New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-08-02
THE LEAGUE AGAINST LABOR IN ENG
LAND

Perhaps predial labor has never been
more degraded in any country than Eng
land. The act of emancipation repealed
the relation of ser, but it finds the
laborer so poor and ignorant that he was
unable to avail himself of his rights. From
that day he has continued to constitute a
class entirely dependent on the capital
aud intelligence of the higher ranks. To
read the descriptions of the laborers in
England will show that their relation to
to the upper classes is even more depend
ent and hostile than that of the colored
laborers OF the Southern States. 1t has
been SO since the s'rabble" as they were
called, were refused permission to see
King Richard because they were too bare,
and Jack Cade led the masses to demand
their freedom at the hands of Henry VI.
No power has ever given these laborers
the right of suffrage or education as a
protection. England now fears to do tor
the whites what America has done for
the blacks. There is the same, or greater
fear of the laborer there than here There
is greater detestation of the laborer, and
contempt for his sufferings, because there
capital is so independent of labor, owing
to the surplus of labor, that the laborer is
'locked out" of the field and turned
adrift on the highway. Just as has been
recommended by the Creoles of Ohio
and Pennsylvania, on the Teche, and
what striking resemblance to our labor
relations here, is the following:
We have heard dim whispers that the
labOrers were to be invited to midnight
drillings, to mysterious marchings and
countermarches, aud that thus the farmers
were to be placed in cody fear of what
might happen unless they speedily repented
and put on sackcioth and ashes before their
indignant loborers.
We even have an echo of the Picdyu,ae
in the contempt of the planter for his
laborer. A few farmers assembled at New
market to witness ''the happy departure,
and some Of them were voluble enough in
their deprecatory comments. "It's all
through that education, said one sage
old man. ''That eddycation amt hurt
you much, MASTER, was the quick re-
spouse from the ranks of the pilgrims.
'Maister!" Why one of our colored
laborers would not have used such a term
Of his boss. What duplicate of the tic-
titious Black League! Deprived of land
and of political rights the laborers Of
England have demanded a vote and a
homestead of even two acres leasehold.
They have been refused either. The only
alternative is emigration to Canada or the
United States. For the purpose, how
ever, of exhibiting to their fellow-citizens
their restitution and degradation. these
laborers have instituted a pilgrimage.
One hundred laborers set out from Bed
fordshire to traverse the country. The
Englishman, says Liverpool paper
Has been told, and truly told that the
tiller of the English earth lives in system
OF social bondage. and he straightway for
gets all his traditional respect for the rights
OF property and goes in for the rights of
labor.
The object of the pilgrimage has been
plainly stated-to awaken sympathy for
and arouse public sentiment in favor of
Hodge Here is the description of the
movement:
The locked out laborer is not human
curiosity in the East. and hence, probably,
when the hour foc starting arrived yester-
day morning there was very little out
ward excitement at Newmarket. There
was the crowd of laborers from the district,
their blue ribbons f ying, who came few
miles into the town to bid the pilgrims
"God speed" and the Haunting banners in
the bright sunshine over the greensward
gave little picturesque liveliness to the
scene. AND there was the usual oratory,
but this time it was of serious and impress
slve KIND, the speakers desiring chiefly to
impress on the pilgrims that they had now
become the standard bearers of the labor
ers' cause, and that on their conduct and
the public opinion concerning it depended
the chance OF their brethren for deliyerance,
Alter the addresses the strange Droces.
sion OF pilgrims started on their pilerimage.
Motley is the only wear of the pilgrims.
Among them are old, weather beaten men.
with faces as brown as the darkest hued
nut, middle aged men and young men.