The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-07-24
THE COMPETITION OF c0LoREp
LABOR.
= Roman Catholic view OF the CUES.


IRON the Catholic Telegraph, by the Very Rev. y
Purcell, v. g.
In the various articles which We have
presented for the consideration of our
readers, on the subject of slavery, We
have had chiefly in view the prosperity
and elevation of the white laborer 1t il
to this class of men that we are most de.
voted, and with which we are most in
communication from day to day. There
| is surely no one of our readers, however
much his prejudices may prevail, who
supposes that we would advocate any
question which we thought injurious to
this deserving class of men, or entertain
a design, however remote, to diminish
the sources of their prosperity. We be-
long TO the same stock. We are heir to
hard hands and life maintained by the
sweat of the brow The history of our
church in the United States forbid, more.
over, any thought Of the kind. Our faith
has been propagated by the poor they
are truly the bone and sinew Of the church;
they and the priest have been hand and
hand in every labor of love, and hence
there would be no excuse for him if we
wrote, or spoke, or thought, or took part
with any one in any political movement
prejudical to those to whom we owe 90
much It is for them that We labor, their
permanent good is the motive which gives
impulse to our mind and heart. We wish
to throw open to them q continent; to
give them power to select their place Of
labor in any part OF the land, without be-
ing subjected to the injustice and tyranny
which are the results of pro-slavery legis-
lation. We desire to see them free to
cultivate the land for themselves, and thus
constitute a people who, by their severe
toll, integrity of live and Christian forti-
tude, will give honor to our church,
people whose lives will not be lavished in
luxury acquired by the blood and tears
and unholy bondage of their fellow-men.
Our hostility to the restoration of slavery
is not so much for the emancipation Of the
blacks as for the social elevation and in
drpsuuence of our white brethren.
The great argument constantly used
against our position is this If slavery be
abolished We viii be overrun by colored
people, who will compete with the white
laborer. and finally supplant him. This
argument, or rather assertion, has no
force. They have been running into
Canada for years, and yet they have been
able to accomplish nothing against the
white laboring population. Their presence
has only added to the character of the
white men for energy and intellect. Ne.
gro colonies have been established in vari-
GUS parts of Ohio. but they have not pros
pered. To compare these people with
white man. however poor his condition,
would be ridiculous excess" We know
of one settlement which gives indications
Of permanent prosperity, and this is to be
attributed to thefact that they became con-
verted 10 the Catholic faith, and the old
church threw her mantle over them, and
though they were black she gave then
sanctury and drove away the wolves
spiritual and temporal. But If slavery
be abolished the negro will return to lh,
South. He will not remain amid Tn,
SHOWS of Canada or the Northwest Th,
sun attracts him 80 that the fear of an,
competition between him and the whit
laborer becoming success in the North, il
a phantasy-a hallucination such as mine
welded TO slavery suggests. Our dut,
present Is to prevent the rebuilding Of th,
slavery edifce. 1t is now in ruins owe
all the South, pulled down by the hand
that bulltit. Allow it to be patched VI
and the white laborer is again shut out
or allowed to enter only on an equalit,
with the slave. So long as slavery pre-
walls there is not the remotesi chance 70
the white laborer to contend against it,
This is known to all; but remove the nui
sance, blot it out and the poor white maj
thinks it no longer degradation to work
and he ascends al once to position which
under any other circumstance, is unat
tainable. In no other way will the rici
cimes Of the South be ever thrown open
with the remotest chances of success il
life, to the emigrant laborer.
Am l not arguing fairly, my Catholi,
countrymen You know what is to labo
10 save up enough to purchase few acre.
of land for your family, a land hard t.
cultivate and scanty in its return. Ar,
you willing to perpetuate an institution b,
which your children are shut out from th,
fertile fields of the South Are you con
tent to keep kitchen gardens for men whs
despise you ? Do you wish to occupy tn,
same position here that Ireland does il
relation to England? The guilt o
this war is not ON our souls, Blu
if any good can be produced from it, le
us claim it and preserve it and not ALLOW
il to slip from our hands.
We do not wish to see the black ma,
in competition with the white. We de
sire to see them far apart; there ough
to be no partnership between the two races
We have no anxiety to see them inter
mingled, neither working together, no
even cultivating adjacent fields. TIL
natural superiority ofthe white race ough
to be carefully preserved. This is i'm
possible SO long as slavery exists, becaus
the poor white man is just as much, or I
great extent, in the power of the ricI
planter Is the slave. Abolish the system
aud the native power of the white ma
will be instantly developed. Then tn
III r Al