Weekly national intelligencer., 1864-03-24
THE PRESIDENT AND TIE woRKrNaaEs. !.

THE PRESIDENT AND THE woRKTNaMEN..
AT noon yesterday a Committee representing the New
York Workingmen's Republican Association waited on
Tho PRESIDENT for the purpose of presenting him with
copy OF address which had been adopted by their
Association Of which the address informed him he had been
elected an honorary member, and requesting that his
name might be entered upon its rolls.
After the members OF the committee had been intro
duced and their chairman had stated the object of their
visit, Mr. LINCOLN replied as follows:
Gentlemen of the Committee: The honorary member
shp In your association generously rendered is CRATE
uiy accepted You comprehend your address shows,
that the existing rebellion and tends to
than the perpetuaou Of African slavery that is in fact
war upon the rights of all working people Partly to
show that the view has not escaped my attention. and
partly that cannot better express myself, read pas
sage from the message to Congress in December 1861
1t continues to develop that the insurecton largely
not exclusively upon the first principle of popular
government-the rights of the people Conclusive evil
donce Of this found n the most grave and maturey
sdered public documents well in the general tone OF
the insurgents In those documents find the abridge
ment OF the existing right Of suffrage and the denial to the
people OF all right to participate in the selection of public
officers except the legislative body boldly advocated with
abored arguments to that large control Of the peo
pie in government is the Of all political evil Mon
archy is sometimes limited at possible refuge from
the Pewer OF the people In my present position could
scarcely be justified were to omit raising my voice
against this approach of returning despotism
1t ia not needed fitting here that general argument
should be made n favor OF popular institutions but there
is point with it's not hackneyed most
Others, TO which ask brief attention. 1t the ert to
place capital equal footing with If above labor
in the structure Of the Government 1t m assumed that
labor is available only in connexon with capital that
body abOrs unless somebody else owning capital somehow
by use OF it, induces him to labor.
This assumed, it is next considered whether it is best
that capital shall hire aborsrs and thus induce them to
work by their consent buy them and drive them to
it without their consent Having proceeded 80 far it
naturally concluded that all laborers are either hired Ia
borers or what call slaves And further it assumed
that whoever s hired lsborer n fixed in that cond
ton for e Now there no such relation between cap
ta and labor a. assumed is there any such thing
free man being fixed for life in the condition of hired la
borer Both OF these assumptions false and all infer
ences from them are grOundess M
Labor Is prior to and independent of capital Capital
only the fruit O labor and could have existed if
labor had not fret existed LabOrs the superior of cap
ta and deserves much the higher consideration Capital
has its rights which worthy of protection any
other rights Nor it denied that there is and probably
always will be, relation between labor aud capital pro
ducng mutual benefits The is in assuming ht the
whole labor OF community exists within that relation A
few capital and that few avoid labor themselves
and with that capital hire or buy another few to labor for
them ..sss. r.t
"A large majority belong to neither cass-neitber work
for others nor have others working for them In of
the Southern States ms rity Of the whole people, Of all
colors, are neither savss nor masters while in he North
Men with their famies-wives sons, and daughters
work for themselves their FARMS in their houses and
in their shops taking the whole product themselves
and askug favors Of capital the one hand nor of
hired ab0rers slaves the other 1t H not forgotten
that considerable number of persons mnele their own
labor with capisl-that IS, they labor with their own
hands and also buy or hire others to labor for them but
this is only mixed and not distinct class No principle
stated is disturbed by the of this mixed class
"Agan AS has already been said there s not Of
sy any such thing the free bired laborer being xed
IN hat lid.
where in these States few years back, in their lives
hired abOrers The prudent penniless beginner in
the world abors for wages awhile, surplus with
which to buy tools or lands for himself then abor his
account another while, and length hires another
beginner to bep him This is the just aud generous
and prosperous systSm which opens the way to aves
hope to ALL and consequent energy and progress and i'm
provemept to all. No living worthy to be
trusted than those who toll up from poverty-none lees
Inclined to take or touch aueht with which they have not
honestly earned Let them beware of surrendering po-
tca power which they already possess and which if
rendered will surely be used close door Of advance
aen against auch they aud to new disabilities and
burdens upon them till all Of liberty shall be lost.
The views then expressed remain unchanged nor have
much to add. None deeply interested to resit
the present rebellion as the working people Let them
beware of preudces working disupon aud hosty among
Themselves The most notable feature OF disturbance 10
your cy Last summer the hanging of some working
people by other working people. Ii should never be
Inc strongest Dond OF human sympathy, outside OF the
family relation, should be uniting allworking people
of all natons, tongues and kndreds Nor should this lead
to war upon property the Of property Pro-
perty is the fruit Of labor property is desirabe ia
positive good in the world That some should be rich
shows that others may become rich and hence just en-
couragement to industry and enterprise Let not him who
nouseess pull down the house Of another but let him
labor diligently and build for himself thus by example
assuring that his shall be cafe from violence when
built"
At the close of the Presidents speech the chairman Of
the committee in few words expressed his thanks for
the copy Of it which had been handed 10 him by the
President, and expressed wish that be might be re-
elected The company then retired.
The Hon. FERNANDO Woon, who has been confined at
home 10 New York two three weeks past by severe i'll
ness glad to hear far recovered as to expect
to return to his seat in the House Of in the
course Of few days
THE CONNEC rICUT QUOTA.
The Connecticut papers that "Adjutant Gen
Morse recently visited Washington for the purpose Of
his accounts with those Of the War Depart
men The result has been credit to the State OF nearly
Thousand volunteers rased under calls previous t this