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an idea of the feelings of the English labourers , who are compelled to ton from day to day , and year to year , under such discouraging circumstances ; how the bright and glowing sensations of young hearts are crushed and blighted by the syBtem in operation , and what crimes are committed in consequence of the evil tempers generated through misfortune . It might have been that , ere this , a higher and better tone should have pervaded the higher ranks of society towards the working-man : a tone brought about by the sympathy of feeling from one to another , and by the dissemination of education . But alas , no ; for we plainly see the condition of the labourer
becoming worse and worse . It might have been , that those whom chance has placed above being compelled to work , should , out of thankfulness to a Divine Providence , for their" good fortune , have assisted to raise labourers from their degraded position . But , alas , no , again ; for appearances would justify the conclusion that the employer is more anxious than ever to drive lower into the abyss of privation those who create his wealth . Although physical force is not resorted to , yet the force of hunger
is applied as an incentive , where cheerful pleasure should attend the success of productive industry . The real producer of wealth , in fact , derives nothing but misery in . exchange for his work , and he has to view with mortification the golden eared grain waving to the breeze , and to feel the anguish that others reap the blessings he has toiled to produce ; whilst , during a cheerless winter , his soul is harrowed by gazing upon the piled-up fruits of his industry during the time he and his family starve in neglect ! Oh , what a moral is this to those who live amidst the
whirl of fashion , and spend their wealth on the follies of the age ! AH of us have the same knowledge of right and wrong—we can suffer no injury to be inflicted upon us without feeling the injustice , nor can we commit a wrong without feelings of shame . It should be remembered by those who are rich , that fortune is but a temporary favour , and that any sudden organic change might make the rich poor , and the poor rich . The Divine precept teaches " that he who will not work , neither shall he eat ; " but , unfortunately , things " at home " seemed to be constituted on a different plan , and man ' s practice and Holy Writ were evidently much at variance ; at least , I must confess things looked to me in that light . I i said to myself , " The Creator , in his all-wise providence , in his beneficence and goodness to mangave
, the earth that man might enjoy and reap the latent blessings that lay in its bosom . He never could have intended that individuals should be rich and multitudes poor ; that one class of men should kill themselves b y idleness and gluttony , whilst another class ot men faded from the earth , worn out by excessive labour and starvation . No , ' said I , " God is just to all alike ; the same breath of Jife that was breathed into the nostrils of the aristocrat and noble was also breathed into those of the plebeian ; the same suns warms all alike , both rich and poor ; all have the same acute feelings of pain and pleasure , of fear and hope , of happiness and misery ; and it is , therelore , but the mere chance of circumstance which places one man over another , in a pocket or pecuniary I point of view ,
Ihe rank is hut the gui-iea stamp , . The man ' s the goud for a' that . ' " To the labourers nnd the working-classes generally I would Ri \ y , oh a friend , as one who works for hia livelihood , und who has not ft sixpence he does not earn , I would Bay— " Are you anxious to better your condition ? " But why need I ask such a question ? Ut course you are . Not one of you but envies your rich brewers , or your squires , or your merchants , or your superiors as the cant phrase of the world goes . Not one of you but would like to have a day ' s hunting , shooting , or falling ; not one of you but would like to sit down at a table well supplied with the substantial necessaries and luxuries of life . Not one ot but would like to \ i •»¦» juu iiul wouilike to
