice, equity and pure principles of republic
anism" in banishing slaves from mechanical
pursuits alone. There is no reason why the
mechanics should claim this aristocratic
privilege, any more tan farmers or day la
borers. All Work is respectable, and no
higher esteem is due the carpenter at his
bench than the farmer at his plow-tail Ii
slaves are to be excluded from the vice
and the sledge- hammer, they ought quite as
much to be interdicted the use of the spade
aud scythe One of these honored instru-
n en,s is Just As much degraded by ,he