The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1855-09-25
The HireIing and the Slave.

1t is not our design to indte a criticism Of
the noble epic of our fcllow-citizen, William j..
Grayson, which bears the above title. That
has been already we'll and acceptably done by
our correspondent at Newhcrry--sn we'll done,
as to render criticism on our part wholly
supererogatory. 1t is our purpose, however,
to contrast the happy lot Of the slave of the
South with the dependency and privation OF
the poor hireling of the North rather, we
would give forcbe illustration of the wide
difference in the condition Of the two classes,
showing that the condition of the former is Tar
preferable TO that of the latter with all its much
vaunled freedom. The hireling of the North
is held bound by chain stronger aud more
CALLING than the contented servitude OF the
negro. He is bound down and crushed into
state of most abject merlial dependence, and
do what he will he he cannot throw off the
iron yoke IIe is forced by tie cravings OF
hunger by the fierce scowl Of gannt starvation
more terrible than the scourge Of the Shareholder
which is welded by humane kindness and
selfinterest, if YOU will to work, toll, drudge,
do any thing that will keep soul aud body
together To avoid the terrible fate that awaits
the least relaxation Of his hard labors, he Is
compelled to accept such scant, beggarly re-
muncraton as the hard-hearted capitalist may
think proper to allow him, and the competition
of his fellow starvelings may fix as the mini
mum price which starvation may be kept from
the door of his wretched hove.
We will draw oar illustration from the
advertising columns of the New York Herum
and tie Philadelphia Ledger. Just sttakeany issue
OF these two Journals, and scan the long columns
Of advertisements under the head OF " ants.
Compare the number Of those seekn gemployy
ment, seeking siinations,-seekinS masters
would he the proper term,-with those who
desire to give employment and the comparison
will give the reader faint conception OF the
miseraIly dependent condition Of the hrellng
of the North. Let us examine the New York
HeraM of last Wednesday, the 18th instant.
1t contains five and three f"urtls columns OF
"wants"-shurt advertisements scarcely ever
exceeding five lines in length. Their very
brevity speaks Of poverty aud want" where
two are wanting the same kind OF situations
they unite in making known their wants though
one advertisement. They are compelled to
ccunomize even in their advertisements, short
as they are By an actual enumeration of th"se
advertisers seeking situations, We have ascer-
tanned THAT he number of them III the Hcruia
Of Wednesday is tw" hundred and uinety.two;
on the other hand those seeking TO give en-
;,luvnrnt uumhcr ON ninety three.
There are, Therefore, on an average more
than tire. applicants for every situation To he
filed With so many starving applicants for
competitors, small indeed must be the wages OF
the one who is so fnrtunac as to secure the
>itualou One puor girl adveIl;sc>, that she
is " Wiiug I" accept, rs remuneration i"r the
most ,uilsnlnc and menial services the piiIul
sum Of for;yright dollars per annnu, so very
destitute aud depcrden, is she. \ large ma
iorirv Of the MISUNDERSTANDING than three
t;purth:--are oung girls, whose desire is to
engage as cooks aundresses, chambermaidS
ScanlstreS>cS and the like Iabnri"us and menial
occupations. One girl, a Protestant gill
which is one OF her uust commeGda1Ie qualities
ahrcrtses that she "worId feel ruy hcppy, 10
find a situation in respectable family, rs
sean,s!rcss and To take care of children" Poor
gir not doubt you would feel happy to Sc
c ire home to heltcr from the "piiileSs storm"
IF perjury aud want Some Of the advertisers
are married women, whose destitutiou forces
them to hire themselves as Wet nurses. The
Herald, Of Tuesday last contains a shocking
account of the homicide of Il little boy hy tw"
German sisters one, the mother Of the boy
and their own self destruction. They were
forced to these desperate deeds hy sheer want,
by starvation. They could nut get employment
and were forced to starvc, or steal or beg.
They preferred death by their own hands to
any one of these dreadful alternatives.
Now, contrast with the above the condition
of the slave in the South. With nature
adapted to his condition and with physical
constitution peculiarly fitted for hard labor he
is content, ifonly his physical wants arc suppl
controls his evil propensities with the rod
tempered by humanity and restrained by self
interest if by no higher consideration, who
care for him in sickness and who kindly minis.
lers to his wants in old age. The price of slave
labor, as compared with that of hireling labor,
proves concluSvcly that the condition of the
former is far more endurable, to say the least
than that of the latter. The high price ofslave
labor proves that the demand is great, and so
long as the demand shall be equal to the
supply, there can be no doubt that the
physical comforts of the slave will be carefully
attended to. Who ever heard ofa slave starv-
ingl who ever heard Of a slave being driven
to sclfdestructon, by the want of food9
Carolina Times.
New SrArEs.--Therc are four Territories