Washington telegraph., 1854-08-16
Mike Walsh On Slavery.

In the speech of this gentleman. delivered in
the House of Representatives on the 10Th Nav
last on the Nebraska bill, he holds the following
language in regard to slavery:
lnreply, Mr. Chairman, to what dropped from
the gentleman from Massachusetts, Mr. Went
WORTH last night and to others who have been
overHowing with sympathy for the Southern
slaves, | have to say, that the only difference be-
tween the negro slave OF the South and the white
wages slave of the North, is, that the one has a
master without asking for him. and the other has
to beg for the privilege of becoming slave
Great laughter-) The one is the slave of an in.
dlvldual; the other is the slave of all memorable
class. After the latter bas added wealth. by his
labor and his toll. to the community in which he
has lived, he is turned adriit without any, among
all the different employers whom he has aided in
enriching, to give him mouthful of victuals or a
nights lodging | would ask the particular ad-
vocates of abolition upon this floor to point me to
one single solitary degradation heaped on the ne
gro of the South .hat white man at the North is
not liable to have imposed on him for the time
being through poverty! Last night the gentle
man from Massachusetts said, as dotted it down
at the time:
mo man or woman, black or white, could be
deprived of their freedom for one hour, in NIassa-
chusetts, without the commission of crime. and
then on the judgment of COURT
Sir this was in perfect keeping with the reck-
lcSSly uIiouuueu statements IN WDlcn that class
OF persons who are most strenuous in their oppo-
slt;on to this bill, and, indeed. to all other really
democratic and patriotic measures, invariably u-
dulge. With them. indeed, in all cases, II e end
seems to fully justify the means. Is it possible
that the gentleman, lawyer as he is while whn-
ing about Southern slavery and about free ne
groes being prevented from entering permanently
some of our slave States could have been ignorant
OF the TACT, that IN his own State (Alassachusets)
poor white people are not only prevented from
entering, but are fcrciby transported whenever
there is any prospect of their becoming a tempo
rary public charge! Did he not know at the time
he was making these sweeping declarations that
thousands of worthy and industrious poor men
and women are yearly deprived of their liberty,
without any trial. and subjected to the vilest deg
radiation and servitude in his own and in every
other northern State, with entire impunity2 /
have seen hundreds of cases myself in the city OF
Boston alone, and | should much like to know the
difference between making a black skin or an
empty pocket and collapsed stomach (aughterl
the cause OF one servtude. II difference does
exist, 1t Is most assuredly in favor of the former
Oh! how oathe and deteSt this miserable cant
and hypocrisy. | have any quantity of testimony
here IN my drawer to substantate the truth OF
what say, ont as no one has dared question
word OF 1t, may as well let it pass
was going to read an affidavit to the commit
tee, but will only state the substance of it. 1t is
one OF nearly thousand cases that know of nv
self. 1t is an affidavit wherein it is shown thata
woman, after having lived for eight or nine wears
IN the town OF Southbrldge, in Massachusetts,
where she had children born and where sbe had
been herselfemployed by the selectmenof the town
to scrub out the public buildings during which
she had caught cold, and had become for the mo-
ment unable to support herself and children was
under the provisions ola law OF Massachusetts
which have here. taken-not upon the order of
court, but upon an order written by magistrate
and fr2nSDnrfaI tc Na,r II
should become an incum berance on Massachusetts
1t is all very well for gentlemen to get up here
ana clamor about the wrongs and outrages Of the
Southern slaves; b1t sir, even in New York du-
ring the last year, there have been over thirteen
hundred people deprived OF their liberty without
any show or color OF an ofience, 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 ma ke
the appeals to them that they make here and at
the North. They do not appeal to the magnan-
lmlty, sense OF justice or christianity the South
ern siavehoider, but they appeal 10 his avarice-
They tell him, abolish your negro slavery IN the
South, anC adopt the slavery of wages that we
have substituted for it in the North. and it will
put money into your pockets, and add to the on
preston OF those who do your work WHY. sir
poor man at the North will. for fifty cents a dav.
drag more III hand cart than three negroes. with
tour mules, VIII bring into Washington though
they have white Hlsn to watch them. Laugh
ter) A man at the South gives 81 2OO fol a ne
gro; and he must be an exceedingly good one to
fetch so much; he has 10 support him. he has to
feed and clothe him; he has to provide for him in
old age; TO take care of him in his sickness. and
TO bury him when he is dead In the North we
have no such bold manly, open and above board
oppression. Oh: no, sir. Here is specimen of
the cold, crattySneaking oppression OF the North
AN oppression, w hich reaches and preys heavily
upon the generous and impulsive, as well as upon
the uniortunate-npon many Of the purest and
brightest spirits In the land These are the bows.
texhlbitlrg pawnbroker's duplicate amidst great
laughter,) | viii read it:
No. 122. Joseph Simpson & Company. IS
Chatham street, July, 1S53-Gold watch. So
Mike Walsh. Not answerable in case of damage
by fire or robbery; twenty-five per cent. per an
numn
tGreat laughter)
And 1t is, in thousands of instances much near
er seventy-hve per cent, than twenty-five. as
they always charge full months interest where
1t Is an hour over the even time; and as they rare
ly advance more than a sixth or fourth of the
value OF an article, in all cases where the individ
ual fails, llike my colleague, DEAN) though from
very Inherent cause. to redeem pledge at the
termination OF the prescribed year. it becomes the
sole property OF the pawn-broker | could easily
enumerate sundry other little items and devices
winch go to still further swell the measure of his
gains; but even were it limited in all cases. in
stead OF not being SO in any. to the mere legal
twenty-five per cent. he has $500 wear and bis
$1,000 eats nothing, wears nothing Consumes no.
thing, and can be used as the same Instrument of
he Is Io,l