The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-10-18
South Carolina's Petition to Congress
Against White slavery.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.
CHARLESTON Oct. 8, 1850.
We send you the copy Of petition which viii
be presented by the people of the cotton States
to Congress- should Mr.. Lincoln be elected. The
original is in this city and will be signed, we be-
lieve, by every right thinking man. without excep-
ton, when the time comes Its insertion in your
excellent paper will no doubt secure for j. many
warm friends at the NORTH
PETITION.
The undersigned. citizens of the cotton States,
respectfully show to your honorable body that, at
the present time there exists in the States of Massa
chusets, Pennsylvania and New York, but more
especially in the city of New York, great and
growing evil, for which, citizens of this vast
consolidated government, they fear that they, too,
must be held responsible TO God as well as to man
and for the eradication OF which, at every hazard,
they are bound, as good Christians, 10 strive.
Your petitioners mean the institution Of "white
slavery in its most shocking and rcpnlsive form.
Your petitioners have been credibly informed that
in the above named places there are now hun
dreds OF thousands OF the outpourings of the work
shops, lazarettos and prisons of Europe, besides
their own native paupers, many OF whom work
from morning until night, and frequently
during part of each night, for from eighteen
TO thirty cents, while others. unwilling to
work for so little or to work at all, sup
port themselves by begging and stealing and
miserably perish, some for want Of bread or sutf-
cent clothing, in the public streets, even In the
presence OF the luxurious and wealthy; others in
the prisons or on the iold that most of these
happy people are profoundly ignorant of their civil
and political rights, and are even encouraged, from
infancy 10 the grave, to repudate the Bible and
DENY the existence of Almighty God. or this
condition OF things your petitioners cannot very
well conceive: for though they die shareholders
themselves, and have always lived among slaves,
yet their slaves by nature Of different and in
ferior race Of men, for whose lives, health, care
fuI and nlipiau instr IL M
your petitioners interest, as ii is your petitioners
duty, 10 care to the utmost besides which they
never can become citizens OF this great democratic
nation as well on account Of their color as their
inferioTity: and they perish for want OF food
clothing, shelter protection; but the white
slaves Of the North are not only not OF an inferior
caste but many of them were born citizens, and
all Of them may become citizens, OF this great
nation, and in every respect the equal of
their masters. Your petitioners, firmly per-
suaded that no people who VIII permit
so much wrong and injustice TO continue can ex-
pect the favor Of God, and that in this consoli-
people among whom II exists, must answer for this
crying sin have resolved most respectfully to sug-
gest to your honorable body the proprety OF
erasing this dark page from the history Of our ma
ton.
Your petitioners further show that one William
II. Seward, lately Senator from the said
State Of New York, has been holding forth
10 the aforesaid white slaves, and some.
times 10 their masters, that there is, and must
always be, 'tan irrepressible conflict between
African slave labor and white labor, until
the former shall be. as II ought 10 be- extnguished
in blood" but he has falsely assumed that all white
labor is free labor-though he well knows that in
no form is African slavery as abiect and degraded
a. il the pauper labor Of his State: and he has
artully concealed from the aforesaid masters, while
he has made IL plain to their white slaves y that
his irreprcssbe conflict Is, in truth, the conflict
between poverty on the one side, and wealth on
the other and that to this conflict the red republic
cans OF France and the black republicans Of
America owe their existence; but your petition.
ers are willing that he who planted the seed of this
agrarian doctrine in our soil, and the people
who have watched the tree in its growth, should be
the first to taste OF its fruit. They therefore
humbly pray your honorable body to cause a fair
and equal division of all the property, real and
personal gold and silver goods and chat,els OF all
kinds, held and owned by the people Of the above
named States, to be made among them all, so that
hereafter there may be no poor man, woman or
child TO be found among them and the reproach Of
"white slavery be removed forever from the
skirts Of your petitioners. About your tight TO IL
lustrate by this equal distribution Of property the
excellence and beauty Of Mr. Stewards doctrine,
there can be no doubt, now that we live under
consolidated government, wherein the will Of the
majority in Congress Is the constitution. Until
with your aid we shall have removed this dark
and damnng sin from the consciences, as well
Of ourselves OF our distant brethren Of the
North, IL will not he either meet or proper, per-
haps hardly decent, for 10 begin TO think OF our
own offences (f any we have commtted) against
morals and religion.
Grant us our prayer, which is designed to pro-
mote the very best interest OF Northern society,
and we will, az IN duty bound, ever pray, &c.
Signed already by tens OF thousands ia antcipa.
ion.