The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-04-23


julius G.. p. JONES, Secretary pro tenn.
iilji .fillt
eB- We take pleasure in laying before ouI
readers the following merited tribute to the able
article Of III. R. II. GARsErr, esq, recently re.
published by us from Hunts Merchants Maya.
zine. 1t is extracted from the Savannah Geor.
gian: M
SLAVE STATES AND HIRRL1NG STArEs.-The
April number of Hunts Magazine contains an
article, written with eminent ability, by M. r.
II. Garnett, esq, of Virginia, in. reply to re.
view Of his pamphlet entitled the "Union Past
and Future" Mr.. Garrett, who is not ct thirty
years old, is unquestivnably one Of the first men
of his age, or indeed of any age in America
His reply, in which, the New York Mirror being
witness, he demoshes his reviewer, well merits
publication and extensive circulation throughout
the South. 1t contains a suggestion in regard
to the use of the words "slave States" and Stree
States" worthy the attention of Southern
writers, and indeed Of all favorable to precision
in the use of language. Says he, in every
country in the world, there il a large class of
persons who live by daily labor-that is, upon
wages. In the North they are hirelings, and re-
ceive their wages in money in the South they
are slaves, and receive their wages in mainte
nance and lucrative privileges | can imagine
no reason why the former class should be sup
posed to consume more than the latter.
"No laborers in the world receive larger wa
ges than the slaves in the greater part of the
Southern country, or have larger supply of
wholesome though plain food. The slave is
well, though plainly clad; he may not wear cost
ly linen and silks. but does the hirelng of the
North He lives on his wages and upon the
same must be charged his doctors bills, house
rent, and fuel, and the provision for his old age
and infant children, all OF which are provided
by the master for the slave, and presume the
surplus cannot supply very costly clothes or
luxurious fare. The pecufium Of the slave,
what he makes for himself in his HOLIDAYS is
often considerable, and he consumes it all. This
whole notion belongs to the same confusion of
words and ideas, which speaks Of the slave Ia
Dor and free labor States, instead of morn accu.
rately saying, slave labor and hirelinQ labor
States; the correct designation is not slave
States and free States, but slave States and
hireling States, and so | shall hereafter cali
them"
In adopting this nomenclature, which we in
tend doing, we shall not be charged. we hope
with any want OF courtesy towards the Northern
people. Certainly the term hireing cannot be
considered more offensive than the term slave
= the former Of which it is proposed to employ
to designate the Northern, and the Laser the
Southern States The truth u.s. the South has
grevously suffered from what the lion in the
fable, so bitterly complained of-the paintings
have been made by our opponents. Our North
ern brethren have not only furnished us with
their wares and multifarious notions"-they
have even passed off upon us words and phrases
of their own coinage, many by no means com.
pimentary to us, which nevertheless we are aid
ing in circulating We hope hereafter thus base
metal will be nailed to the counter when offered
south Of the Potomac. Words, it has been
veil said, are frequently things. Our thoughts
and feelings are insensibly yet strongly affected
by the language we use.
Much Of the odium in which slavery is held.
might be traced, not indeed to the nature of the
institution, but to the terms by which it has been
characterized. Northern writers have stereo-
typed set of phrases, all tinged by their preju-
dices against us and complacency towards them
selves, the use of which not only assures them
of their immense superiority, but what is worse,
persuades even our own people into dissatisfac-
ton with the happiest state of society now in
existence. For such we believe to be the order Of
things now prevailing in the slave States and
such it will continue to be, unless foreign inter-
ference shall bring about, as it now threatens,
its dissolution and overthrow.