Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-09-27
A New Dodge.

The Philadelphia Times Of the 25th, Fremont
paper, contains an article headed "Slave Labor Us.
Free Labor" which commenced with the following
"Whercver slave labor has been brought in
competition with free and paid labor, the latter
has been greatly Injured, and sometimes entirely
superseded, in consequence of the cheapness at
which slave labor could be afforded"
Now, it is notorious that one of the chief aIgu-
ments Of the anti.slavery men for the last fifty
years has been based upon the assumption that
slave labor was dearer than free labor, and that
the main cause Of the superior wealth Of the North
consisted in the fact that free labor prof
table than slave labor.
We may well inquire, what has produced this
sudden conversion of opinions? From the article
in the Times, which is an elaborate attempt to
prove the correctness Of its position as above sta
ted, we can arrive at but one conclusion-which
is that the Fremonters, despairing of success Dy
the usual methods of conducting political cam
paign, have resolved to stulify themselves and
contradict theirwbole previous history as recorded
in pamphlets and journals innumerable, with the
hope of creating feeling of hostility among the
mechanics and workingmen of the North against
the people of the South.
The Times complains that Southern wheat has
lately been introduced into the New York and
Philadelphia markets, in addition to cotton, hemp,
tobacco, sugar, and other Southern products-that
slaves are employed in building railways, in dig
ging coal and iron ore, and in the manufacture of
cotton. n
Now, II the " Republicans" are sincere in their
professions of regard for the African race, they
would rejoice that new branches of industry were
opened for the development Of its skill. If the me-
groes are ever to be fitted for emancipation, it will
be by instructing them in those employments by
which, when emancipated, they can obtain sup
port. negro who had lived all his life in the rice
field or on a cotton plantation would make poor
show when brought into competition with an Irish
man or German, upon railway or canal--in a
mine or colliery. Why, then, do the "Repub-
cansn object to the employment of slaves in any
occupation which may tend to deyelope the re-
sources of the country, and at the same time ele-
vate them in the scale of workmen?
In the extreme Southern States the climate is
too oppressive to admit of the employment of
Irish or German laborers in the open air. And as
we never hear of native Americans, either North
or South offering themselves as railway laborers
1t would follow as necessary consequence that if
negroes were not employed, no railways would be
built in those States at all.
With regard to Southern wheat finding its way
to the North, it may be stated that -four made
from Southern wheat is alone adapted for shipment
to warm climates, and that for the last fifty years
Richmond and Georgetown flour has borne higher
prices in the Northern market than Northern
flour, for this very reason. Does the Philadelphia
Times intend to advocate non-intercourse with the
South, because, in its opinion slave labor is cheap
er than free labors If 1t does, why not extend
the same restriction to Cuba, Porto Rico, and
Brazil?~
Again: cheap food and cheap raw material of
every kind is absolutely essential to the prosper-
ty Of Northern manufacturers. Consequently, it
follows, that the more wheat, the more cotton, the
more hemp, and the more corn the Southern
States export to the North, the better it will be
for the Northern people. Suppose the cotton
crop of the South were destroyed by severe
frost; can the most prolific Imagination con-
ceiye of the ruin and distress which would ensue
to the whole shipping, banking, manufacturing,
and industrial interests generally, at the North
And not alone at the North. How would Great
Britain stand the shock which would cbe inflicted
by the same calamity upon her very vitals pros
trating the Bank, the Rothschds, and the Barings
Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, Paisley, the wide
region of Lancashire, the valley of the Clyde, and
the thousand other seats of the cotton manufac-
ture in one common ruin The bare possibility
Of such an event would cons ulse the whole COM
mercal world. @
Our advice to the Philadelphia Times, and other
journals of the same kidney, is to take the goods
the gods provide" and not to quarrel with their
bread and butter, in the vain hope of eecting a
mountebank to the Presidency. The necessaries
OF life dear enough in this country in all con-
science, and he who would render them cheaper is
far better entitled to be regarded public bene-
factor than he who would advance them SO far in
price MS to place them altogether beyond the reach
of the laboring classes. This country, under the
onion and the Constitution, has prospeied for
nearly seventy years as no country ever prospered
before 1t has been governed by administrations
of various political compilations, but by none avow-
edly sectional in its aims and objects. Why should
we change what has been proved to be benefcent,
and rush madly into untried schemes that may
lead to dissolution and destructions Why should
we reject the wisdom of Washington and Marshall
and Madison and Webster, and adopt in its stead
the dwelling frenzy of the Quattlebums and the
Quincys?
Mr. FILLMoRE.-In private letter, received a
few days ago from Mr.. Fillmore, by gentleman
of Georgia, the following characteristic language
occurs: Whatever may be my fate, personally,
is not ,corth a thought, If The integrity of the
Constellation can be maintained, and zoe ca, trans