Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-05-30

rs ,,nrrciac as highly rs we DO, inc ioce w ;u Il,
I;d ,rouurnts and niastery array OF iac'S' "'
NOV. to throw shield of protection around inc ,.
~ 10 souh Than all the schemes of the South Caro'a
unlonists: For the Enquirer
THE MORAL CHARACTER OF SLAS Ehi'
ryryERS FROM 4 CLELG ihLiN-So AZ
No Dear Brother In my last letter. attemp,cu ~ p0 ill.,
w. honeyoIent working of domestic slavery io"ainS m
W. class in connecting Them so ntlTnaieiy WIN .
;, which they render productive, as 10 asIute ~ @
comfortable share in The profits o M cause
hn II may be answered that, st Inc eVer-ac.iis a
"a G.ssion increase OF population Is unchecheH au
VI Iii ~ nm in the end n spite OF the masters seh..e
a.1;on and obedience to law, To mh'lpy MS ~
ns of comfort grant that no human ssu'.on
perfect bu, shalt proceed 10 point ou. an M v Of over
pnahIes dumesc slavery resist and repair l'I w.
,;on vastly better than any other form III LABOR.
popuation increases the size OF nre
cumuated increases Instances ol larSe ,f nouu
nr, nmmcr,us and far more excessive. Density W pp
in,on facility for extensive business operations W
lion of Iaborcrs and many other causes, ensure @ md
men vastly richer than while @ Of these are
,horo ore vastly more rich Nhlle IL" !"
misers as general rule, they spend their orerFof"s If
in superauiiies Luxury Increases vastly le Iv ey
these muny overrch men is spent proiuse'y ~ and
nensiye clothing useless architecture and tqulPases, %
multitude OF similar things Now, the prooucuoh " thnr =
supci fun les absorbs vast amount oil the hato ~ rho
A multitude Of the labong classes spend uiet '"'e "a
production Of these various supcrullles Ihuu hose
so by tho money paid for them. Now, al'lT ,s bo,
producers make their living Individually ana perhaps
Ter living than those who produce food and colh'S -
indispuabe that the ultimate effect is the abstraction VI
number OF working hands from the pouuct1' t ~
saries and the consequent dmnution oil the to'i % NO.
necessities in the nation al large 1t Is Iust W - ,h,t
duclive labor msdirected; devoted 10 the
which fills stomach, clothes needy back anu e,.'
no actual bodily want. The general result oil ms u"uy
the rich is, therefore, dmlnutlon OF Inc iota e a.
ing of the poor OF the nation al argej ana,
increase the cost of living the poor am b
that the large accumulation Of wealth IN Inc hahu' "a @
rich leading inevitably 10 the production OF vast amount
superluities is ucve cause OF lhe ti 10
the poor than density of population or any otnei h
G,,v tI ill
misery Of the lowest is just proportional 10 Tue uNO'
the highest classes. r ,,o r,,,v
The remedy for this mschievous production Of TOO many
superlu,es is not be found in sumptuary laws Inc
world has tried them to hearts content The cure Is not
TO BE- found in the urcbe distribution oi The large accunu
alions among the poorer This Is as destructive 70 enter
mise and moruls is unjust Slavery presents The cure
The accumulated wealth, and prouse income OF The rch
man. which, il he in free State, would be all spent IN
supeuies, except the small portion needed Tor e COM
his slaves The law, public opinion, affection tor lhen and
self-interes all compel him TO make the first appropriation
out Of that prouse income, 10 feeding and clothing MS
slaves before he proceeds 10 supeulties Thus the pro-
ceeds of accunulaions which dense population ana So
cia prosperity cause rescued from useless, schev
GUS expenditure in those uxuTes The purchase OF which ms
directs public industry and empts deficient production
Of necessaies OF life and directed where benerolence
mercy and the public good indicate TO the comfortable
support OF the laborng people. That this Is The ell
feet OF domestic slavery the incomes oil the orerrich
is proved by familiar fact. You and know how uni
formy Shareholders murmur when comparing their style OF
nal wealth The planter who Fifty thousand dollars
worth OF fertile lands and hundred slaves, while he lives
believe in far substantial comfort displays IN Virginia
far less osenaIion aud luxury than the citizen OF the free
State who forty thousand dollars Of real capital HIS
house plainly furnished his umiy rides in plain carriage
drawn probably by pair OF stout nags which do TAR share
of ploughing also. He himself is dressed partly in Jeans
and his little boys at school, in log schooLhouse win
bare feet 1t is unusual thing to hear the Sa'eoder'
when he considers this contrast complain OF slavery as
bad institution for the But this is It's ncrcli lis
pleasing and benevolent features that arrests supcrluous
luxury III measure and taxes the supeuous income
with the more comfortable support of the aborcrs who IN
free State would be left hasarved the Inadequate com
pensation of labor while the capitalist rotng N ms,
chier0us lcas of the overgrown profits OF his capital And
surely is no small recommendation Of slavery that 1t does
what other power has attained to- arrests luxury IN
I hsia "'''''' ''''''''"S ''''e
will introduce what have say the producrsntsS
Of slave labor by pointing out the fact that this benevolent
diversion OF the large incomes from luxurious
10 the comfortable maintenance Of the slaves is direrst0n
from unprOductire TO PRODUCTIVE consumption The slaves
productive class and the added comfort OF their living
adds greatly their ability labor. No student OF political
economy need be told how powerfully national wealth is
promoted by any which substitutes productive con-
sumption for unproducve shalr therefore, pause no
longer on this important aspect oi the matter.
