East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1860-06-07

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the system which exists in the United
States it is far worse, in all those essen
tials which go to make up the comfort
and happiness and health of the individ
ual. We commend to our readers pc
rusal Of the following article, extracted
from one of the most prominent Journals
Of Great Britain:
Atrocious Character of the White slavery
OF England as compared with Negro
Servitude In the United States,
From the Edinburgh News Of March a.
There are certain capitalists IN this
country who must feel highly amused at
the public Indignation and adherence
occasionally manifested OH the subject OF
American Slavery, well knowing that
there is in the midst of us slavery even
more hideous and sickening. Probably
the worst and most heart rending feature
of transatlantic bondage is the sale and
consequent separation of the individual
members af families tearing the wife
from the husband, the child from the
parent, and brothers from sisters, never
more to meet again on earth. This i'm
plies terrible heart-agony to the poor VIC
Tins, and the more SO that, barring his
enslaved condition, the negro slave of
America is in general better off than the
British bondsman. The negro generally
is not overworked, is well fed and cared
for, and families generally grow up
amidst all the comforts and endearments
of comparatively happy home, from
which even the consolotlons of our blessed
religion are not excluded.
1t is in the incidents of American
Slavery that its more revolving features
are to be found \ kind master dies,
and his slaves are dispersed by sale; or,
it may DO that some masters are not so
kind as others, while some again may be
cruel and oppressive. But one great
safeguard of the negro, even with the
worst master, is that which we consider
his greatest misfortune. 1t is because
his body is the property of his master
that he is protected from the fearful
atrocities to which the British slave is
exposed. The body of the negro mean,
so many hard dollars, and any deprecia-
ton in the live commodity means loss
of capital, as well as of present return
from labor. 1t is thus the pecuniary III
tcrest of even the worst slavcownrr in
America to treat his slaves well.
In this country the slave employer has
no such interest and the poor slave has
no such protection. On the contrary il
is the British masters interest and prac.
tice to wear out the human machine as
quickly as possible, by taking out of il
the greatest possible amount Of work at
the lowest possible remuneration, be.
cause he knows well the poor worn out
mechanism of bone and muscle will i'm.
mediately be replaced by others at nc
cost to himself. Are we exaggcratingi
Our readers will be able TO Judge present
ly. The atrocities we arc now TO bring
under their notice were recently disclosed
in evidence before commissioner ap.
pointed by the Queen to inquire into
their existence. They are at this mo
ment in full operation, and will continue
to be SO till humanity steps forward tC
the rescue OF the victims Of foul lust
and of political economy.
The scene Of these atrocities is in the
bleaching and dying works throughout
the country. 1t is suggestive of a ghast
" pun, but OF horrible reality, for the
poor victims soon blanch and die under
their inhuman treatment. How will
tender mothers feel, what will affection
ate fathers think, when they arc told thai
multitudes Of children, from the age o
nine years and upwards, are obliged t,
work daily from 10 to 20 hours out o
the ~; that that period of labor is Otter
exceeded, some of the victims, male an,
female, not over IL years Of age, giving
evidence that they have worked 23 ou
of the "a hours, with only sufficient in
tcrval to swallow a hasty meal, then t.
sleepy on choking box" at half past
five in the morning for not quite tive
hours, then half an hour for breakfast
and again at work. One boy statet
that he once worked three days and tire
mghts, sleeping only at meal times, an(
eating his meals while standing at work
And this, be it observed, was the expert
encc of many other children as well a
adults.
The foreman of one establishment
stated that in what are called "the clamp
ing rooms," young boys and girls arr
made to work from 16 to Is hours
day, with the thermometer ranging from
100 to $50 degrees, the heat being some
times even greater. To realize such
horrible atrocity one has only to know
that the heat is just thirty degrees abov
the heat of an Indian summer. On
medical gentleman, in order to test tn
effect of this heat upon himself, undrcssc'
in an adjoining cold room, then wen
into one of the rooms where the heat wa
only 10 degrees, and in half minut
the perspiration, or rather the hot water
poured from his body and drcnchcd tn
lloor around him. After renainin,
hera for Ii minutes, the heat of his bod
was 100 degrees. while his pulse bca
1876 times minute.
lie then went into another of tn
rooms, where tho heat was l30 degrees
and after remaining there another quar-
ter of an hour, the rate Of his pulse in
, creased. Aud this, be it remembered, j
heat of 90 degrees less than poor youn
children are often forced to endure fu