Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-07-19
The Labor uuesuOn DIscusseu ny the
London Times.
From the London Times, June "a.

FROM the LONDON ItmeS, June ~
The sons of William Wilberforce have sue
cceded to the inheritance of an exhausted
mine. The last generation got out all the
ore. II may, perhaps, be IL pious filial duty
to dig and delve in the old spot but the OPP
pOrtunity for great results is gone. So also
the few remaining companions of William
Wilberforce have worked themselves out of
the work. The cause which was once the sus
tenance and glory of their lives has passed
| from an object into an Institution. They
som times almost mechanically recall the
fervid phrases Of their youth. hut II is only
as IA veteran may humble in his sleep the
shout with which fifty years before he marched
to victory The speeches of Wilberforce
and ClarkSOn and Henry Brougham are as
i'll adapted to all present use as the rusty
claymore that served at Floddentield, or the
petronel that did execution at the battle OF
the Boyne Stories of the horrors of the
middle passage and the crack of the planters
whip fall heavily upon no Englishman's con-
science. When eXtinguished the English
slave trade. when we ransomed and manu-
mitted all our slaves. when We made 1t felony
for any British subject to buy or sell a human
creature. we purged ourselves of this great
offence We did all that, as n nation, we
could absolutely do. We may hope by per-
suasion and example TO influence others, but
this is only one of a thousand secondary
duties-we ourselves are clear and guilt
less.
We can afford, therefore. to look a black
man steadily in the face, and to tell him that
he. like us, is a creature born 10 live by labor.
The resemblance of gnat painted on the
spectacle of an elderly gentleman will look
larger in his eyes than distant elephant
The Bishop of Oxford and Lord Brougham
go about the town looking upon the world
through spectacles that have black man on
either glass. 1t is tradition TO the latter and
a family faith TO the former, that they should
so see the world. Their heads are full of
fossil facts They are the opponents of our
national remorse for the bad deeds of our
giandfa,hers, and they act up to their role
when they fall into a state OF exaggerated
sensiblity at the apparition OF black skin.
We accept them as-actors necessary To the
progress of the drama, and allow them to say
things that would be open to much criticism
in the mouths of other men.
When the Bishop of Oxford is indignant
that we do not supply the Africans with pow
der and balls To enable them to pillage the
Beers we do not laugh, because IL is u Will
berforce who saws this. When he tells us, as
of shameful thing that sonethtng rey nerrty
approaching 10 sLares IN The form Of Liborers may
h. found trith coLorod SKINS, check Me risiag
response as ee recollect hoO useless ,roud be 10
tell a Wilberforoe than, u sLdrey consists IA COM
puLsory cork, all ta6orers something rery
ne1riy approaching 20 Slaves that Grazing stoT,-
ach a sickiy chiId, and pntRg rfe. compel men
% do things 10 ,oiich master uoce couid force
them. Wien Lord Byougham calls upon as ''ao-
sol,aely and Instantly 10 prohibit nhe cfrTytng Of
oolored from mart Of labor 10 dHotheT, arc
hold our peaoe. for rcooiLef that Is Lord
Brouqlam rekiadlug that cid historic Indignation
chtch once had object.
We are not dealing now with the French
and Spanish and American kdnappers Of
Swallow. With respect to these our right is
plain and our duty is evident We must allow
no British ship and no British subject 10 take
part in these atrocities. So far AS we know
that duty has been rformed. Many months
ago Lord Clarendon issued instructions upon
this subjec: to all our consuls, aud proclama-
tons were published threatening proceedings
In every case. AT this moment we believe
there is not an Eaglish vessel engaged In the
traffic. The trade is carried on almost ex-
clusigely at Swallow. port which no British
ship can enter without becoming liable to
confscatiou. But. entirely apart from this
furiive aud illegal traffic, there is whole
some transport trade with which no man
would knowingly interfere who is not an
enemy 10 his kind. The shores Of India aud
the coasts Of China are crowded with n con-
gestion of population. In China the eastern
scaboard il like an III managed stewpond,
crowded with starved. lean, unhappy, under
sizrd iish. Ii j. light for mere existence.
They become pirates along the coast, rob
bers on tho inland waters, aud thieves upon
| the land, and still they siarve. They emf
CRATE 10 California, they emigrate TO Austria
| liza, they emigrate 10 Singapore and Penang.
and Borneo; they ernigrats TO our West India
| Islands. aud, when opportunities for these
places do not ofier, they listen 20 the tempt
Ing voices Of the kidnapprrs, and go forth TO
Cuba and To the Preach possessions From
thuse lstter places th~y never rslarl, but
from California aud Australia there 4 con-