The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1864-04-08
,s from he Cathelic Mirror
Ecouomy VS., SlaV O. Labor.

please, and to demand wages of them tor
labor siuce the LIST of January. Butler,
tho Massachusetts, uor'ior, has been ad-
dressing the people of the North on the
subject of roofing out the Southern
people from their own soil, and raising
cotton by free,labor, which, he asserts,
can De done much more economically, -
No doubt of it; the fact has been shown
before. Now, who are to be the laborers
henceforth,-free negroes, or slave white
men? This becomes an important ques'
ton. This matter of wages and free Ia
Dor merits particular consideration at this
time. The people of the South are not
Ignorant that hired labor may be more
economical than slave labor. They have
been told, often enough, how much cheap
er the East India system is for the EN-
ployers, where free laborer does not cost
his master, all told, on the average, more
than sixpence day. A Northern preach
er wrote some years ago to the Hon. j. G.
Calhoun, advocating free labor in the
South GU economical principles. In show
ing the superior economy Of free over slave
labor, he remarks "For where your la
bcrer is free, he is an expense to you only
twelve honrs day; and he will do the
same work as freeman for less money
than he costs you now. And nights, raj
ny days, Sundays, holidays, sick days
chilohood days, and WORKOUT and dying
days, he is at his own expense, and not
yours" This is coming strai ght to the
point. \ Southerner has an investment
in an adult slave from 81 900 to 81, 500;
but, assuming The smaller sum, the ordi-
Gary interest would be $50 per onnuns.-
The mau's clothes aud TODD, aud medical
attendance, vii! average not less than fifty
cents day, making the total expense Of
each man to his master about sixty-six
cents per diem, But in infancy and old
age, III sickness, and i'll bad weather, the
man has 70 be taken care of when he is
rendering no service whatever. The laws
OF Virginia, for humane reasons, would
not allow any master to set free negro
slave above forty -iive years Of age Ne
groes 60 upon the retired list at an early
day, comparatively, aud they come slowly
into service Tue majority Of negro boys
in VIrgih;a under fifteen do no harder work
than drit ia. cattle from place to place, GO
ing TO mill, cutting little wood for the
house or abin fire, and those other small Of
ices called chores in New England. An
G.,glish Glory child is prensatuey old,
froH, t6rccd labor, Jetore the negro boy has
err done u day's acorh Of steady labor.-
The latter, meantime, becomes an elegant
horseman, dances we'll, whistles well, sings
well, and perhaps can perform on the vio-
lin, or as he expresses it, can "play de
fiddle good as anybody"
Meantime, under age, sick, or superan-
nnatcd, his master supports him as mat
ter q course overwhelmingly, apd, without
could get his labor at sixty six oents day,
while he is able to labor, and could send
him alrift to starve when be can no lon
ger labor Considering the time lost, the
negro slave costs his master, during bis la.
bring age, at least double the sum men.
toned, /. e., costs h,m Sl.32 per day, or
over $500 per annum Now, ye men of
tue South, don't you see that free labor in
India only costs the employers sixpence
day-six cents is the real sum-while the
laborer Is IN his prime-and nothing when
the laboror is not actually at work -
HAY We no heads for domestic or pcliti-
cal :onomy? In some of the British isl
and nearer our own shores the price of ne
or labor is fixed by Parliament at eight
peaee a day-and the negro must have
Two days-oaturday and Sunday of each
week at his own disposal The employer
furnishes no supplies, and has nothing to
90 with his hired man except when at
work. He costs bis employer then eighty
cents week-no more-no less. What
think we of that, sc beuishted masters Of
tae South? If The British free negro
aborer is sick, he loses his wages and has
The privilege Of dying free in his own
h1vcl, II he has any, or under the open
canopy OF heaven if he has none. It's no
cencern II the planters. Now, let us turn
to the happy cotton laborer in the East
lGd!es-Whoso s;xpnnce day is his own,
to huy all the Injuries this sum will coul-
p'a"d. Said the Eugishman, DR.. Bow
ring What picture does India pre-
seat possessing boundless tracts of land,
with every shade Of climate ft for the best
productions of the earth, get men perish
,"g ~ thousands and hundreds of Hous.
ands rom tamiae, aeA2e the storeAoases
?f"c East hsdiu Company are FLIED mitA
1Team rrong from their soil by u standing
arny!'
On the rice plaotations laborer gets
portion Of his hire in rice, on which alone
he subsists, unless, indeed, lie may find
some fish, living or dead, on tue banks of
the rivers, to exc out his subsistence
The soil has been wrcsted from his faith
ers, aud above him it is let aud sub.let
down 20 small contractor, who must
have his profit, as his superiors must have
tneIrs; whether the crop is a full or "a short
crop If the former, the laborer will get
enough TO cat to enable him to cultivate
the frlds-if short, proprietors, and mid.
uInnan uunn mid,llnnnn ,a;u. Al =.