eems to prevail universally, and from an early period of
life." "The evidence might have been doubled, which attest the early
commencement of sexual and promiscuous intercourse among boys and
girls." "A lower condition of morals, in the fullest sense of the term,
could not, I think, be found. I do not mean by this that there are many
more prominent vices among them, but that moral feelings and sentiments
do not exist. _They have no morals._" "Their appearance, manners, and
moral natures--so far as the word _moral_ can be applied to them--are in
accordance with their half-civilized condition."--Report on Children.
"More than half a dozen instances occurred in Manchester, where a man,
his wife, and his wife's grown-up-sister, habitually occupied the same
bed."--Report on Sanitary Condition. "Robert Crucilow, aged 16: I don't
know any thing of Moses--never heard of France. I don't know what
America is. Never heard of Scotland or Ireland. Can't tell how many
weeks there are in a year. There are twelve pence in a shilling, and
twenty shillings in a pound. There are eight pints in a gallon of
ale."--Report on Mines. "Ann Eggly, aged 18: I walk about and get fresh
air on Sundays. I never go to church or chapel. I never heard of Christ
at all."--Ibid. Others: "The Lord sent Adam and Eve on earth to save
sinners." "I don't know who made the world; I never heard about God." "I
don't know Jesus Christ--I never saw him--but I have seen Foster who
prays about him." "Employer: You have expressed surprise at Thomas
Mitchel's not hearing of God. I judge there are few colliers here about
that have."--Ibid. I will quote no more. It is shocking beyond endurance
to turn over your records, in which the condition of your laboring
classes is but too faithfully depicted. Could our slaves but see it,
they would join us in lynching the abolitionists, which, by the by, they
would not now be loth to do. We never think of imposing on them such
labor, either in amount or kind. We never put them to _any work_, under
ten, more generally at twelve years of age, and then the very lightest.
Destitution is absolutely unknown--never did a slave starve in America;
while in moral sentiments and feelings, in religious information, and
even in general intelligence, they are infinitely the superiors of your
operatives. When you look around you, how dare you talk to us before the
world of slavery? For the condition of your wretched laborers, you, and
every Briton