The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-11-04

A mass meeting Of Mechanics knd Working
Men was held, pursuant to public notice. in
| Charleston. S. c., on the l6thhlt. Though
only Whites were allowed to participate. ere
was large attendance. No shred of SYM
psthy for or desire to elevate the Blacks was
evinced by this meeting, which, nevertheless.
issued ali Address. which SAYS:
The mighty revolution that has Just passed
| over the whole Southern country has bros.
trated and forever overthrown the old system
Of labor; and although it has caused ruin and
devastation through the land, bt the sudden
ness of the measure and the krant of due
preparation for the great crisis, il has accom-
phshed one great good-it has elevated the
workingman and made labor respected. La
Dor has never been considered degrading but
in communities of privileged class ses, or where
slavery existed as an institution The exist
| ence of a privileged class in oud community
depended upon the continuation of slavery,
and by its extinction this artificial state of so.
ciety vanished withit The working classes OF
South Corolina, from the earliest history Of
the State. have labored under many disad-
vantages and have had many difficulties to
contend against in the combination tha, exist
ed with capital and slavery How could a
white laboring man without capital compete.
as a contractor. with master workman and
his ten, twenty or more slaves He would
be so nnderworked in the labor market that
il would be impossible for him I'd attempt the
contest. and he would be COMPELLED TO be-
come Journeyman TO the slava capitalists.
to perform the higher branches Of work not
allotted to his slaves, or to choose some other
business for the support Of himself and fami-
ly. But this was not the only competition
that the white laboring man had to contend
against; the slave of the rich NAH: who. him.
self not mechanic or loborer. was. as often
a. the master workman spoken Of before a
contractor also; and, though by Legislative
enactment no slave could compete with the
merchant, the doctor, the lawyer or parson.
he could compete with the MECHANIC and
sorkingman. Ali these disadvantages and
restrictions are removed. and the white work
lnginan has no longer 10 contend against cap
I;al and labor combined, and his advance
ment TO honor. respectability and wealth will
be certain and sure. We are salts
he'd ina, the abolition of slavery. although at
present look upon great CALAMITY, will
eventually prove great blessing to our be-
loved country in the increase of remunerafiye
employment of our children and the free
~hiteman nj home. in our own State, instead
Of being forced to emigrate to some other
land to procure their bread. producing that
strength and prosperity tina, in the future will
be our protection and safeguard =
We ask the Working Men OF the North to
ponder this testimony from the Working Men
of the South, and then consider 6y what arts
so many of them have hitherto been held in
vassalage to the Slave Power They were
told, and made to believe, that the Slavery of
the Black tended to elevate and ennoble White
Labor; hear what these Southern laborers-
not niger worshipers.' mind youi-say on
thn. point Working Men Of the North |. viii
you longer be duped by the demagogues who.
for their own benefit, so long held you in vas
salage to the slave power ?-N. T. Tribune.