Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1855-01-31
EXTREMES MEET-THE NEW YORK
TRIBUNE AND WHITE-sLAVERY.


which declares that extremes meet" Mr.
Horace Greedy, the great foe of negro slavery
is beginning to add a new evidence of its truth.
He has fruitful and ingenious mind. There
is scarcely. social evil that does draw not
from him the quick suggestion of sovereign
remedy The suferings Of unemployed emf.
grants have excited his sympathies and in a
late number Of the Tribune he proposes the
following:
"We believe their is room in our city, after
charity has done its best Tor worst for great
company, with a capital of at least 81 600, 900
to be ably directed and intelligently devoted to
The outright purchase Of unemSloycd labor and
its transportation to sections where it is most
wanted. For Instructive hundred emigrants
land here from ship, Of whom four hundred
are ticketed for various locations throughout
the country, or welcomed here by friends, while
the residue have little means and no immedi-
ate prospects of work. Here let the company
step in, and say, IF you can do no better, we
will hire every robust man and woman at $50
per year for the former and $50 for the latter,
taking our chance of contracting your services
to others at profit which will pay us for your
living until we find them and refund the cost
of your passage to the place where you are
wanted" Let such a company be organized
by good men, wisely differed, and have one
year to learn the ropes, and we believe there
would thereafter be no surplus labor in our
city (however it might be with regard to sur
plus idleness,) and that the demoralizing and
pernicious soup dispensaton, which was inevi-
table this winter, may hereafter be torborne,
III, fcbn le M he
bereaved, the invalid, and the disabled. Who
will set this machine in moton?"
The New York Day Book extracts the above
paragraph from the Tribune, and gives to it
this caption-"A PROPOSITION FROM HORACE
GREELEY TO REDUCE EMIGRANTs TO SLAVERY"
The comments of the Day Book are very SEN
sible, and the argument by which it shows that
the great enemy of negro slavery is not unwill
ing to see white slavery, is both just and inge-
NOUS. "Now then" says the Day Book, this
all looks very we'll to Mr.. Greeley's Northern
readers, who are in the habit of hiring men as
cheap as they can, and, when they are through
with them, turn them off to seek employment
elsewhere.
"But let us look into this proposition of the
philosopher, little, and see how easily it may
end in slavery, and if these emigrants were ne
groes, most certainly it would end so. Sup
pose such company is formed and they take
up lot of emgrants and send them West and
board them until they get places for them, and
do this at an expense of eighty or one hundred
lA1Io ~ e l. IL.
or lazy and refuse to take the places provided
for them. Is it not plain that laws must be
passed to compel them to work for those whom
their masters direct, until the debt is paid?
Then there are the children-they must be
provided for also, and kept at an expense until
masters are obtained for them, and then they
must work until they pay the amount their first
owners have advanced for them.
"This company, Mr.. Greeley thinks, would
make money. Well, suppose it did and should
extend its businers to other parts of the world,
TO Germany, to Ireland to China, and to Africa,
and should pick up all who were in want and
unable to procure food and clothing? The ex.
pense of bringing man from China, or Africa,
and keeping him, would be about $500. Now,
then, some one must be found who will take
him from the company and take care of him and
his offspring until the $500 are paid. But the
man will not stay and work until that is done.
Of course you must have laws to make him, or
the company will break up-in other words,
will not take the risk of advancing the neces-
sary funds TO bring him here and get him
place. Laws to compel him to work ont his
ha IF
well. Now, suppose when the fellow had once
got his wife and children fairly fastened on TO
the company, or new master out in Iowa, he
should run away? Would Mr.. Greeley help
catch him and send him back to "put in his
timer" or would he put him on the "under
ground railroad" and send him off TO Canada?
Let us 20 farther. Suppose things with this
new company should all Jog on smoothly, and
there should be no running away, but sickness
and misfortune should render some Of these
men unable TO work so as TO refund the money
to the company, would not the company have
claim on the children, who had been partakers
Of their bounty or benefciaries Of their ad.
vances? Certainly. Then the heirs or assigns
Of the company would also have that same
claim until IL was paid of, and if the family was
large and the heirs and assigns were obligated
TO provide for ALL would not the claim increase
and extend to coming generations2 How long,
Mr.. Greeley, do you think il would be before
a negro from Africa or o cooley from China
would have a debt of six or seven hundred
dollars against him, and how long think you
be would be in paying it off at the rate Of
wages paid by farmers in Iowa? To come
right down TO the simple practical question,
Mr.. Greeley, would you risk your money in an
enterprise such as you recommend, unless you
could have stringent laws for your protec-
ton against the men running away as soon
as warm weather came, and would you not
claim the privilege OF hiring a man out 10
one farmer and his wife to another provided il
was necessary, in order to get work for them
And finally, if Mr. S. NJ. Booth, or Garrison,
or Fred. Douglas should come into the house
where you we're keeping these men out West,
after you had advanced the $50 or 800 for
them, and talk TO them about the right Of man
to himself-freedom- slavery-Canada and the
great wrong you we're inilicting upon him by
owning him, would you not kick the fellow
out Of doors, and set your dogs on him"