The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-02-28
THE NATIONAL ERA: WASHINGTON D. c. FEBRUARY 20,

themselves of individual efforts to procure comfort
able livelihood in any employment deemed respect
able for white persons. They make apple atoms to
cotton mills, where such persons are wanted, in
Plumbers much beyond the demand for labor; and,
when admitted there, they assume the indus
trious habits, and decency in dress and manners OF
the operatives in Northern factories. demand for
labor in such establishments is all that is necessary
to raise this class from want and beggary, and too
frequently moral degradation, to state of comfort
comparative Independence, and moral and social
respectahilty Beside this thousands of such would
naturally come together residents in manufactur
ing villages where with very little trouble and
pense. they might receive a common school educa-
ton, instead of growing up in profound ignorance"
These remarks of Mr.. James are quoted and
endorsed in an article upon the Establishment of
Manufactures IN .Ne,c Orleans, which find in
DE BO,c'S ReUie,c for January, 1850. The wri-
ter, whose name is not given, but who ap-
pears to be a citizen of New Orleans, says:
AT present, the sources of employment open to
females (seve in mental ofhces) are very limited ;
and an inability to procure suitable occupation is
evil much to be deplored tending in its conse-
quences to produce Generalization.
The superior grades of female labor m y be con-
sidcred such as imply necessity for education on
the part Of the enspLoyes, while the mental c1as; is
generally regarded of the lowest and in a slave
State, this standard is IN the lowest depths, lower
deep, from tho fact that by association, it is reduc
ton of the white servant to the level of their coored
fellow -Incnials.''
The complaint of low wages and want Of
employment comes from every part Of the
South.
Mr. Steadman, of Tennessee, in a paper upon
the Extension of Cotton and HIOoI Factories at
tie South, says:
ain Lowell labor is paid the fair compensation of
so cents a day for men. and 81 a week for women,
beside board, while in Tennessee the average COM
pensaton for labor does not exceed so cents per day
for men and $l.25 PEI week for women. Such is the
wisdom of a wise division of labor"
In speech made in Congress five or six years
since, Mr.. L. l.. Cbngman, Of North Carolina,
said:
"Our manufacturing establishments can obtain
the raw material (cottcn) at nearly two cents on
the pound cheaper than the New England establish
ments. Labor is likewise hundred per cent.
cheaper. In the upper parts of the State the labor
OF either free man or slave Including board, clo
thing, &c, be obtained for from ITO to Sl20 per
snnum 1t will cost at least twice that sum in New
England The difference in the cost of female labor
whether free slave, is even greater. As we have
now a population of nearly one million we might
advance to great extent in manufacturing, before
We materially increased the wages of labor"
A Richmond (Va.) newspaper, the Dispatch,
says:
eve will only suppose that the ready made shoes
imported into this city from the North and sold here
dtion it would be to tho means of employment, How
many boys and females would End tho means Of earn
ing their bread, who now suffering for regular
supply of the necess aries of life"
The following statistics from the Census of
1850 show the number of whites Excluding
foreign born) in certain States, and the number
of white persons, excluding foreign-bo born, in
such States, over twenty years of age, unable
TO read and write