Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1858-05-07
BEDFORD INQUIRER.

men ihey represent IN The free states and hun
dreds OF their neighbors and personal friends
as slaves, have found no words to repe. to rebuke
his language. The language Of scorn aud con :
tempt Is addressed to Senators who were not
nursed by slave: whose lot it was to toll with
their own hands--to eat bread, not by the
sweat OF another's brow, but BY their own
Sir, am the sou of sshireling inaritaI la
borer, who, with the frosts of seventy winters
on his brow, s'lives by daily labor" / too
have been daily labnrcr / too have been a
hireling manuel laborer Poverty cast It's dark
and chilling shadow over the home of my child
hood, and want was there sometimes-an un-
hidden guest At the age of Ten years--to aid
him who gave NE being IN keeping fhc gaunt
spectre from the hearth of the mother who bore
me--I left the home of my boyhood aud went
TO earn my bread by s'daiy labor.o Many a
weary mile have travelled,
'sTo beg brother of the earth
Vo give me leave to toii.'
Sir, have toiled as a sshireling manual la-
borer" IL the field and 10 the Workshop; and
tell the Senator from South Carolina that
never felt CALLED by my drgredation." No,
sir-neyer. Perhaps rlie Senator who repre-
sent5 that ssother class which leads progress,
and civilization, and refinement. will ascribe
this to obtuseuess of intellect and blunted sem
sibilities of the heart. Sir, was conscious
of my manhood, was the peer of my en-
ployer | knew that the law and institutions
of my native and adopted States threw over
him and over me alike the panepsy of e3ua!i-
"; l Knew, too, that the world was before me,
that its wealth, its garnered treasures of knowl-
edge, its honors, the coveted prizes of life,
we're within the grasp of brave heart, and
hreless hand, aud | accepted the responsibili
ties of my position, all unconscious that was
a ''Slave." have employed others, hundreds
of ''hireaing manual laborers." Some OF ihefn
possessed, and now possess, more property
than ever owned; some OF them were better
educated than myscf--yes, sir, better educa-
ted and better read, too, than some Senator's
on this floor: and many of them, iu moral ex-
cellence and purity of character, could not
bnt feel were my superiors. | have occupied,
MIR. President, for more then thirty years, the
relation Of employer; aud while | never 'sfelt
CALLED by my degradation " In tie one ease,
in the other was neSer conscious that nj
sshireling laborers' were my interiors. That
man Is u 'ssnOb" who boasts of being shire
ling laborer;" that man is ''snob" who feels
any interor:ty To any man because he is a
"hrclirg iaborer," or who assumes any super.
iorlty over 6thefS becaiise he IS an employer.
Honest labor is honorable; and the man who is
ashamed that he is or was ssIiireling laborer"
has not manhood enough tasfeel CALLED BY de-
-qsaaation.'
y HaSiug occupied, Mr.. President, the rcla-
Iiou of either employed or employer fof the
ird OF century; having lived in common
.ealth where the ''hreling class of manual la
borers" are the repositories of political power,"
having associated With this class 10 all the
relations of life; tell the Senator from South
Carolina, and the class he represents, that he
libels them, when be declares that they are es-
sentially savesi' There can be fodnd no
where in America class of men more proudly
conscious or tenacious of their rights, Friend or
foe has ever found thehi.
"a stubborn race, fearing and fIterise
none."
Tho Senator tells US, Mr.. President, that
slaves are 'well compensated" South Caro-
lima slaves 'ssell compensated" Why sir, the
Senator himself IL a speech made at home, for
home consumption, entered into estimate to
show that field hand could be supported for
from eighteen to nineteen dollars per annum''
on the rice and cotton plantations. lie states
the Quantity of corn aud bacon aud salt neces-
saTy to support the swell compensated slave
Aud this man supported by eighteen dollars
per atiuum, with the privilege of being hogged
at discretion, and having his wife aud children
sold from him at the necessity or will of his
master, the Senator from South Carolina in
forms the Senate of the United States, is swell
compensated" Sir, there is not poor house in
the free States where there would not be a re-
belion in three days if the inmates were COM
pelled 70 subsist on the quantity aud quality OF
the food the Senator estimates asssample COM
pensation for the labor of slave in South Caro-
lima.