To all considerations for the bencvolcnce q" slavery am
well aware the aboti0nist wianswer, by pointing to his
imaginary pictures Of chains whips and dungeons am
well that shareholders have abused their power And
far be it from justify unrshteous stripe or one I'M
feeling word that has been laid upon slave would mat
could command soennity like that OF the trump that VIII
wake the dead while warned all oppressive Shareholders oi
Muster whom they also have in heaven But compared
with The adships Diseases separations Of nnnes and
pressious to which free labor liable in its poverty and IN
It's from masters protecting arm all the oppres
sions of Southern slavery ure trltllng.
From the days OF Adam Smith, at least slavery has been
condemned less productive than free labor One OF the
assertions which this opinion rests is that fosters ndo
cncc in the MASTER To this answer, that rich men do
not work. the world The wealthy capitalist Of the
North with his grown sons, is INDECENT and as much
fine gentleman the wealthy Shareholder 1t be said that
multitude Of small farmers the North cultivate their lands
the South who or working hands, labor with
their slaves The idea that labor disrcpuabc here because
usually slaves and that the people Of the slave States
less industrious than similar classes al the North you
and very well know is only founded on ignorance Of our
domestic habits. We both taught by the example OF our
venerated father that manual labor is no disgrace 10 gen.
teman.
The grand argument OF Adam Smith u.s. that the free abo
er stimulated by personal interest in his own success,
be thrifty industrious and providen than the
slave stimulated by fear alone. We are all willing TO own
that a sensible industrious freeman will labor TO better ad-
vantage than lazy unprnciped and dscOntented negro
But all free laborers not sensible and INDUSTRIOUS and
all sayes are disconnected and lazy doubt the
well trained and cheerful slave has al least as much honest
interest in the prosperity Of his MASTER as the halt starved
Chast hireing, in the success oil the capitalist Tor whom
he abors by the day week. But this much boosted ar
gument fuges the simple fact that number of nll
the poor who ought be abong too lazy TO Work
where they are freemen They live BY begging stealing
working third OF their time form OF swndlDg-
Their labor is lost TO the community and their dishonest
subsistence well their nmoraltlcs and crimes
constant drain on the public wealth. But slavery makes e
lazy do their part, by the wholesome fear OF the BIRCH VINO
does that il good free abore more pro,
duclivc than good slave STILL if all The oafes bhoys and
ders OF the great Commonwealth OF New lorK together
with all the industrious aborers caused 10 WORK just
well as the average Virginia slave there would be- on the
phoe vast gain 10 the common profits!
Another important ideu entirely overlooked by the advo
Gates of free labor is this the vast saving in economy and
comfort effected by consolidating The house Keeping o Sc
vea families into The mistress OF large Southern
household learns far providence and economy in admin
seng her than By the average OF res
pectabe free aboers But she had more OF these
qualities, all that immense saving is made by nav
ing keeper for families and feeding them all
from Kitchen instead of having house-keepers ten
kitchens, houses, and A smaller
supply OF provisions will far greater comfort 10 all
and there will be considerable saving of labor in the pre-
paration Of food and such like Offices system OF slave
labor is therefore economical and therefore more pro-
ductiye.
Much of what is said about the superior efficiency OF the
free aborer is due TO the difference of the skill and energy oil
him tcho directs that labor II may be that many VIZ
gna slaves work 10 far less advantage than many northern
hireings New England farms. But il is because me
master who directs them is inferior in skill 1t Is equally
49, .If.har Virginia slaves work 10 better advantage
No-.I
ter who directs them has skill than those other north
farmers. Let economists, who fair expert
ment the matter theorze let aboionis evle and rdi
cue Southern industry Southern