The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-01-08

-where labor is the slave of capital where the
sexcessive competition of others, as necessitous
as himself, leaves him hardly enough to satisfy
-tae imperative wants of nature? How much
Higher and better the condition of the laboring
: white man is in the South, will be seen from a
Every superficial observation, and may be ex-
splained by very few obvious considerations.
SIN the South, the work which taxes only
/ the physical energies of our nature, and gives
mo play to thought or fancy, is confined to the
$pegro population. They perform the mental
household services; they toll aud sweat under
I the heavy burdens of agricultural employment,
leaving the mechanical pursuits which dignity
labor by developing the mental faculties, and
reward it with compensation which mere
energy of muscles can never command, to the
exclusive cultivation of white artisans. At the
Jane time, the presence of the negro popula-
ton, occupying an inferior social position, and
I excluded from political privileges, imparts to
the white laborer peculiar sense of personal
pride and independence The white laborer of
: the South, standing upon legal level with the
| richest man in the community, and far above
: the bulk of the working population, recognised
and respected as an equal by the most eminent
? persons, necessarily exhibits dignity OF char
acter and an elevation of feeling found among
he same class in no other social system. He
IS not so deficient in sagacity as not to foresee
{ that by the abolition of Slavery ne will lose
. these advantages, be degraded from his supe'
rior position to level with the black popula-
ton, be brought into competition with the cheap
labor of negroes, and so be compelled to endure
the most wasting toll at starving prices. There
is no man in the South so stupid as not to un-
derstand that the abolition of Slavery will de-
grade the white laborer to an equality with the
Al ~
| from any influence of high principle, to rally
all classes to the support of the institution"
Perhaps the Enquirer is in earnest. We are
inclined to think that the editors who know by
personal observation just as little of the condi-
| ton of the laboring masses in the South as OF
| their condition in the North, attach some cred
it to this fancy picture-really believe that the
farmers of the free States, who work on their
own farms, then read the newspapers, attend
lectures, discuss theories of politics and reli-
| gion, and take part in all movements relating
to the public welfare, are degraded by mental
toll, and disqualified for social or political du-
| ties: that the mechanics of the free States
| with whom have generally originated the in.
ventions and discoveries that have so attracted
the attention of the civilized world, are slaves
to capital, sunk in poverty living on the brink
of sarvation, with nothing of the true dignity and
creative genius begotten by ideness: that
there are more towns and cities in the South
more trade, more mechanical ingenuity, more
| skill in the arts, especially in those which re
quire exquisite fancy and taste, more manu-
features, more chances for employment fol-
| poor white men, and at better prices, more ed
ucation, more adults above twenty who car
read and write, more respect shown to poo
white men, especially in opening to them the
avenues of political preferment, in the South
than in the North - under a system which
makes the Laborer the property of Capital
than under system which, by leaving the in
dustrial classes perfectly free, to compete or t.
combine, as the case may be, equalizes to s
great extent the relations of Capital and Labor
making the former quite as dependent upor
the latter, as the latter upon the former. Blu
is the Enquirer quite certain that its picture il
drawn from life ? Let it explain, then, few
perplexing facts. How happens it that thu
white men who own no slaves in the Soutl
have, as general rule, very little to do will
the actual work of legislation, or with holding
political office? How is it that one eighteenth
part of the white population, that owning
slaves, has nearly monopolized all politica
power? Why, where all white men are in 81
comforts able circumstances. so happilr exemr