New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-03-23
A WORD TO HORkisG MEN.

lLcIt IL question cOhDtcteu Win tue dtcmptcl
passage of the Nebraska bill, and the extension and
consequent indefinite continuance or perpetuity of
Slavery. which should be particularly impressed the
mechanical ana laboring mer Of the North, and that is
the degradation of labor, the contempt which is thrown
on the very nature and life OF the labOrer BY the slave
system We fully believe that if the majority Of the
working OF the North could be made to understand
the chronic which Slavery hurs at their status
there would be extempOrized spirit of resistance to
it that would put end to its encroachments forever
With view of stirrngup the working population Ofhe
North to this solemn fact that the mechanical arts and
their followers is met from the system struggling
to rule over the whole republic, with the contempt
which as the Inauguration of the Crystal Palace
showed, AMI mates society here where Slavery is
not StateinstitutiOn but where suffer from its n
fuences, We propose to offer few words the origin
Of the institution in this country.
The Oldest books on record show that there was from
the first dii, between capitalists and isborers,
and that the capitalist regarded the special ia
vorte of the gods. Throughout antiquity find labor
despsed and poverty treated with the rude aud brutal
hand of privileged MASTER nameable or nameless
crime was left untouched untried in the Of
oppression and taking the whole Past as sample, We
we may we'll wonder that any belief in future state
prevailed humanity being little better than the brutes
that perish. This cruelty of man toward his fellow
then not meowed by education. On the contrary,
Rome's most polished gentlemen-orators, writer's
morals and all the virtues held their intellectual
in absolute bondage Artists and rhetorcians were so
bought and sold, degradation put upon one kind Of
industry which could not credit. were not equal in
suit habitually offered to another kind Of indusryto
mechanics and laborers in this country. The ancient
Roman patrcians differ in essential point from the
ogarchy of the South, from the hundred and fifty
thousand owners Of slaves there. In reading OF
the airs and graces of the one, are reminded Of
those of the other. The family pride, goryingi in
chiyalrc origin with coats of arms, insignia of he
redtary force and wrong. The same hypOcritcal jab
Der in sounding phrases adapted to parcau ears about
liberty virtue courage, honor, and SO forth the state
ly patrician indng his distractions surrounded by
slaves dishonored scourged and stripped of all their
rights and thus denying all the 6ne phases OF their mas
ters-hese we find common with Seneca or Cicero and
Foote or Calhoun The means of yrants are ever the
same. They differ in no wise now from the time OF
the Caesars. We have the same solemn appeals to
country and TO patriotism from the one as the other-the
South standing for country with the modern Roman
and all ending in itself or in the e1altatOn of one
class ever another The position of the chvary Of the
middle ages the feudal lords, will answer with simply
a change of name for the ogarchy of the South.
This successful scheme of one portion of mankind
and that very small minority, to enslaye another is
he only reason why labor is not honorable If all
had work, work would be respected, irrespective of
calling or occupation. But when this country was
settled, the dignity OF labor imperfectly under.
stood. In the South and above all in Virgins labor
was contemned from the beginning The settlement.
was by English gentlemen younger sons, too proud,
lazy and msladrot to work and hence there was but
one thing to do-force others to work for them Per.
haps if there tad been generous Bluebook rich in
great governmental expenditures and Offices of large
pay and no duty the omnivorous appetites of these
trueborn gentlemen might have been satisfied, and,
CALAMITY living on taxes wrupg from the sweat of the
people they might not have gone to Africa for wild ne
groes in order, after killing half on the voyage to
doom the other half to Slavery. But as il was Slavery
took its rise in the South because privileged set of
men were too mean TO work ard mean enough TO force
others TO work for them The very inception of Slave
~ then, IN this country stab to all the honor
justly belonging to industry Capt Smith. aware of
tie worthlessness of the gentlemen settlers of yir
gina' said be wanted carpenters, husbandmen. gar
deners blaek'uiths masOns and diggers up of trees
roots" Of whom, be stated thirty would be more
valuable than thousand" such as those who came
out for wealth to help their gentty. But the great
estates in Virginia were held by absentee landlords,
ard tenants tooh their places. From the commence.
ment' men under bonds Of seyude were sent out and
teesme objects Of speculation, those costing ss and
SO, being sold as high sometimes a. 500 Each
oondman 90 Introduced entitled the importer to