Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-10-07
An Appeal.


Mechanics and working men of the United States
AIDdka, At0Gke TO dutY! f
Is this our countryp Is this the country our faith
periled their lives TO hand down to us their chill
dren, freey Or have we, by some mysterious revo
luton OF nature been placed on foreign soil And
are we indeed aliens TO the Government under which
we liye2 These are solemn questisns for us all to
answer, but answered they must be by force they
are pressed upon us and must be met
am amongst the oldest citizens of Washington,
the metropolis of our Confederacy; remember we'll
the administration of Monroe, of Adams of Jackson,
OF Van Buren, OF Harrison and Tyler, of Polk and
OF Taylor and Fillmore, and have read the history of
those worthless who preceded them but in none can
lind the time when, to be an American a friend to
the Union was cause Of alienation and formed a
Justhcauon Tor prescription, is now the case not
only rom the lucrative offices Of the Government,
but also from the workshops and other laborious
empoyments OF the GoyeTnn ent ard the city of the
Union And do you ask are these things SC? Now Tar
swer, emphatcally geS Under the present misnamed
Democrauc administration of Franklin Pierce for
man TO be known as an American is whether in high
or low station TO be driven from place or employment
and to be substituted by foreigner or what to me,
Is worse, by one who owes supreme allegiance to a
foreign potentate. Would you believe it, my coun-
trymen, that, at this very time, majority, yes a
large majority Of the Post Masters and their employ
ees in the United States of this very class and
none, no not one, dare say, am an American, and
as such desire Americans to rule America
This spirit and this practice is not solely confined
to the Post Office Department whose chiefs known
Jesuit and sympathizes with none others, and who
holds his place on the recommendation and by direc-
ton OF James Buchanan the candidate of this same
misnamed Democratic party for the Presidency, but
it runs throughout all of the Departments of the gov
ernment even down to its workshops Hundreds
yes all OF our worthy American mechanics and labo-
have thus and for this sole offence of being Anne
r1cans, been thrown out Of employment their wives
and children subjected to poverty while their places
have been filled by lin most cases) incompetent and
in many cases unnatardlised foreigners Go with me
to the Capitol of this mighty nation where millions
are now being spent its extension and in beauti-
tying its grounds, and what do you hear and what
do you seeP Men speaking every language and com
ing from every nation under the sun save and except
and TO the exclusion of our nave-born sons Should
these things be? Follow me throughout the entire
range of public buildings being erected in this city
of the Union as well as to its navy yard and arsenal
and you will hnd the same state of affairs to exist
the same unscrupuous and vindictive prescription
practised towards your own countrymen Task, shall
this state of affairs continueg Will YOU by your
votes aid IN its continuance by elevating to power
one pledged to the course Of policy and tootse
who, while he was Senator in Congress advocated
the degradation of mechanics and workingmen OF
this country by the reduction of the price of labor to
the standard Of European serfdomg
NO. you will not; you cannot but will, / trust and
believe cast your vote for that who in early life
obtained his support by the labor of his hands, and
by close application and attention to business has
won for himself name and place in the hearts oi
his countrymen, and who when called by an act OF
Divine Providence to administer the affairs of this
government discharged these arduous duties with
hdeIty TO the whole Union-knowing no country TO
prefer over his own, and section or sectional in
terest, but the Union it is, and nseparable
and thus by your act insure justice to your country
men and yourselves, and, as far as you can, hand
down TO posterity an 4mericaa, free government,
to be by them perpetuated for all time 70 come
Truly our common country's humble friend,
J. T. G.