Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-01-24
The |" Bound Labor, Question.

The Bound Labor" Question
One NJ. A. Juge, Of New York, has semi US
pamphlet, upon the Sc bound Labor" question in the
United States, for which he solcits from US, an
" earnest examination and kind confederation" We
have read Mr.. Juge's pamphlet carefully and we
have considered the propositions and arguments con-
tanned in it, without passion and without prejudice
We have complied with his reqsisticns, and we
may add that we would have done so, although he
had made no such request. We think can also
review Mr.. Jage's work, in the same spirit with
which we read it. He is courteous, kind in his
way, man Of ideas, a friend Of progress, schol-
ar, and considerable Of a gentleman. Such man
will always command the reasonable respect of those
who inelligently oppose his views. Mr.. Juge d.
vides society into two conditions, those Of culture
and civilization. Culture, he says, denotes the state
Of deueiopement Of refHemeut-hat ia, Of personal
training by education in our homes, and sciences,
arts, Industry, sumpuary laws, police, suhJection.
slavery. Civilization, on the other hand, denotes
Me state Of deUelypement Of CiTsm-tha is Of civil
liberty, personal freedom, and independence. The
opposite Of culture rs savagism. MI. Juge, it will
be seen is an astute logIcian, and not Of those
vulgar defenders Of American Slavery who realize
nothing in the institution but the profits to be deriv
ed from cotton.
MIR. Juge holds that the ultimate of social pro
gress is civilization, and that the civilized man has
a right and is in duty bound to take the savage and
put him position where he will receive culture.
The savage will not emigrate from Africa of his
own accord, therefore, he ought to be brought by
force from Africa. He will not cultivate cotton OF
His own arcord, therefore, he ought to be compelled
to cultivate cotton. Cotton is a beautiful gift Of
heaven, which has been highly instrumental in i'm.
proving the moral and political condition OF man
kind. The savage negro does not know this fact,
but the civilized does, and he therefore, makes
the negro cultivate cotton in order to fulfil heavens
bounty, and in der also to deveope the savage TO
wards civilization, by cotton culture.
While MIR. Juge supports the principle Of the
slave trade, and slavery, he would at the same time
materially modify the circumstances which are now
attendant upon those systems. He would have the
slave trade recognized and regulated by law, accord
Ing to the sriees principles Of humanity. He would
bring the African savage to our shores comfortably,
and not as hereditary vassal, but persOn TO
whose " bound labor" the master should be entitled
only upon condition that be attended his culture
The offspring Of the "bound laborer - should be
independent, by reason Of the philosophy Of Ameri
can politics. aud by Of his fitness for indie.
pendence. Upon the basis Of this specious human
ity, Mr. Juse holds that Sc bound labor" ous ht ne,
u be blndly prosecuted, or Arbitrarily prohibited,
suppressed, and abolished he says, it highly de-
serves to be timely regulated and prudenIy mana ged,
ua tpleases Time, the legitimate, supreme abolition
st Of errytng that is destitute oil vltality-to let it
die out.
Mr.. Jpge's theory of bound labor is very i'm.
posing in the abstract. But it is only apollo
~ for American Slavery after all, and as slavery
does not possess the qualities Of justice and respon.
sbiliiy, is nothing but wrong and tyranny, let
MIR. Juge theorize about it as he pleases. Slavery
does not tend 10 cultivate the negro, but TO bru,ify
him. Shareholders carefully provide against the
culture Of slares, however much they may attend to
the culture Of cotton. Slavery in the United States
has only special purpose, the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of
the Civilized men," who whip their slaves, over
work them, sell them, and separate them from their
wives and families, whenever profitable Tor Them
TO do
Mr.. Juse complains that aboItionists are lanati-
cal, impractical, and mischievous by Of their
denunciations OF slavery. Mr.. Juge shows
that there are fanatical conservatives and imprac-
cal logIcians, also, who ideaze sort Of slavery.
that has no existence in fact, and then defend the
most atrociuus system the world, as their idea.
White cultivate cotton, do cultivate cotton
and will cultivate cotton enough, ii they paid
enough do so and, il such labor is required only
of lreemen. Negroes will cultivate coton,as freemen
If they get the chance to do They cultivate
and potatoes in the northern states and in Canada
for wages, and would be glad 10 cultivate cotton in
;he South on the same terms, so that Mr. Juge's
theory Of the Necessity for compulsory labor pro
duce cotton is mere philosophical illusion"
notwithstanding, Mr.. Juge's rather hackneyed
proposition, that the strength OF our Union is en-
dangered by erroneous noii1ns about ''bound labor,
must still continue, notwithstanding what he has
written, to denounce slavery sin against God,
and an outrage upon man; vile system, that cul
tivates savagism and debases civilization.