The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-01-04
THE DAILY DISPATCH
From the Boston Post.
FRESH SLAVERY AGITATION.
Impudenee Of British 1risfocrncn.

Impudenee Of British Aristocracy.
A fresh phase of slavery agitation provokes
comment. A phiIanlh. opic spasm has seized
the Duchesses, Countessss and High Ladi.s of
England, relative to a certain kind of moral
and physical evil and so they have started the
plan whereby, if carried out, they will lead in
solid column the women Of England in a re-
quest 10 the woman of America 10 aid them
to abolish American slavery, or to mitigate its
evils. Machinery for this has been duly set
to work. The duchess of Sutherland called
meeting of a crowd of duchssses, countesses,
marchionesses and honorables, at Stafford
House, to whom she made an agitatng speech,
and presented memorial intended for the sig
natures of the women OF England. This
"Christan Address" is directed to the women
OF America. Ii assumes TO instruct them and
quicken them, as to their duties to God and
their race. Ii draws a vivid picture of Ameri-
can sins and short comings; and with an ar
rogance exactly British, gratuitously advises
American women how to act. 1t was, Of
course, adopted; subcommittee were ap-
ponte J; an Office was established; and, after
thanks from the duchess of Sutherland, the
meeting at Stafford House adjourned. And
thus the work commenced.
What special call is there for these duchess
es TO travel three thousand miles in search of
objects of philanthropic effort? Are there
none at their own doors! American women,
before they takaadvice from British women,
will inquire as to who gives it and what state
of society it proceeds from. They we'll know
there is philanthropy that is pharsaical, spu.
rious aid hypocrtical. 1t is that sort that
leaves misery at home unrelieved as it goes
forth to sp lay itself in relieving misery in 70.
reign lands. Do these duchesses exhibit this
kind of philanthropy Here these personages
must expect to be treated on par with others;
for no extra blood will be recognised as cours
ing their veins. And the answer to theseques-
tons must be sought in the fscts and sircum-
stances that are about them. If there be wrongs
to redress near them, the question will be ask
ed, what have they done TO ameiorate these
wrongs9 The question is not what intrepid
retormers have done, but That hare these duck
esses and cOunteSSeS done? Have they work
ed in the home field and been so successful in
an abolition of British white slavery that they
can say to the American sisters in reference 10
negro slavery, Go and do likewise? The an
swer to these questions will decide whether
their philanthropy be genuine or spurious; if
the latter. it deserves scorn and contempt.
Now let facts as to British society say how
pertinent these questions are. The duchesses
and countesses, in their gilded saloons, repre-
sent the bright side OF this society. But what
ia there at their doors Who does not know
of the dark side-the shame of their country
How often has been depicted the gross igno-
rance, the coarseness and brutality, the hag-
gard wretchedness, the hopeless misery of
large portion of the British population. Go
out to the fields, or into the factories, or down
to the mines, or among the children, or over to
Ireand and facts as TO all these " i'll tell of the
dark shade of British society. In reference to
il all the question is, has active, philanthropic
effort at home instigated this fresh crusade
against an evil so far off ? Have these duch-
esses manifested that interest in the humanity
of their neighborhood and country that they
now affect to manifest in American humanity
Take the case ofthe British peasantry. We
have before us British description ofthe po
verty, and want, and distress of the peasantry.
1t details the lodging, food furniture, and man
ner of life, of this class of the population. The
whole is summed up by Lord Nugent thus -
"The poor were pressed TO the earth by power
ty, want and distress; and in state but too
generally to be witnessed, but which he should
be sorry to be called on to describe. In spite
of the benefits of all the desirable institutions
of the country, take the worst form of govern |
meni, Of which we think our own the best, yet |
the condition of the pessantTy OF every cOun- |
try was better than the peasantry Of England"
Here are details: "The inmates, in some of
the houses which were visited in the evenings, |
were huddled together in corner, without re- |
ference to age or sex, or straw to lie on, and
with no other covering than wretched rags
The stencil issuing from many OF the dwellings
was almost insuffarable, and in all cases,
wretchedness appeared to have raised its aw-
full theme, and to proclaim here | reign su-
preme.'" II such be the case, may not the |
philanthropy of these duchesses and countess |
es find ample exercise here
Look next at the British operatives in the |
factories. The details here are stwtling, and
are stated, too, by the sufferers. A British !
account reads that there are thousands OF hu- |
man beings, mutilated and crippled, emacia- |
ted, ruined in health, their spirits broken, their
minds and reasoning powers tapping from
their seats, and many OF them catching, like
drowning men at straws, TO save themselves
from what would be happy release from their
miserable situation" A large proportion OF
factory hands die early. In 1889, in AZ mills
in Stockport and Manchester, in which 22,O94
hands were employed, only l43 were above 45
wears of age, so hostile to health IS British
factory life. But all efforts at description faii
TO give so vivid an idea of the severity of these
hardships as the following solemn statement
made by an operative in England:
81 was six wears in the West Indies, between
ST. Thomas and Barbados, end saw how the
slaves ate and drank; and L do, standing here,
sou. 80 help me God, WOULD RATHER BE
. SLAVE IN THE PLANTATIONS THAN BE AS
NOW AM, The men there have an interest IN
them as their property, and that they should
he able do work; and five Englishmen would
do as much work as twenty OF their negroes.
am a slare TO The CLASSES ABOVE ME-
yosK HARD AND CANNOT GET FOOD FOR MY
SELF AND CHILDREN. ard / haze no one to
O,cn me or TO care for me. Every one with
whom deal e endeavorng to take all he can
from me, they have all hand in cheating and
swindlng me out of my rights, and not in pay
ing and feeding me; and therefore lie down
on my pillow with an empty stomach. am
therefore whipped in the belly, while the
black slaves are eating and drinking OF the
best
There is representative wall OF the labor
ing classes. This terrible speech from suit
fsrer, better than long and minute detail, gives
the solutions Of those events that sometimes
appeal even the s,ou,est British hearts, anu
make dukes and counts tremble IN Their sea.s
Of power. Now and then, in the midst OF n's
ignorance and suffering, and brutan'y' Tue
horse feels 'tis power and turns upon ms
rider. A fewsyears ago, in Lancashire, orS-
shire. and other factory places, ,hele were 70
be seen-we still quote British autnorlty-
"not less than four hundred thousand people
wandering about the country 90 Jormiddose
bodies, unoceupied and aafea' II was an
iniolerable grievance that drove these poor