The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1864-12-03
MAYORS OFFICE, New York, !
Sept. 29, 1864.

Sept. 80, 1864.
| TO the Hon. The Common. COusaciJ:
| GENTLEMEN-Your resolution of the 26th
| instant, appointing a committee of five from
leach Board, for the purpose of making the
necessary arrangements, to cause the various
public buildings to be Illuminated, in honor
of the recent victories on land and sea-" is
returned unapproved.
might acquiesce in your response to an
appeal of your fellow-citizens, who might de-
sire to give an expression of their, feelings
respecting these victories, but must decline
to comply with your request to issue pro-
clamatlon to the citizens, generally, to Join
! in such an illumination for various reasons.
which I will briefly state.
1st. If should issue such a proclamation,
there are many citizens who would be de-
nounced as disloyal, if through want of OBJ
lportunity, or inclination, or cf means, they
failed to comply with the recommendation.
I'd. BY those in authority. they are not
! claimed as Union victories, but as the result
of the Emancipation Proclamation, and latest
war measure of President Lincoln as an
nounced in his "To whom it may concern T"
manifesto.
Sd. 1t is asserted that the new policy of
the Administration will give us succession
of victories. If this is the case, your Honor
able Body will be called upon to illuminate
every fortnight, and if the papers in the en-
| ploy of the Administration, which daily pa
rade "the defeat of the rebels" are to be
believed, three times week.
yield to no man in my attachment to "the
TTo ;ov, 90 ~ WOO +Ln " = 81
but as the President demands of the South
ern people to abandon the rights which the
Constitution confers, ! do not see how those,
who have always held that the Federal Gov
ernment has nothing to do with the domestic
institutions of the States, can be expected to
rejoice over victories, which, whatever they
may be, surely are not Union victories.
Ii these victories were to unite the States,
and were sure harbinger of peace. would
be pleased, if could issue such proclama-
ton as would induce the poorest citizen to
part with his last mite for the purchase OF
single tallow candle to celebrate the event.
4th. 1t has been the immemorial custom of
mankind, in all ages and climeS, to abstain
from rejoicing over victories gained in civil
wars, and such has been the practice thus far
during the present strife, which has distracted
our once happy Union. The only effect of
departing from this usage, sanctioned alike
by humanity and sound policy, will be to ac-
knowledge, by such exhibitions, that these
are victories over aliens and enemies, and
that there is no hope of securing peace on the
basis of the Federal Union. This hope, in
common with large portion of our fellow
citizens, am not prepared to abandon.
You are aware that here is the essential
difference between the two parties now con-
tending for political mastery in the Northern
States. One of these declares that no terms
can be offered except such as may be based
upon an unconditional surrender" of the
rights of the States, and the other maintains
that peace may be restored on the basis of
the Federal Union.
Taking into consideration that canvass is
now in progress of the most exciting charac-
ter, am forced to regard the proposed DEM
onstration as one of a political nature, and
according to the rule which | laid down for
my guidance on entering upon the duties of
Mayor, I cannot give it my official endorse
ment. G. GODFREY GUNTHER, Mayor.
IF Lincoln should be reelected, and coffee |
4