The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-01-18

from the Operatives.
The evidence In the matter Of the Pemberton
Mills massacre has not yet been completed
before the Coroner's inquest, but the facts
already developed have been duly pre-
sented to the public. After careful
review of the leading points, aud an I'M
prejudiced conclusion as to the comparative
weight of the testimony. we zee nothing in It to
change our first impression, that the RESPONSE
bility of the calamity must rest upon the
owners of the mill, and that the late awful
sacrifice of human life at Lawrence was
caused solely by the petty meanness and mis-
taken economy for which the manufacturers Of
Massachusetts, have always been notorious.
In confederation of that which has already
been published, we lay before our readers this
morning q remarkable letter from Q person
who has held position of trust and RESPONSE
bility in this very same Pemberton Mill, and
we print, likewise, series Of resolutions adopt
ed by portion of the operatives less than
year ago. The letter and the resolutions en-
dorse the position Of the HERALD on this matter,
in the fullest and completest manner. They
spring directly from the oppressed operatives,
and form, in their straightforward and explicit.
declarations Of wrongs and abuses suffered, q
striking contrast to the miserable shutting
apologies of some of the weak and silly Boston
newspapers, who hope to curry favor with the
wealthy manufacturers by an affectaion Of
grief for the victims of the massacre, COM
mingled with some small efforts at framing an
excuse for the workers of it.
The resolutions expressly declare that the
manufacturers seek to make the condition of
the spinners worse than that of bond slaves /;
that the oppression suffered by aud the scanty
pay given to the operatives at the Northern fac
tory make negro slavery far preferable, and
that they will die rather than be ''enslaved"
and abused any longer.
These, it must be recollected, are the words
of poor people, who, although next door to
starvation, turned out of the mills in the
middle of the winter, Drawing hunger
and cold, and perhaps death, rather
than continue in their odious and
hopeless bondage. Some of them, no doubt,
were among the victims Of that sad calamity
which has sent thrill of horror through the
nation, and raised storm Of indignation against
the leading men in the corporation, which
will not pass away like a nine days wonder
but which will leave an indelible stain upon
the name and fame Of each aud every one of
them. No private person or association of
business men, however callous they might be,
could calmly read such an opinion of them
hvyx hasr 40 90 - A.
resolutions we have quoted; and we doubt if
any one else except Massachusetts, manufac-
turer would be soIaced for the awful Lawrence
calamity by the one hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars profit for the year, or the '.ful in
surance," which covers the cost of the rotten
and insecure building in which they worked
their operatives like SO many machines-with
the difference, that when the former were worn
out or damaged, they were thrown away,
while the latter were tenderly cared for.
The Boston papers, we see, are making
great parade over the fact that large sum of
money has already been subscribed for the re-
lief Of the sufferers, and appear to desire to
give the manufacturers all the credit of this
operation. That, however, will not answer
Taking out some special donations made
by manufacturers, we dare say that the
larger portion of the money has been SUBJ
scribed by persons who have no connection
with the mills at Lawrence or Lowell-men
and women who feel the deepest and truest
sympathy with the victims of the massacre and
who would be glad to see the authors of it, no
matter how highly they may stand in the COM
munity, indicted and brought to condign
justice, according to the British precedent
which we cited the other day. If the criminal
law of Massachusetts, does not meet this case.
the sooner the code is altered the better for all
parties engaged in working at the Lowell and
Lawrence mills
Sensibility Of the Corporation.
The Common Council ia beginning In axhjhit