Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1862-02-15
Frau the oh..le.. on NJ. cay.
TIE WORKING CLASSES OF LNGLAl

THt WOhhlNu tlAS I'd Of ENuLhnD.
We have said taat the raising OF the ieg,l blockade,
imposei by the Untsd Slses upon the coast and oss
Of tho CouedeTa'a States is matter OF necessity To
Great Brifiu And this conclusion 10 based upon the
tact that tn TRAD Of millions of E1elshmen and U-
men dependent upon the employ de- rived through
American c7uoa. Organized white labsr Ia in this
country with the usual great demand for labor, and tho
,h rces paid TOR it. the vi olesale starvation Of pfo
ol, In EnglInd because lhown out Of employment BY
e absence cotton, apt to seem au eIsggerateo,
startling and rather Improbable etatemtnt. None but
tho,e wIo have been Eu ope aud feen aud examine
into tue condition OF The poorer eHsss-pone but the
Who have pail attention 10 the ,ect OF crowded poru-
!on and competition, driving the price OF labor down
90 the lowest point where soul aud body can be kt pit -
ge,her-clr have sy adequate conception OF the real
condition OF lhe operatives OF the I'D country To tou-
tehoai iuy the suherpgs and mis- ~ that must of Ne
ssiy fol os the suspension Of cotton manufacture and
the no employment Of the millions who have heretofore
lived by r. 70 imig gination may picture.
There are reports OF Commissioners who have eIamln'
a ,be cotton fc.orie5 aud the coal mines Of England,
giving ghifu accounts Of the degradation and wretch
5iuess physicaas well moral, OF the beings engaged
in working thsm--men, women aud children alike. Of
"Report Of the Commissioners on the Employment Of
r.,ldtey-StAteuents o; Employers, a." have the
l1wing II re!errcc 20 sewing girls, from which an
sa can be had Of he condition Of the honest and la
boring poor in that couutTy
Mise II. Baker. an employ er stated as follows: ln
,ose bouy IN which the hours OF work are regulated
he comm n Etus from eight e. m. I'LL eleven p. m,
Jut that evea in hsse il any particular order s to be
yecjted they 10 o. often till two three In the morn.
nz--apG il tqlsle, all nigh; while In establishments
.hica are no. veil regulated, they usually go on I'LL
ne 0r two o'clock In tho morning, and oan oil night
u ons Establishment where witness (now an employeD
oiu e'iy worked, d.ring h5is months sn'e.sirsiy s
H,yr ia0rs iL0n jrr hours rssi, rsoridry going 10
I'd Lflb', frIB, and one and getting up at four IN s
,0rEjEg. On Cue occasion OF general mourning, WI
es W5fl ed yitcut going TO bed from four O'Clock on
rhursdiy morning ii hapast ten on Sunday morning.
During this me witness did no. sleep at ALL Of this she
. 4 rtlin. / order 10 keep aSake, she stood nearly
y ~ ra1~f feilsT SATURDAY.. aud satgfa.y hgnb on
MsdLn Yc'Crr, Baker street, az employer, says: 10
he sessob the work "a Il most of the principal houfes,
ar-ied on i.sn betscen aud till II and IL st
irhl fcr tpo and three onlhs ogeiher-oiten later.
ars Tiom,q, AZ employer II necessity required i1,
,aay work on Sludays.
gi.s--- manager; Every sesson In at least tsn
c lcu.cs O. hsrces Il happsus that the young per.
lr5 occlsioua! work twenty hows out OF the twenty
'rr. I've. or thrice week. Il ia not uncommon TO
~ork ali uight.
Different eniploytts test.f i as follows:
"For a month or mo.e consscuiively has worked (ss
oprcn,icel FROM A. IN. ill and in the morning, &C.
e,.ioualv a night" Yesr Lfer year she has worked
! and hours for three or four months conscuust,;
aoTked o1e sixteen Saturday nights til on
midday morning" HAS seen youpg persons faint I'M
reiaiey after the wolk r. the stimulus or aI.
element which had sustained them having ceased HAS
anoNn several you1g persons so much exhausted tbss
,ley were obliged TO lie down either IN the work room
or In her brd room for hour. before they could un'
-ess they aso rise 10 tie morning Tired and exhaust
ID "They often e work when they are 60 III a' 10
., scarcaly ale 10 sck to their needls" "Hp known
a,lspc,s WHERE fscm Illness the s we're united Tor
s,sr ion In which they have been compelled by the pr n
pal 10 continue their work" "If constant 60. stou
Of r 81 tsl ds from the country not provided, the
business could be carried or so many being render
ircap bic by t. ID s1rgsIizat o. OF the eyes, and
GOES aueufy total loss Of vion, akss pkc IN many Of
7Pss young gr tho result OF their excessive iabor
Taeae s-a lev only Of the depositions ma ABOUT
he coudiiln OF the drCssmIkers apprentices But lot
The s2.c, they could he multiplied ad hb'fna We'll
nay the distinguished Eogsh Divine, Robert Acntgo.
ncry ,lim "The bodies and sou!s Of thousand and
,ns Of thousuis Of our fellow creatures in the midst
If our so.csed enght,ned age and ciristianifsd en-
ire arc enduring slavery suhtriLg and incarceration.
exceeding apvtIirg which areient helots and modern
~ groes ever erdord"
With this picture OF the condition OF the working poor
Il England in vew the people OF the Confederas States
eli. he able 20 guess what Il 10 become OF hve ilots
q, EnCli.h operives thrown CONF etey out OF employ
uent by the sicppsge Of the mills for the want OF An.
can cotton. They sil be bbe TO imsgire what tbs
pressure upon the Government will be- TO get the Idis-
snsible co ton They will feel the strength Of our pos
.iio1 aud mpouirce to the commercial and indus-
rial world