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Slaveholding Principles

Slaveholding Principles image Slaveholding Principles image
Parent Issue
Day
12
Month
May
Year
1841
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Por the purpoee of exhibiting to ou Northerh working men wbat those principies a?e which govern the South, and whicl slaveholders would rejoice to see govern the whole netion, weintend to put togetherjsome of the deelarations concerning 6lavery, whicl have been put forth by southern men. - We begin this week by asserting that one cardinal doctrine of the whule South, is, tha LABORERS ARE EVERY WHERb SLA VES." Our first witness shall be the Honorable Mr. Pickens of South Carolina a zealous democrat. ín his speech in Congress, January 2l, 1836, he eaid: "I lay down this proposition as uaiversa'iy true, that there is not, nor ever was a society rganized under one politica systetn, for a period long enough to con stitute an era, where one class woultl no practically and substantially oren another class, in some shape or form. "Ail society setiles down into a classification of capitalists and laborers. The fofmci' will own the latter, either collec livcly, through the governmenr, or individ aally, in a state ot domeslic servitude, hs exista ia the Southern srales of this confec' eracy." "The capilalists north of Masones ano Di.xon's line, have precisely the sanie interest in the labor of the country, ihat the capitalists of England have in their labor "Henee it is that they must have a stmng Federal Government, that they may control the labor of the nation. Bu' it is preoisely the reverse with us. We have ilready not only a íight to the proceeds ol our laborers, bitt we own a class of laborers hemsehes."1 What say the working men of Michigan to these Democratie doctrines? He teaches youj as a first lesson, that you are property, being owned by "capitalists," or those who are richer tlmn you are: that the capitalistashould have a "strong Kedera! Government," that they be able moro effectuaily to control ihe labor of the operatives, by legislating the proceeds of it uto tbeir own pockets; and conclude8 by preferring the plan they have adopted at the South, as being much more onvenient, where the capitalists, or rich part of community, make sure of the "proceeds of the laborers," by enslaving1 the laborers themseivcs. By tbis summa ry process, all troubie about wages, and the rights ofworkingmen are forever put at rest in a satisfactory manuer. The sanie sentimenl9 arejmt forth iu the message of Gov, M'Dnlfi'j to the ]e;slature of South Carolina in 1836-7. He says: "If we look info ihc elcments ui which all political comtminities arecomposed, it will be found ihat serviiude, in some form, s one of its essenliul consiituents." They are also ropeated by Governor Bagby, of Alabama, in a message tothe Legislature of Alabama, in 1840. Says he - "Slavery will ahvays exist,as it always has existedin every age and country, un der every form of Government, anu mudfication of human society, in some form, and that class, (ihe negroes) are better adapted to the condition than any other." Again, he says - 'Slavery, in some form, will always exist. It is onc of the incidents uf society : a melancholy one,' il' you please; but it has existed from the foundation of the world, and exist itwill till lime shall beno more." Says the Mississippian, July 5, 1S38. "Slavery will exist in a!l conjmunities. Thcre is a class which may be nominally free, but they are virlually slaves." Gov. Miller of South Carolina, jn hi message to the Legisl ature in 1829, remarks: "Slavery is not a national evil: on the contrary, itisa national benefit. Slavery exists in some form every where, nnd it is not of' much coosequence, in a philosophical point of view, whether it be volüntary or In a political point ol view, iuvoluntary siavery has the advan tage - since allwhoenjoy political líberty,are ihen in fact free." We think these quotations do fully establish the position that, by Southern etatesmen and politicians, laborers every where are regarded as slaves; a condition of socie ty with which the slaveholders are every way well suited, only they would prefer that the rest of the world would take pattern after them, and introduce involuntary slavery instead of the syetem of wages. It will be seen that these abominable sentiments are put forth by men of great political prominence and high in authority; that they have boen published, roost of them for years; that no diesent has ever been heard coming up from Ihe South; and from theseces we aro justified in aüributing lo thej whole elaveholding commumty that ulier recklesBnesa to the rights and welfare of the laboring class, which is evinced by t!ie3e distinguished dignitaries.