The true Democrat., 1854-08-02
Mike Walsh on Slavery.

In the speech of this gentleman, delivered in the House of Representatives on the 18th May last, on the Nebraska bill, he holds the following language in regard to slavery:
 In reply, MT. Chairman, to what dropped from the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr WENTwoRTH) last night, and to others who have been overhowing with sympathy for the Southern slaves, I have to say, that the only difference between the negro slaveof the South, and the white wages slave of the North, is, that the one has master without asking for him, and the other has to beg for the privilege of be- coming slave. (Great laughter.) The one is the slave of an individual the other is the slave of an memorable class. After the latter has added wealth, by his labor and his toll, to the community in which he has lived, he is turned adrift without any, among all the diffe- rent employers whom he has aided in enrich ing to give him a mouthful of victuals or nights lodging. would ask the particular ad- vocates of abolition upon this floor, to point me to one single solitary degradation heaped on the negro of the South that white man at the North is not liable to have imposed on him for the time being through poverty? Last night the gentleman from Massachusetts said, as I dotted 1t down at the time:
 "No man or woman, black or white, could be deprived of their freedom for one hour, in Massachusetts, without the commission of crime, and then on the judgment of court"
 Sir, this was in perfect keeping with the reck- lessy unfounded statements in which that class of persons who are most strenuous in their op- position to this bill, and indeed, to all other really democratic and patriotic measures, inva- riably indulge. With them, indeed, in all ca ses, the end seems to fully justify the means. Is it possible that the gentleman, lawyer as he is, while whining about Southern slavery and about free negroes being prevented from enter have been ignorant of the fact, that in his own State (Massachusetts) poor white people are not only prevented from entering, but are for cbly transported whenever there is any pros- pect of their becoming a temporary public charge! Did he not know at the time he was making these sweeping declarations, that thou sands of worthy and industrious poor men and women are yearly deprived of their liberty, without any trial, and subjected to the vilest degradation and servitude in his own and in every other northern State with entire impuni- ty? I have seen hundreds of cases myself in the city of Boston alone, and I should much like to know the difference between making black skin, or an empty pocket and collapsed stomach, Qaughter,) the cause of ones servi- tude. If difference does exist 1t is most as- suredly in favor of the former. Oh! how I loathe and detest this miserable cant and hy- pocrcy. l have any quantity of testimony here in my drawer to substantiate the truth of what 1 say, but as no one has dared question word of it, may as we'll let it pass
 was going to read an affidavit to the con- mittee, but will only state the substance of it. It is one of nearly thousand cases that I know of myself It is an affidavit wherein it IS shown that a woman, after having lived for eight or nine years in the town of Southbridge, Tn Massachusetts, where she had children born, and where she had been herself employed by the seectmen of the town to scrub out the public buildings during which she had caught cold, and had become for the moment unable to support herself and children, was under the provisions of law of Massachusetts, which nave here taken-not upon the order of court, put upQ an order written by magistrate-and transpoSed to New York, for fear she should become an lncumbrance on Massachusetts. It IS all very well for gentlemen to get up here and clamor about the wrongs and outrages of The Southern slaves; but, sir, even in New York, during the last year, there have been over hlrteen hundred people deprived of their li-
 
 berty without any show or color of an offence, but because they were poor, and too honest to commit crime. Now what is the appeal that these men make when they go to the South?- They do not make the appeals to them that they make here and at the North. They do not appeal to the magnanimity, sense of jus- tce or christianity of the Southern slaveholder but they appeal to his avarice. They tell him, abolish your negro slavery in the South, and adopt the slavery of wages that we have sub- ney into your pockets, and add to the oppres- sion of those who do your work. Why, sir, a poor man at the North will, for fifty cents a oay, drag more in hand-cart than three ne- gfoes, with four mules, will bring into Wash .hgton, though they have white man to watch snem. al Laughter) A man at the South gives Si,1oo tor negro; and he must be an exceed ugly good one to fetch so much; he has to sup- port him; he has to feed and clothe him; he