The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1861-06-04
THE NoN-SLAVEHOLDER OF THE
SOUTH.

In his address entitled /" The Doom of Slavery
in the Union," Hon. John Townsend, of South
Carolina, uses this language:
Accompanied as that measure is to be by redu-
cling the two races to equaity-or in other
words, in elevatng the slave to equality with
the white man-it will be to the non-slaveholder,
equally with the largest stakeholder, the obltera-
ton of caste and the deprivation of important
privileges. The color of the white man is now, in
the South, title of nobility in his relations as to
the negro; and although Cufy or Sambo may be
immensely his superior in wealth, may have his
thousands deposited in bank, some of them
have, and may be the owner of many slaves, as
some of them are, yet the poorest non-slavehoder,
being white man, is his superior in the eye OF
the law; may and command in the militia;
may sit upon juries, to decide upon the rights of
the wealthiest in the land may give his testimony
in court, and may cast his vote equally with the
largest stakeholder in the choice of his rulers. In
no country in the world does the poor white man,
whether STAKEHOLDER or non saveholder, occupy SO
engiable position in the slaveholding States
of the South. His color here admits him to social
and civil privileges which the white man enjoys
nowhere else. In countries where negro slavery
does not exist Gas in the Northern States and in
Europe the most mental and degrading employ
ments in society are filled by the white poor, who
are hourly seen drudging in them P0nerty, then,
in those countries becomes the badge of nferiorty,
and wealth of distinction. Hence the arrogant
airs which wealth there puts on, in its intercourse
with the poor man. But in the Southern slave
holding States, where these mental and degrading
offices turned over to be performed exclusively
by the negro slave, the status and cOler Of the
black become the badge Of inferlority, and
the poorest non-slavcholder may rejoice with the
richest of his brethren of the white race, in the
distinction of his color. The poorest nOn-slave-
holder too, except | have before said, be he de-
based by his vices his crimes, thinks and feels.
and acts if he was and always intended to be,
superior to the negro. He may be poor it is true;
but there is point upon which he is justly
proud and sensitive as his privilege of caste; and
there is nothing he would resent with more fierce
Indignation than the attempt of the abOlitioniss to
emancpate the slaves and elevate the negroes to
an equality with himself and his family. The
abolitiOnists have their emssarics among that
class Of our citizens trying to debauch their minds
by persuading them that they have no interest in
preventing the abolition of slavery. But they can
not deceive any, except the most ignorant and
worthless. The intelligent among them are too
well aware of the degrading consequences of abo-
lition upon themselves and their families (such as
| have described them, to be entrapped by their
arts. They know that at the North and in Eu-
rope, where slavery exists, where poverty is the
mark of inferiOrity, where the negroes have been
put equality with the whites, and money
makes the man." although the man may be a
negro-they know, l say that there the white man
is seen acditfng upon the negro;-there he is seen
Obeying the negro as his ostler, his coachman, his
servant, and his boot-black. Knowing then,
these things, and that the abolition of slavery and
the reign of negro equality here, may degrade the
white man in the same way as it has done in those
countries, there is no non-slavehoder in the South
with the spirit of the white in his bosom, who
would not spurn with contempt the scheme Of
Yankee cunning and malice.