you sro vnur wv » a . »^ n « r »» u sire your wives happy , jour families well fed , your children educated-to J V ' , " r ? ° « wlMlt' « U » "l building , the land attached reehold and your own . Not one of you but wm !! u m ° fet : 1 that vou lm < l something which would enable you to say , 1 too am a lord of the soil ! d , Z - , thmi K »»«« wy , for il » intrinsic value , may be i 2 w , i' rc is uot ° " ° >' lmt w » ul ( i ivl r '" ° . th ° B litU ; " »« B"l « l of California out Si i - wllun you 1 > ut oa y ° iir « 1 »« p « - i ««» to go "t lor business or pleasure . Jiut doubtless von « ,. v .. n " ¦ " * r " ^'" . >» "i uouimess you say
, ar « . w ! T , nreHll , Ch « flv ! " » t » K « s to be gained ? When : ta kTo ?! rH ( H ' ° « ' « U 1 US ' Hl 1 lhi « that you i ,.. ' , < r ! W < J t (> ' ivaI tho rich brewerH , th « the thm "" l r \ > or Sm > UB » - »»» the innkeeper , or > iit thoiiHaiHl and one knighu of notoriety by whom wJek o , T " Jetl ? Wc Carn l ' 7 h . or V per nutu r" \" ot 8 < IVO t ! """ K » i f « r a pipe of tobacco , mut . lHiv . 8 i , hllltlii UU < 1 ho ( We 8 ,.. uhIuh ' i - U V I r < n . , linly V «; 1 T important questions to be l « t cr- isZrn W 1 ' ° C <" " » HW « r lhl'" » - This «»« w u > ' 1 ° " \ ho lJ " it 0 ( 1 HtotM « f America by MU'nU . 1 Vi V ° " l for tho ac «««» cy <> f bis Ntnte-*»« ul ' «« <; , ? " '"« T there are millions of sides of * ' » » . » i < 3 " 7 ^ "tUutcVr u cro w «« vv over , " rich b . aci , // " T clliUvaU » 1 . with « elnnato healthy and « •»« your urn . native h » UH . UC 1 (; iubtM . r m
wealth , and it is paid for accordingly . Now , therefore , is your time to take advantage of circumstances . I will give you an illustration by speaking for a time of the State of Illinois . A gentleman there , of the highest respectability and standing , who has 200 acres of land , tells me that now he has grown old , he gets his farm cultivated on the halves system as follows : — He finds implements , seed , horses , and all necessaries , which he supplies to his man ; this man then cultivates the land and then reaps half the crop for his own benefit , the employer getting the other half . In other words , the man is housed , fed , and provided with
the requirements on the farm . He merely works , and , as a remuneration , is paid with half the crop , inclusive too of the increase of cattle , poultry , &c . Labourers ' wages range from 10 to 15 dollars per month , with board , lodging , washing , &c , or the average may , perhaps be quoted at 150 dollars a year . Now , there is at this moment room and requirement in this one State for 150 , 000 labourers and as many families , although emigrants are pouring in by thousands from every quarter . At the present time , various lines of railroad are in progress of construction ; a perfect network of lines , will , in fact , be made for the advantage
of the farmer , and , of course , labour is necessary for the continuance of the works . Suppose , therefore , that labourers came here and got 150 dollars per year each , they could save 100 dollars out of the amount , for that sum eighty acres of Government land could be bought . Next year a similar sum might be saved and two horses bought with it ; a third year , and the labourer would have money to purchase implements , &c . j and if he were rather short , he could borrow a trifle to buy timber to build his house . His neighbours would turn in to help him to put his house together , and then he is fairlv
started . Ihe plough needs but to be driven into the earth , the seed sown , and the crop reaped ; the labourer commences to make his fortune . He can work as much , or as little , as he pleases . If he has a family , they are well educated nearly gratuitously ; he can hunt , sport , fish , and be as happy aa any prince in the land . I will speak a little further of Illinois . It is 382 miles long , and contains 57 , 900 square miles , or 37 , 056 , 000 acres . In 1810 , the population was 12 , 282 ; in 1820 , 55 , 211 ; in 1830 , 157 , 000 ; and at the present time it has a population of 853 , 059 whites , and a free coloured population of 5239 . Here
la a progress for you in the short space of time alluded to ; and yet , if you cast out the sum , you will see how very small the number of people to the number of acres . Mechanics , as well as labourers of every kind , are wanted . Nobody need despair of employment . I could give you a full and accurate description of this and the adjoining state , but I shrill not have time in this letter . The staple productions of Illinois are Indian corn , wheat , and other grain ; Irish and sweet potatoes , beef , pork , horses , cattle , &c . Wine can be made . Cotton , too , for coarse i purposes can be raised , as also hemp , flax , &c .
