Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-09-05
From the Pittsburg Gazette.
THE RIGHTS OF FREE WHITE LABOR,

A recent Occurrences in Wilmington, North Caro-
lima, betrays so clearly the hostility Of Slavery to
the rights Of free white labor rs to merit moro than
a passing notice. AS far as can be gathered from
newspaper accounts, it seems that the laboring
men Of Wilmington have been protesting against
the system of employing slaves in competition with
their respective caiiings, and q house recently built
altogether by slave mechanics having been pulled
down, the white mechanics were blamed with 1t, u
public meeting was held. and the white mechanics
were therein denounced by the shareholders as lab.
olitiouists" and free soilers". Tho white mechan-
les theroupon held a meeting, denied having perpe-
trated tho outrage, aud passed the following;
WHEREAS, An outrage having been perpetrated
by some unlawful persons on the night OF the 18th
ult., on account OF which his honor the mayor call
ed a meeting for the purpose OF taking some action
thereon, and at which meeting it was understood
to be the pleasure of several Of the speakers to
stigmatize the contractors, mechanics ana labor
ing men Of the town Of Wilmington as u certain
class of citizens" who were 'abolitionists," "vil'
lains," and other ~epithets, which if meant for us,
were urbecoming gentlemen to make use OF, there
fore. be it
RESOLVED. That we have heard with disgust the
stigmas that were understood to have beeh hurried
against us, as a ''class," by scme of the speakers
Of the citizens meeting held on the Goth ult, by
CHASING US as 'abolitionists," dead rabits," plug
uglies," &C., which ~epithets, if applied to us, we
repel with indignation. and return them to their
authors and vendors for their own Digestion.
RESOLVED, That, although tie existing laws (lh
reference to negroes contracting and hiring their
time,) are supposed to be sufficient for the protec'
ton Of white mechanics, yet tie evasion OF these
laws are so accessible to negroes, their masters
and PROTECTORS, that they are valueless and inet-
fectual, and from which the mechanics and labor
ing men derive no benefit.
This is y conflict which has long been %foreseen
as inevitable. The mechanics, in the north, who
vote steadily with the pro-slavery party do
not feel the terrible competition OF unpaid labor,
and therefore do not take 1T into account, but the
mechanics, in the south who have met this kind OF
com petition in all its force, must sooner or later be
brought into conflict with it. The two cannot get
along together. Either Slavery will drive out the
white mechanics, or the white mechanics must
drive out Slavery. Upon this subject we quote the
following form the Philadelphia Sun:
The contest now waging in Wilmington Is not
between white and negro mechanics, but between
free and Stare labor. The parties engaged in i,
are, on the one side, the Tree contractors, mechan-
les and workingmen who are striving to support
themselves by the wages of honest industry: and,
on the other their rich and aristocratic neighbors,
who own bricklayers, plasterers, carpenters, black.
smiths and other mechanics, and hire them out as
n livery stable keeper hires his horses. AS these
slares pay for their food and clothing 6y the chtd
rem they breed and which may be sold from them al
any age, they can be hired out with profit to then
owners, at rates of wages on which q fIee man
can scarcely live, and on!which he cannot possibly
support 4 wife and rear and educate his offspring,
1t is against this terrible competition. which Blu
chanan, Walker, Packer, Sapderson &Co., are try
ing to extend to Kansas and the other Territories,
that the free workingmen of Wilmington are bat
Ting. Some of their manifestations may have
been riotous but let our workingmen remember
that it is a war between slavery and freedom, in
which the slave owners are endeavorinS to reduce
the wages of freemen and starye them out. 1t is
to the free workingmen of North Carolina a ques-
fiop Of lihartv N r 1eath IL the aristOcrncy of that
State succeed in their effort to have all the mechan
ical work of the State done by slaves, the free
workingmen must starve or fee into exile from the
homes Of their fathers,"
The St. Louis Democrat says:
'1f masons, carpenters and so forth have the right
to say that slaves shall not be Employed on houses
and other edifces, why should not the the followers
of less important callings, say the same thing II
application to those callings2 If It'll proper to as
sert the rights of masons and carpenters, why is II
not equally proper to assert those OF the drayman,
farmers and laborers; household servants, ana oth,
ersP If the slaves crowd out free carpenters and
masons now, are they not likely to crowd out the
followers of other modes of labor. And wher
that additional pressure shall be felt by the poore,
classes of whites, will not they be calling for thu
cessation of servile eni ployment that shall lesser
their chance of being paid for their work, and vii
they not be acting perfectly right in so doing!-
Certainly no one will question the truth OF this po
sition. Indeed we may go farther, and assert tina
every one whose property is deprecated by the us'
of slave labor, is so far directly interested in using
all Just efforts to rid the state of such an incumo
rance. This is the vciw that political economy
must take of the question, and when it is shown
how infinitely to the advantage and advancement
of all classes, the gradual extinction of slavery II
Missouri would be, who shall dare denounce those
who advocate it as enemies to the commonwealth
or, in the chaste language of the %villifers OF tn
mechanics of Wilmington-as 'abolitionists, 'plui
nglies,' dead rabits,' &c"