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Splendor And Wretchednes

Splendor And Wretchednes image
Parent Issue
Day
27
Month
June
Year
1842
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

On the first page of our paper this day will be found a glowing account (copied from the Conrt Circular) of the bnll recent ly given by the Qn een of Enfrio nd to her nobility. The writer tells us that "even to an eye familiar with tne pomp and pageant of a" comt, the mngnificence and brüliancy of this ball wos almost overpowering," and we can readily credit him, for the mere descrption has almost smfeited us. lfany of our republican readers find, as we did, their eyes dozzled and tlieir imaginations bewildered by the costly robes, the jewelled crowns, the most magnificent display of gold plate, the flashing diamonds, andbtilliant candelabros, wbich are introduced in such profusión, we hnow of o way in wlnch they can be reslorcd so soon to the perfect use of their senses as by giviiif a glance io the condition of the laboring peole ofEngland. r v They will gee that while the Queen and the Lords and ladies of her Conrts were squandering thousands upon this display of useless magnificence, these millions of Britain, whose sweat and groans had fiüed those buffets with pinte and covered the robes of velvet with ermme and jewele, were slarving in hovcls! To provide the costly -wines and viands upon which the company feasted, thousand3 of toil-worn laborers that same night went hungry to their pallets of etraw! and to enable the chivalry of Kngland to nppear in the costumo of their race, surrounded by the most exquisite works of nrt, tJie chiWren of Engiishmen were ennsigned to hopeless slavery and brutal zing ignorance! These are strong assertions, yet melancholy facts. Our European correspondents, in examining the motives which have influcneed the diplomacyofKngland in relntion to matters closely concerning the honor and interests Óf this country, have from time to time given our readers sketches of the vvretched condition of the peasantry oflreland. These were not funcy pictures, bnt were in every instance drawn from the evidence furnished by the official documents of the -overnment i t sel f. Tne papers received by the Columbio bring to us further revelations of the shame of Englnud, yhich bear direct.'y on the same subject. Commissionerg were nol Jongsince appointed to investígate; the situation of thepeople employed in the Engl3!i collieries, (a very numero us class) and their report which has just been made, is filled with the most intcresting and heait rending details. We are told by those Commissioners that children of both sexeá are placed in the coal mines at theageofsix years; they arel employed in dragging coal through passages often not more than eighteen or twentyes nifri, so that they are oblied to crawl on tlieir hands and knees in the mud; and even at the tender agc named, tlicy are worked from eleve to fourteen liours a day. They areexcluded from light,nnd wereitnot furthe passing and repassing of coal carriares, they wonld be, to use the language of the report, "La solilary confinement of tho worst order." ' In some districlg they remain in soltydq anti durkness during tho whole time they are in the pit and according to their own account, tnamj of ihem ncver see the light of dnyfor weeks loelher during the great pari of the winter season, cxccpting on those dáys in the weck ivhên worlc is nol goingon, and on Sundays. Tkeir lahors requirc the unrcmilting exerlion of all ihcir physical powers. Wc. are told that in the d stricls in which fanales are taken down vito the coal mines, hoth scxes are employed in vrcciscly the same kind o f labor, and work for the same numbcr of hours; the girls and boys, and the yovng men and yovng women, and even married ivomcn icilh child, commonly work aJmost naked, and the men in many mines quite naked; and all classes of icitncss bear ttstimony to the demorahzing injlutnce of the employimnt of f emules vnder ground." The following lestirr.ony was eJicited by cxamination beforê the committcc.Elizalrík Datf, (a girl ofl7) "don't goto Sundiiy school. The trinh is we are confined bud enotigli on weck days. and want to walk abüiu on Sundays. I can't rcad nt all. Jesús Christ was Adam's son. and they nailcd him to a tree; but I don't rightJy undersland these thinirs." VfCtlilam TVeqver, (aged 16)- "The Lord m:ide the wuild. He sent Adam and Eve on earth tú save s:nnc:s. I have heard of' t!ie Savio.iir; he was L;ood man. but he ditl :iot die hcre. I :';!nk íreland is a tawn as big as Barnjsley. where theie is pleuty of potatoea and oís ot' bullocks." Aun Egííhih (aged .ÍS) - "I have hear of Christs ppri.orüiing niiracles, but I d.on't Icno'w what sort of things they were. Jíedicd by üuúr pburing fire ftrid brimotoñé down his firoát. 1 think i once d. hcar ;hat lio wa.s nailed lo a cross. Three times ten make twinty. Tfaora are fourteón months in thcyenr. but i doii't know !iov many weeka tlierearc." Bcstn Bailcij, (ageá 10)- "Jesús Christ died for his son to be snvc.l. i don't know who the apostles were. 1 don't know wliat Ireland is. wliciher it isa couniry or a nnvii.' Elz ■'.;', Eggley, (aged_ Iü)- "I cinnot rend. I do noi know ny leltcrs. I don't know who Jesús Chris.' was. I never hcard of-Adnih ( ir hor. I have orten been oblied to stop in bed all day Stunday to rest mysalf. " 'These extracta (says the roport) aíT.rd a íriir simple of the rdigiöus knówledge ofthè chifdren 'x imined, (and they were t.-ikeu iiKÜsicrii)ina:ey) and ii rnny be e.i.sily iní'erred tliat their.seciiar knowjdge no botter. Soine did not know vhether Lqn'don was ít England or íreland: and oüiers did riót know oven tlien the name of the country in whicli they W(i$.-Lpston Po?. Manv papers, especia lly tiiose c.ilüng themeelves democratie, are publiehipg such facts as the preeccding. If they would look into thocondition of a l.irge part of our workniir population, tliey would find instanccs of cruclty, of i.norance, of hard tisoce, of general degradación, more numerous and striki ng 'han ihose which exist in Englnnd. But these papers do not wish to know nny thiiigof the suficungsof our coumtymen in chnins. Itismuch plensanter to ■ rnil at England. Then look at the aristocracy of our union the real cottono crats - each of whom preys on ten human beings - they certainly are not inferior to the nobility of England in prod gilitv. nnd in oppression of the laborin classes, vhile ihey fall iar short of thein inknowledgo, in wcahh, and in refinemwu of character.

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News