Kenosha tribune and telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1855-1855, 1855-02-15
NORTH AND SOUTH.

friend pat into our hands Nashville paper
in which was an article make ed tie better we sup.
pose to attract our attention. The text of the ar
tice, is the following:
- 1t seems that the slaves of Mobile, touched
with the suffering, starving condition Of the poor
whites in New York and other Northern cities
have in process Of formation general subscription
for their relief"
Then follows any amount Of rhapsody upon the
superior condition of the slave over that of the
white laborer Of the north, coupled with about an
equal amount Of abuse Of the prominent men of the
north who are engaged in the anti slavery move
ment.
We presume the friend who handed it to us,
thought it a most conclusive argument in favor Of
the pro-slayery side OF the general question, and
perhaps expected us to be equally overwhelmed by
islogic But we cannot see the thing exactly in
that light. We recognize the Importance of bread
aud butter but still conceive that there are things
even more important than these. Patrick Henry
we think it was, who said, give me liberty give
death; suffering and starvation were not enough
but death absolutely was preferred to servitude.
The American army at Valley Forge. were with
out clothing and without food. We have no doubt
the slaves Of the British crown were we'll fed and
well clothed, and were in condition 10 get up sub
scripions to relieve their suffering American breth
rem (; but we have no where heard or seen parallels
drawn in favor of the British, or their /" fat and
sleek " condition urged worthy to be attained
by the Americans at all sacrifice.
Somehow or other there is a prejudice OH the
part Of every human being against being owned
by some one else and il our friend has ever known
the pangs Of poverty, we have some doubt wheth-
the idea Of selling himself to obtain food and
clothing suggested itself very favoraby to his
mind.
But we submit that the works of our southern
brethren do not correspond well with the faith pro-
fessed in this article to which our attention has
been called For if the south be the paradise rep
resented, and its colored tenants the we'll condition
ed and happy population set forth, it is passing
strange they have found it necessary to fence it in
with hedge so impenetrabIe the fugitive law,
and to convert the whole nation into blood hounds
to scent out aud drag back TO happiness the fugi-
tves from this paradise. To be consistent and in
spre others with some confidence that they mean
what they say, should they not rather seek law
to prevent. these suffering white labore1s Of the
north from rushing down to Dust these happy blacks
and chatteiizing themselves in their stead. And
this very naturally suggests the idea, that perhaps
the best test Of the whole matter would be- 10 sub
NIT the question to the two parties more immedi-
ately involved in it. Let our friend hunt up these
suffering white !uborers of the north and propose TO
them to sell themselves and wives and children and
chidrens children for ali time to come TO the SOU
thern plantation owners 10 get in return slaves
bread, "a slaves clothing, and slaves treatment );
what would be the probable response? Our opin-
ION IS, he would want to get no nearer to them than
he could be heard through a speaking trumpet, for
fear Of something worse than an Indignant rejec-
ton of the proposition. And on the other hand,
we are no! aware that the most ardent abohtiomist
desires any thing more than that the slave should
be free to choose. Dare our Southern friends open
the gate of their paradse2
There is another test too, which will perhaps
sound strange and novel to our friend but which
we think good and safe one 1t is, "wh atsoever
We would that others should do unto YOU, that do
you also unto ihen,;' which means, should our
friend not understand the original, that a condition
ynu would not tolernte for yourself you have no
right 10 thrust upon others.