COMMUNICATION

“The English Tenant and the American Slave.”

MESSRS EDITORS:

The writer of “A recent ramble among the Peasantry of England”, an extract of which you published in your last paper, headed as above says, “slavery is a national evil which the Americans deeply deplore. It is against the spirit of their institutions, and must have an end.”

Indeed, then how comes it that under “the spirit of their institutions”, the number of “American Slaves” has since 1783  increased about sixfold? And, as an indication of a wish for it to  “have an end”, why is it is the statute books of the slave states are blackened by enactments which a Russian Nicolas dare not have decreed; and that the records of Congress show oppression,and tyrannies which would disgrace any people, designated as free and enlightened;

and that this beautiful and bountiful land is polluted by tragical out rages at which a Roman Nero might have shuddered?

The same writer then adds, “but there is no redemption for the English Peasantry; they lie at the bottom of the fabric of society whose pressure like that of a pyramid is proportional to its heighth”.  In answer to this, I would ask, who are the tens of thousands of Emigrants from the British Isles that land in America every year?  Do they flee from the sufferings of an “English Tenant” to enjoy the blessings of an “American Slave?” And when these emigrants arrive, do their stout frames, rosy cheeks and healthy complexions look as if they “were fed on potatoes and salt alone, and had fared worse than “Jowler and Towser”, the Negro’s dogs?

I believe any citizen of the sea ports at which they land, knows well enough that their very appearance and presence here gives the lie to this slander in toto ; because if there be “no redemption”, they could they could not get away; they would then at least be like the “American Slave”, whose slavery, we all know will have an end –  the grave.

The British emigrants land here, hearty and active and a large majority of them no doubt do as well, (some better) than they did at home; but not all of them are so fortunate, for many, after living in United States, for years, witnessed the wisdom of the legislatures, feeling the benefits conferred upon the community by able financiers, and learning how especially the interests of the poor man are cared for, and protected by Bank suspensions, shin plasters, relief issues, (limited by the honesty of the insurer), free trade and wages paid in Orders, return again to the land where “there are millions of poor laborers, operatives and mechanics who feel the weight of government without comprehending it’s policy” rather than remain Republicans. I have myself seen 600 of them landed Liverpool in one day, returning to  “lie at the bottom of the fabric of society” In preference to being “sovereign  people” here.

If a Recent Rambler spoke truth, how could these things be? But it is very easy to perceive that he is a southerner – very likely a slaveholder too.

Now, if there be one thing more than any other that should make a true American Patriot blush for himself and his country, it is certainly the attempt to excuse slavery by comparison with exaggerated instances of suffering among improvident free laborers.  He ought to feel at once, so overpowered by sense of his own helplessness, littleness and meanness, together with a contemptible impudent baseness of such a course, that he would have nothing to say for himself or the cause he was going to defend.

The settled immoveable precepts of his heart, by which he would live and move and have his being, tell him that free labour even when it is as great – the remuneration is as small and the circumstances so distressing as they possibly can be; it is infinitely preferable to being a slave because he knows the price of free labor is regulated by supply and demand. The free laborer is himself the disposer of his own toil, receives himself the wages for it, and however small a pittance those wages may be, it can never be justly compared with slavery.

The noble-soul’d being who alone ought to be worthy of the designation of an “American citizen”, would prefer liberty in rags, wretchedness and want to all the luxuries this world could give, if accompanied with a feeling that, even the life blood coursing through his veins, giving health and strength to his body  was, with his body and all he could perform. the slave and property of another,  and that other saving perhaps a noble mind, mortal like himself.

Is liberty of so little value that it may be bartered, for the constant gratification of gormandizing, under the idea that men should be as carnivorous as dogs?

Would the “English Tenant”, or anyone else, knowing as we do the value of Liberty, sell, like Esau his birthright for a mess of pottage?  No! for the sake of a Washington and his brother heroes, we will hope not, or they fought, bled and fell to gain a – ‘Bauble.’

ONE WHO HAS BEEEN AN” ENGLISH TENANT”