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Show 94 NOTES ON Position of the Laboring Classes of the Empire;" "Signed on behalf of the Delcgates,-John Scgravc, President; Augustus E. Dclaforce, Secretary, 10, North Square, Portroan- place, Globe-road Mile-end. Committee-room, St. Andrew's Coffee-House, 82, High Ilolborn, London, April 11th, 1850 :"-"We hav" it thus announced to us that it , is under the operation of unregulated, stimulated, and universal competition, we arc henceforth to live. Cheapness is proclaimed to be the one great and desirable attainment. * * * * Bad and appalling, however, as is the existing condition of so many whose only means of supporting themselves and their families is tho exercise of their daily lubour, yet we maintain that the prospect before us is still more dark and gloomy. We declare to you our conviCtiOn, that a far greater degree of suffering and of destitution impends over the laboring class and their families, both of this and of all other nations, unless the falseness of the free or competitive system be thoroughly penetrated. * * * * 'l'he predominating influence and power of aristocratic government having prevailed for a lengthened period, arc now passed away. 'rhe aristocratic part having raised the structure of its government upon the ancient cOnstitutional principles, departed from these principles, introlluced corruption, and is now deposed. 'l1hC predominating infiuence and power of the middle classes of the nation are acknowledged and accepted at the present time. 'l1his party having introduced, as principles of general social action, the meanest incentives and motives that can animate the human mind, namely, the free and full action of unenlightened self-interest- the unqualif-ied love of wealth and the gratification of this love-the accumulative principle of social action instead of the distributive-their political philosophy being of a character wholly mercantile-is now impaired and degraded by the conflicting operation of those courses which it sets in motion a.nU stimulates." .. UNCLE TOM'S CAlHN. 05 So say the "'l'raocs' Delegates." What the London ~rimes says, I have already given, but it may not be amiss to repeat it: ""r e will not anticipn tc the American rcj? indcrs on the mere question of slavery itself, its physical distresses, and moral degradations. ~J.lhcsc must have occmTed ~o the aristocratic and not less philanthropic circle at Stafiord-bouse, who know too well the fragile materials of tlwi1· O'lU~t s~cial system not to fear the damaging reply they arc bnngmg ou themselves." (Appendix, K. 7.) So. much for the 'l'imcs. And what says the London llformng Uct·ald? Read the following:-" Let men prate as they .will about our progress, we do not believe that scones l1ke these existed in the olden time. Discomfort t~lCrc may have been-distress, and bard anll pinching times-but we ~o not bclicrc tha.t any generation but our ow~ has ever Witnessed so ltideous a congregation of squalid abJect, and hopeless destitution as is to be found in thes~ ~oathsome receptacles to which our busy civilization dri\•es (I2ts) ,)c.a st-off and rejected victims to rot." (A d. I' " ppcn •x, ~. ~, "Our ~usy civilization!'.' Prcgmmt words, as its a castoff and reJected victims" can testify. And what arc to be the results of this "stimnlatcd and umvcrsal competition ? " \\'hat have been those It I · d ? W 1 · rosu s a I ea y. . e lave seen no small number of them, pllysicaJ, mo~a~, and mtellectua~ ; but there is one that I have not yet ~d\Ci ted to, and a fnghtful one it is, as witness the followm~' ~~:om the London Guardian of Feb. 9th, 1853 :- 1 1hc~ancet states that insanity is on tho increase among t lc workmg classes in the P'"·ish of St. Marylcbone •nd t~at no_no but those whose duties bring them in contact' '~ith t e suflcrcrs can form an idea of its fearful spread. ~J.lhe arc no less than ~ ' d d . re t . Jour ttun 1·e and nznetyj'oU1' chargeable o the pansh In St p . . . . ancras, msanlty also prevails to an |