, 1864-07-22

Protest Against Mayor Guutherss
Letter,

Protest Against Mayor Gunther
The officers Of the Working1Aen's Assoct
cion Of New York called yesterday at tt
Mn3 or's Office to protc6t against the instnl
atione against thcu character as law-abldin
cliIzeEe, in Which the May II fndulgel iu l
late letter to Major General sandtord. Th
Mayor beirg absent, the following letter VIC
Served upon Ills Chief Clerk:
NEW YonK, July Is, 1854.
To His Honor, G. Godfrey Guntner, iia,u
OF the City Of New York:
sm-The undersigned, the Committee .
Democratic Republican Association" IT
epectful1y a5k Leave to subuit Tor your cou
stderat1on brief statement of come Of th
views they entertain relative to the dutie
and responsibilities Of the Workingme,
o. his eity at the present crlsi
expression might, On superficial view, b.
deemed imperiiDent, ana by some be treated
with contempt; but, believing that the in
dustrial CLASSES have an Important duty tt
perform IN the field, the workshop, and al
the lot-box-these manifold duties all con
t1ibnting to the preservation Of our beloyeG
country, We take the hazard Of appearing
presumptunuS In order t4st sc may herebJ
make contribution to the great object deal
to every 10y al heart-the restoration of peace
md Union We should not have presented
ourselves to your hot1ce III this relation, did
nc rot conceive that your letter to Maj GEN
sandford affords Us warrant for so doiug.
We confess to u feeling of surprise on The
reading Of that letter, At q time when the
incursions Of armed forces OF rebels, en-
gaEed in malignant and desperate attempt
to overthrow our Government, ttreaten the
most serious consequence, and the Govern.
neit needs the support Of every man in the
effort 10 restore the national Jurisdiction.
the voice Of New York should be heard loud
I eet In the response. Yet you feel Justified
In declining the lid required, under tha ap-
prehension that the military force will be
city. We feel warranted in dissenting from
the vieW thus expressed. We believe the
Korkingmen Of New York hare had an ex-
hieltion Of the nature and results Of civil
War in our country, and of violence and law
less outbreaks In our own streets, sufficient
to make them more than eyer "a 7rded against
the first attempts to precipitate a'recurrence
| Of the events Of last July.
] there are too many unfortunate victims In
our midst who bear evidence Of the terrible
| results Of that memorable wcek-tilere have
| been too muny taxes to pay, and too
many lessons tausht-zso soon to re-
ingmen Of New York are not rioters. A
few reckless ard dissolute men, who viorate
between the psDitentiaty and the dark dens
Of crime, are not the Representatives Of the
this class again terrify tho honest working
men Into submission to their brutal demands,
We believe that you can throw yourself back
with tul! confidence on the Industrial masses,
and appeal to them to sustain you In tht,
maintenance Of law and order, and yon viii
have body guard Of which you may well be
proud. It would have been iu perfect har-
1nony With your character rs the representa-.
tive Of Democratic reform to have thus trust
ed yourself to the people in your efforts at
once to aid the Government and preserve the
honor Of the city.
You remark that enlightened sclf.Intcr.
est is emphatically the synonym Of patriot
ism" Permit us to say that the converse Is
not less true: Patriotism is emphatically the
synonym Of enlightened se1f-interest. 1t is
especially true Of the free country, in which
e1tye Under the fostering cure, the benetl-
cent legislation, and the democratic institu-
tions OF our country, the poorest citizen has
an opportunity for advancement and prospcri-
y, Lot equuled III aEy other nation on the
globe There are here no titled nobilttles,
no privileged classes, no restrictive land
tebnres, no established barriers to prevent
the hum blest citizen from gaining place of
honor, education, and wealth, If he possess
es the elements Of character to attain It.
The destruction OF these institutions-or
their material modification by Innovations
would be disastrous to the interests of every
devotion 10 the Union becomes only another
word for that.selt.interest which shoul1 lend
every man to pledge all his influence and all
his resources to maintain the Government in
the 1trce ordeal through which it is called
to pass.
High prices which equsl'ze themselves, In
accordance with established laws Of trude,
and high taxation for q few years; are moth.
Ing compared to the restoration of our
former peace and union. The costly sacritlce
y, We are making i, indeed, great; !. but this is
come, and for the cause Of universal liberty.
The workirgmen Of this city and Of tie
country should speedily learn one grand
trnth-We are DOW engaged as nation in
fighting the battle of Democracy against
tempts Of deu.agosnes to harrow down our
great contest into mere struggle for office,
or for some favorite political idea, cauuot
blind us to the grander nature Of our strug-
gle, We are to- day flEh,i1g for Democratic
government against the combined forces Of
AIistoctncy in the South-Which believes
that Ill laborers should be slayes-and tic
advocates and AGENTS Of Monarchy In Europe
who believe in 1tthe divine right Of kfnes. -
All the influences and interests of the advo.
Gates and friends OF t: ranuy and aristocracy>
in the~Old World as wall as the New, oTe
to-day arrayed IN the effort to destroy the
only democratic government in the world.
The hundreds Of thousands Of men from 9th
er lands who have sought 4 home in our
country, aud m asylum from The oppression
and burdens Of monarchy in Europe, are
bound by the principles Of liberty and the
impulses Of eclt-inferest to stand b. the Gov
crDn,ent and to resist the efforts OF the aris-
tocratic enemies of democracy In their at
tempt to destroy the American Union.
We are, IS Il nation, the advance guard In
the cause of human liberty and progress. At
this hour We are doing picket duty, on
grand scale, in the. great struggle Of human
rights against absolutism and deepotism- We
have no right to sleep at our post, and he
+ ho weighs this contest In the scu1e against
few dollars or few revtrses is recre4ut
to bis trust, and unworthy Of home in the
free land Of our love.
We take this opportunity to caution the
Worktngmen Of the city and country against
class Of tnEiduons and deadly enemies. Tue
agents of the traitors, and their sympa-
thizers, arc In New York and other cities, en-
gagged in their efforts to destroy the conf i.
ccnce Of the woraingmen in the Govern
ment, and their affection for the Union, aud
to array them In opposition to its interests.
These plausible and we'll dressed traitors, in
ordtr to obtaln influence among the work
,ingmcn, profess to be Democrats" They
corrupt the air they breathe with their pre-
tensions Of Democracy, while they are ut
heart seeking to crush out the rights and in
tereets Of the Democratic classes. They are
but base counterfeits of Democracy, and
hive no more right within the ranks Of the
true Democratic party than h's wolf in a
men against the trcachery of these agents Of
rebellion, for go surely as they are seduced
into compliance with their schemes, so sure.
II will they be betrayed, as they have been,
By the men who have plunged the country
info war and bloodshed.
workinemen of the country did not com
mence tile rebellion. It was the work Of q