Apples , peaches , plums , pears , cherries , grape ? , gooseberries , and currants arrive at great perfection . The wild fruits consist of grapes , plums , cherries , gooseberries , mulberries , blackberries , persimons ( a delightful fruit ) , rasps and strawberries . The wild animals are deer , a i ' vw brown bears , wolves , foxes , racoons , . squirrels , opossums , rabbits , turkey * , &c . Horses , cattle , and hogs are raised with the greatest ease , and can be fed on the large waste lands . A few dollais will purchase swine ; and iu a little time tho farmer has a large stock around him fed on waste , lie can slaughter and sell them in the various
markets to great advantage , or salt and send the pork to New Orleans or other places . His hides , tallow , butter , eh . eese , &c , he can always easily sell . Wild and tame fowla can bo had in abundance ; honey , wild and from domesticated bees , can be wecured in large quantities ; there is a ready sale for it , as well as for tho bees' wax . Minerals of various character abound in every direction , but more on Uiia head will soon be known , as a geological nurvey is about to be made throughout Wisconsin and Illinois . Castor oil
from the I'lilma Chriati , is also made . Towns lnve sprung up in all directions , and nulls of both steam and water power aie in operation . Kdueation « carefully attended to in nearly all parts of the United States . In the backwoods of Louisiana about throe mouths ttince , 1 was offered thirty five dollars per month and board , & ,-., to teach twenty-Jive boys but my occupation and cultivation Iodine to other ( lutien llm will show you how anxious the pcopl ,, « , e for education , and the Government always provides public Jand to nay the schoolmasters and t < m-hers
Here , then , are a few of tho advantages to emiVranU offered in one stale . Wisconsin , lOWll , territory of Mnnesota . and other places , have equally great inducements . For tho sake then of yourselves and your fam . ich re . naui no longer in your p . escnt condition JJy October next , 1 am informed iho best part ot Wibconsin will be win veyed and brought into tho market Tho land there will Ibe cheap ho C v Z ? f" ? *™ ^ antaRo ™» y «™ e from « ueh E oil « JT * ! " ° othwrwi «' - Wh . ™ good laud > urc las i I ' l 8 UU > ' lt ° IUn hllWM !»» th » l ^ nupanies h gh , r c ^^ tI 11111 ''' 111 ^ ' " tU < n ll ™ " " »»««» in < mSlu « * 1 US " llly b ° CllBO " *» I '""*
What I propose is , that you should form yourselves into societies , so as to secure united action . \ , * , m 08 V ! m P ° rtant » because you will then be able to fill a ship by yourselves , and thus keep out of the company of the diseased and filthy emigrants who come to this country to die in the large cities where they land . I assure you it is awful to witness the scenes that at times are enacted ; and as I came as one of yourselves—an emigrant—I know what I suffered . I have seen the Irish taken to the hospitals by scores , and I have seen the vermin creeping upon them in a most disgusting manner . This is what you have to avoid if you value your lives and comfort . This is what you can avoid by united action .
In every town and village you should assemble , appoint your officers , and begin to scrape together the money somehow or other . Those who have £ 100 or £ 200 will find it to their advantage to pay the passage money of labourers , and philanthropists cannot better bestow their generosity than by aiding the industrious . I should judge that £ 5 or £ 6 per head would clear emigrants from Liverpool to Wisconsin ; though of course I cannot tell what the prices may now be for a passage across the Atlantic . As next spring will be soon enough now to arrive here , I will send you all particulars that may be necessary , with full instructions as to how to make yourselves more comfortable on the passage , &c . ; that is , if you determine to come in collected bodies .
