A SHORT SKETCH OF OUR TROUBLES IN THE ANTI SLAVERY CAUSE
by William Shreve Bailey
OFFICE OF THE DAILY AND WEEKLY NEWS, Established 7 March 1850
Newport Kentucky 1858
Since the 7th day of March 1850, I have been striving with unabated industry to maintain my position as a conductor of a FREE PRESS upon Southern Soil. Being a cotton machinist and steam engine builder by trade, and having chosen Newport for my residence, I established a machine shop on the lot where I now live, and which I purchased for a homestead in 1839. While in the business, a Mr. (Richard F) Ryan commence the publication of a small Daily Paper which he called "The Newport News" and continued its publication for about six week; during which time I with others, wrote some articles for his paper. He complained after some of my articles were published, that they were too radically liberal for a slave state, and that they had injured his paper, and upon that ground, urged me to buy him out, which was a new idea for me. The thought of an iron worker laying down the hammer and cold chisel and forsaking the anvil and vice to take up the pen, was a wide reach from my former occupation. But I saw an independent press was needed to oust the overbearing tyranny of the few and show fair play to the many, and the mechanics and working men of my acquaintance favored the undertaking; and not feeling satisfied that MR. RYAN should say I had injured his prospects and no one was willing to take his place, I purchased his type and press at $650 and put them in the upper story of my machine shop, a large two story frame building and on the 7th of March 1850, issued the first paper (Daily) placing for our motto the words, "LIBERTY AND EQUALITY".
This purchase and the sensation produced by what I had written, caused a sort of jealous inquiry among the officers of the law and Doctors of Divinity as to who I was and what I was about (for with this class of men my business did not call me and I was but little known). We, however, gave the general news of the day, exposed the existing evils in the community and went on to encourage public improvements, industry, education &c. with now and then a good article, showing slavery to be the great curse of our general prosperity. (Newport is older than Cincinnati, but is a mere handful compared with the Queen City of FREE OHIO._
We employed from seven to eight compositors, two reporters and a proof reader, the first years, and during that time, all who take a jovial glass and loiter away their time had money furnished for that end by our opponents, who thought they saw a tornado of liberty brewing in territory consecrated to bondage and the same of working men and they took that plan to confuse the office and detract from the interest of our paper, leaving copy half set up but little ready for the forms. This caused us to call the attention of our daughters and wife to the composing stick, who with our own aid, managed to get the paper to press towards daylight in the morning of all such occasions.
Finally when the craft began to find out that we could patch things together and bring out the paper at its regular time, a majority of them clubbed together and passed a resolution that the girls should not set type in the office; that it would injure the trade, and bring its members into contempt. We expostulated with them and asked only for steadiness and punctuality on their part, but they had been told that the paper did not fill the wishes of leading men of Newport. That it opposed the institutions of the State ("the Peculiar institution") and that such a paper was not wanted here. So they aimed to please the great men at our expense. We soon found it was useless to employ printers to be thrown into the hands of a wealthy faction and there tutored to defeat the object for which they were employed, so we concluded to let the printers to and do the best we could alone, leaving the machine shop entirely to the care of a few hands until the work engaged was completed.
After which we found it expedient to shut it up altogether, having no time to direct the action of the workmen. Mean time our little store, containing $800 worth of groceries, was run down, the income from the paper was small, owing to the active opposition of our opponents. For it was their custom to watch the advertisements every morning (obtained by our little daughter, then but ten years old, and then go to Cincinnati, and state to the advertisers that they (the influential Kentuckians) would purchase nothing from any house that advertised in the Newport News. That they the advertisers were indirectly at war with the most respectable and wealthy citizens of Kentucky by supporting such a sheet, and that they would find it to their interest to have nothing to do with it.
This course of action was mortifying to us. Still we were not discouraged. So on the 4th of August 1851, having obtained about fifty subscribers, we issued the Kentucky Weekly News, in which as well as the daily paper, we showed up the actions of lazy drones and despots by name, and contrasted them with the industrious working men of our State. This drew out the sun burnt masses with hardened hands from the sleek and ruddy faces of ease and leisure, and caused them to "stand upon the side of Bailey, their fellow workman and the unflinching advocate of equal rights."
The next thing was to try the law of might against right, but in this they soon found their match. They discovered that Anit-slavery mechanics, (then at work in the shop and who thought it no disgrace to labor) could play "fist and club argument) with iron shillalahs, as well as pro-slavery mob-crats. So they received a little better than they gave and went away satisfied as to anit-Slavery pluck.
What then to do they could not tell. "The d----d fools would continue to read Bailey's paper and another press must be brought to bear against him" was the word from the "upper ten". The Weekly paper had increased its circulation, from the 4th of August to the 6th of October, to about three hundred, and about 1 o'clock of that morning, AD 1851, the whole concern was in flamers, having been set on fire in the night by some base incendiary to stop us in that way.
Not only the first type and press purchased of Ryan was lost but a new font and a new press for the weekly sheep, amounting to $1600 in additions, which with the machine shop, blacksmith shop and screw machinery, were all destroyed. And my lot with a handsome grape bower and valuable fruit trees, etc. All laid waste to the cattle and hogs of the town. Then were deep anguish and sorry hearts in my family. Our clothing and bedding, too, nearly all destroyed, for having to work night and day, we were obliged to have our bedding in the office to take rest when we could.
