New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-05-24
REsPECTABLE LABOR.

When shall we be fortunate enough to complete
the catalogue Of all the iaaces which the Rebellion
has exploded The brood of error has been NOR
s,rous and numerous before; but who can count
al he limping conclusions from chaiy premises, the
swa ming assumptions and ncalculale non sequiturs,
theological moral financial economical and physical,
which were brought forth with unnatural fecundi,y,
lived short logical life and came to a speedy l. gi
cal loath Almost a century ago, Cowper put the
apologetical coupet into the mouth Of British dough
face who solemnly ayerred that he must be mum
For what could we 90 without sugar and rum =
s.. when Peter Berhwick could make no better
gun.ent against West Indian Emancipation, he bawled
No sugar No rum ;" and was quite surprised that
the House of Commons did not SEQ the force of his
sweet and strong argument. 1t is nineteen centuries
since Christianized mankind has practically denied,
VIII 10 theoretically admitting, that moral interests are
superior to material. and in fact aud the long run,
supreme over m. Yet we always have TO fight
thi Slavery question as if 1t were mere matter OF The
rs and all OF cOttOn-a question whether AS shirt
-hc Id cost or *? and Bs tobacco 10 cents or cents
ne. plug This arrangement of the contest did well
enough while it lasted but it did nj last. There was
disippointment and death in il sooner orlaert was
ONLY aquestion of time So, too in the whole matter
of labor. Here was the formula, the dear, old,
exploded formula: I'VE must haze shrts-wc
cannot have shirts without coton-nobody can
cultivate cotton save Blacks. The Blacks will not
work except as sayes-the Whites cannot work-the
climate is so hot they perspre themselves to death
upon the least exertion Ergo, let Slavery be per-
petal or continue SO long as mankind continues to
wear shirts!n Slavery is gone, but under-garmentS
continue. For here comes certain Lousianan, DIR.
Cot.man, with pamphlet on the resources OF his
state, who tells us " that you leave the
limits of the great plantations during the season OF cul
tivaton, you find not only white men, but women and
Children laborng at all hours in the fields, without
regard to the pretended climatic and masmatlc liz
auouces which are SO enormously supposed TO be
detrimental to White labor" For many years, the
Doctor goes OIL, the cotton shipped in such large
quantities from the Attakapas region, which is half
degree nearer the tropics than New0reans, was the
product OF as hearty, vigorous and prolific White
race as the world can show"
Why do We republish and draw attention to these
laotsl Certainly, not because We believe that the
oo,onplanter can do without the labor OF the Freed
men, for the skill which comes only Of prolonged
experience never was so much needed ls now whell
the demand is large, the production small, and the
crops will require peculiar and unremittrg attention
We have no doubt that German and Irish and White
nerican laborers can learn in time, and in very
long tme to plant, hoe and pick cotton; but while
there will be work enough for all Of all compilations
there will be no such mischievous faacy in vogue
that only persons of certain complexion or can
do certain kind of necessary work, and that declining
to do such work, they may be legally and morally
compelled to do it, and, with or without wages, are
under fatal necessity of doing it, by decree of the
Almighty and in accordance with the irrepeaable
laws Of the universe This is Mr. Caryes unfortunate
nolon-for we can hardly call it theory-which has
greved and disappointed all his sncerest admirers. OF
course system of labor with such basis must be a
dc graded and degrading one No labor is respect
able or can be, which is not voluntary far as the
laborers judgment of its utility and fitness for himself
ia concerned. Every man must work. but, in order