Whatever you determine , I am willing to assist you in so far as I am able , my object being to do what I can for you to save your money and keep you out of difficulty . I know that it will go hard with some to break asunder the ties of home and their native land . I have felt what that was ; but you have to determine between two things—one to leave the country where you have no hope but to linger along from year to year without prospect of advancement , wiihout proper remuneration for your toils , perhaps without
being above half supplied with food and clothes ; the other , by bold , manly , and decisive conduct to come over here , where you will have everything that , as a moderate man , you can wish for . The drunkard and idler may stay at home . They are not wanted . Do not admit them amongst you , unless they reform . The steady men are the sort of people for emigrants ; those who are married , those who have large families . A family here is a fortune . And ye daughters , who have grown past the sweet nineteen ; ye who arc fast advancing to the state of , what shall I say ? old maids
—well , be it so , these can have husbands and happiness yet . So , ? ' Come over the sea , " with your brothers , and relatives , and friends , and help to keep tidy the houses of the fanners of the North-west . You shall hear more from me on some future occasion , and , meanwhile , believe me yours , « T . J . Maddisont .
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i PERSONAL NEWS AND GOSSIP . I The Court is still at the Isle of Wight , enjoying a little repose not before it waa needed , after the I fatigues of this tremendous London season . Good gossip rumour tclJs a pretty story , showing how the example which Queen Victoria has shown her aristocratic subjects in May Fair , of punctually paying her bills , has produced a wonderful eiieet ; and the same authority asserts , what every west-end tradesman will be glad to verify , that it •« is now considered an evidence of the highest ton to follow the exnmple of the Court in putting an end to the system of indefinite accounts ; and « o desirous are the aristocracy to second the wishes of her Majesty in this repect , that in many of the establishments of tho nobility and gentry similar directions are given . " The Duchess of Knit returned to Frogmore from Osborne House on Wednesday . Lord John Itusscll left town for the Isle of Wi"ht on Ihursdny . Earl Nelson laid the first stone of the new church of ? St . Mathiiis , Stoke Nt-wington , on Thursday , with muck ceremony and suitable solemnities , religious and festive . Lord Momfield , our Minister at . Berlin , was presented to the Queen l » y Mr . Manteultel on the 21 th . Lord Cowluy , the HritLsh Ambassador , left Frankfort on the 22 nd , tor London . He has promised to return to In ; 1 ! post m about lour weeks . t > u ( iiorge Grey h ; n o / lered a reward of £ 100 for tho convict ,,,,, of the nun who invuded Mr . Farr's brickfield at luislioliue . The report that U . irdiua . 1 Wiseman was going to Liuu'iic-k , though einuniiting from a respectable authority , is without foundation . Cardinal Wiseman has not left town . The . Morninif Herald Mutes that the Reverend \ V . llrtte . hiKKon , of the parish of . St .. Kmlellion , near Wndcbiidge , Cornwall , in the diocese of Kxetcr , Jinn rchii-< iuinlied the Protestant for I Ik ; Roman Catholic faith . The lAmerick < / ironic / r announces that . Sir Vere l > r Vere , Hurt ., mid L ; uly l ) o Veie , of Curi » Kli Chimr , in this couuty , have embraced the Roman Catholic rcl / gi ' on . Mr . Uliidstone ' H Letters to Lord Ahcrdeen have been published in the liisoryiimmto of Turin ; ; i noiice of them also appeared in tho l > nutsc / u : Ali / etntiino Zettuni / , u Leipsic journal , which irus in « tiinlJy twizcd nnd ooniiacatcd by the . police . It in rumoured iu Bombay that . Sir Lawrence Peel will retire iu next cold ncuhkii , "ixl thul he will be uuccccdod an chief juulicu by Sir «' . Colvillo .
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Aug . 2 , 1851 . ] & $$ ILiattin 725
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Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 2, 1851, page 725, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1894/page/9/
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