Smyrna times., 1857-03-04
Stlett 9flisttIIang,
The Working Glasses of England.

The Working Glasses of England.
A seeming crisis in England is urging the work
ing classes there to extreme measures. One
fourth OF their number, as appears from compe
tent authority, are absolutely destitute of bread
Aultitudes, day after day, apply for work at tht
London Docks, and various other emporiums o
abor, without success. Twenty thousand mer
/ and boys connected with the building trade
alone, have been cast on the streets without
occupation, or any immediate prospect of OBJ
tanning It, But few weeks since, meeting
was convened in Smuhtield for the purpose OF
concerning measures to relieve the widespread
distress felt So severely throughout the labor
ing population. 1t will not appear surprising
that one OF the speakers proposed a general
emigration; alleging that I" love of country
became an absurdIty in the midst of such ex-
treme misery existed in all manufacturing
cities aud agricultural districts, where the
average earnings Ofa labOrer were about eigh:
or nine shillings a week. In Liverpool, it was
stated that fifty Thousand of the inhabitants
lived in squa id cellars; and in London, some
half million rose every morning without know
ing where they could get breakfast. In the
heart of the great British empire, surrounded
by the accumulated riches OF the world, in this
bOasted golden age of commercial prosperity,
where art, science and literature are in SO
furnishing a condition, where political wisdom
and economical science assume, and have con-
ceded to them, ability to master all material
difficulties, es,--those c'asSes of the population
which supply the vital fluid to the body corpor-
alton, are literally in furnishing state, and
forced to take into their own hands the ques-
tlOn of their imperative needs! There seeils
no resource for the unfortunate masses Of the
lahorers and tradesmen, but the poor-hou,e.-
They may look in va n for help to the Court and
the Arlstocracy. The policy o! the leaders Oh
both sides in the nation ls to support the inter
ests OF the wealthy merchants and employers
to their power and votes they must look; they
cover and tremble before the imposing pha lanx
of capitalists. ln their worship Of Mammon,
they immediate every human sympathy, and the
people, as of old, are sacrificed to the golden
calf.
Is it any wonder, in such a state of things,
that crime should be on the increase! 1t is
only marvellous that the desperate population
do not ali turn thieves and murderers One
remedy suggested at the meeting was, that
there should be an extensively organized Nat
Onal Association Of Unemployed Workmeu.-
The mass of artisans and laborers form a great
nower IN the land, although unrecognised by
their superIors; and, if organized into societies
and corporations, they will both learn and teach
others their weight in the community, and viii!
perceive the reul nature of the Natona! Con-
stltution. They must understand sooner or
later,-and 1t might be from such a desperate
crisis as the present, that they have little t.
hope for from society, or the immediate action
of government. The diatribe hurled against
abuses in church and State by Thackeray, in
his lectures,-against the royalty whose sup
port nbsorbs so much of the public revenue
points to the fact indicated by those meetings
of the poor, driven by necessity to enquire what
they are to do; aud sS sterny demands a re-
form. The community is eliminated v hen even
one in its midst pershes of want. The work
man in England is as much the slave of his mas
ter as a southern negro. Many of the Aristoc-
racY have wept over the woes of Uncle Tom
let them now look around them, and see how
the miseries entalled on the nation by an expen
slve Government are thrust before them. It
will do them good tu think over the matter and
1t will do good to the luxurious and indolent of
our own country, to reflect that such a con-
diton of things is violation of the laws under
which our race took possession of the earih.--
Every man who lives on this planet is entitled
to his food and lodging if willing to work for il.
Where he cannot obtain it in exchange for la
Dor, there is wrong, and impending punishment
for the nation that suffers it.--N Y. Erpress.