On the same morning after sunrise, while the blue vapor was rising through the beds of burning coals, came Mr. Samuel Pike, editor of the Maysville Flag, a strong pro-slavery man, in company with some of his friends. They viewed the ruins a while and then went up town, with a subscription paper to raise $1000 to bring his press, &c. from Maysville to Newport, to build himself up upon my ruins. As soon as this was ascertained it increased the sorry and indignation of my friends, and they came and consulted with me, and I agreed on the purchase of two new presses, larger than the others, and a sufficiency of type, job letter, &c. amounting to $2000. This we put into the house where we lived and got started again in six weeks after the first fire; and in a day or two after that, Mr. Pike started his pro-slavery "battery" (a Daily and Weekly also) against me.
The conflict was sharp and the excitement great; but in three short months his daily paper went down and his friends turned against him indignantly, because he was unable to check the circulation of my paper or 'run me out of Newport' as they supposed. by this time two more of our daughters (little ones) became pretty active in setting type and our paper continued to increase in circulation. But we could not make money fast enough to pay the debts then due on the type and my notes found their into the hands of my opponents and the iron law was set in force against me. Friends were looked for in vain among the officers of the law and my property (house and lot) was sold to pay the debts--for I was resolved not to give up the type and presses.
Mr. Pike finally went to Covington, in the adjoining County, and there continued his persecution by his Weekly paper. Another called the Star, joined him against me, but both soon died out. The Democratic Union, another pro-slavery sheet in Covington, also died. Another was started against me in Newport, called the Messenger (a tri-weekly) in which all the pens of the Slave Power and lawyers combined were turned against me, but it only lived about eighteen months. We still continued our regular course, condemning the Slave Power by the perfidy of its own acts, and showing that it had no friendship in common with the toiling millions, white or black, and that they warred against themselves by encouraging a system, the mother of ignorance, chains and sorrow.
Another pro-slavery paper was started in Newport, called The Roll, a perfect fire-eater, in which heaven and earth were moved to gain a victory over the News, but it soon rolled overboard, and that ended the pro-slavery presses in Newport. There were four others started in Covington, the city joining Newport Ky. on the west, called the Kentuckian, Garland, American Sentinel and the Kentucky revived again by new men. They also have gone to the tombs. In the meantime we were sued for $20,000 for telling the truth on a bad man (then high sheriff of Campbell Co Ky.) He had taken money fraudulently and come out of court without receiving one cent for his character. But it cost us $300 to defend the suit. Many other suits of a like character were brought against us with like results. These things, together with the new printing house, one that they cannot burn down and which cost $1500, have kept us in the background and crippled our efforts to set Kentucky Free.
The son-in-law of a wealthy man in the vicinity of Newport (pro-slavery) attempted to cane me, because I opposed his election to the legislature in 1855 (he abused the Anti-Slavery men of the County in his speeches and was defeated) and though fighting is no favorite engagement of mine, I was forced to retaliate against his high handed intrusion, until the by standers thought he had received a sufficient chastisement, when I was "relieved from duty". This also ended in a law suit and costs.
For letting the colored people have a party in my house, I was sued and put to costs, although such of the party were slaves came by the permission of their owners, (doleful word).
Our loss by fire, by persecution, defending suits, guarding our house at night, the loss of our home &c. amount to over $20,000 cash. But my persecutions and injuries cannot all be told here. Suffice it to say that it has been a hard road for my family and self to travel, vengeance lurking in every quarter and death often staring me in the face while laboring to free and enlighten those who persecuted me. Yet I met the opposing element with firmness, fearlessness and determination and by the force of reason (combined, occassionaly with physical force) calmed the unrelenting hatred to free discussion. No could the liberty men of the country assist us alittle, we would try to restore our home, so unjustly taken from us, and get a steam power printing press to spread more easily the spirit of FREEDOM where slavery now dwells. A small sum from each friend would soon accomplish this and encourage the establishment of free presses throughout the South.
We have ten children now that can set type, averaging 35,000 ems per day, which at 30 cents per thousand would amount to $10.50 center per day, $63.00 per week or $4,276 per year, out of which we receive from ten to twelve dollars a week for our support, and the balance, (over $2500) goes for the cause of freedom every year, besides editorial and other work connected with the office, almost equal to the expense of setting the type.
I know of no other family that ever took such an untiring stand against slavery upon its own soil.
There had been so many predictions by "the upper tens" for my downfall and so much said in favor of those who took up the pen for slavery against me, that I strove for freedom, without regard to cost and to save the God honored dignity of labor so shamefully stained by the curse of Slavery upon our soil. Yet as the pro-slavery presses that were arrayed against us, advocating the institutions and law of the state have died, and the Daily and Weekly News advocating LIBERTY, the universal God given boon to man, lives. We feel that our sufferings, privations and loss have not been in vain, and we yet trust that we shall make Kentucky free and add a bright star to the character of labor and the cause of mankind.
With many thanks to those who have aided us, and a hope that we shall not be forgotten by the good and true, I remain, ever faithful, Wm S Bailey