The New York herald., 1867-02-12
THE LABOR MOVEMENT.
John Bright to His Workmen an Reforl
Rights. Unjust Laws and the Duties Of Art

Rights. Unjust Law. and the Dnties Of Arti-
sans.
sand two hundred Of the people Of Messrs John
Bright Brothers held in public hall at Rochdae,
John Bright an address expressive of aheir entire SYM
patby with and sincere respect for him under the ma
gaant SANDERS which had been urged against him As
The address, which was moved, seconded and sup
ported BY working men In Mr. Brights employ, after
speaking Of the attacks his private character base
and unf0unded said he had always endeavored TO I'm
prove their moral social and intellectual well beiug
while public character his best endeavors had been
made to raise the great wealth producing class the
full right Of cizenship; prayed that his life
he .ddrsss was carried ana n,ewsH ~ N nr,vh
who was present by invitation. accompanied by express
sons Of warm affection and great cheering.
Mr. BRIGHT, in the course OF his speech, sad-I
thank you with overlooking heart for the kindness
which has indaced you 10 call and to form tins meeting
ments which you have uttered through the address
which has just been presented to me, and which l
accept with qualification that find words properly
70 describe and express tHearl This meeting g one
Of unusual and noteworthy character Hear
am not sure that on any former occasion in this
district in this country, there has been meeting
like II, where \ Thousand persons, men and women,
assisting in employed in the business OF particular
rm have felt il their duty TO meet for the purpose
of conradicting and ovsrthrowing countless slanders
uttered against that firm-thcar)-and chiefly against
member Of IT, with view 70 damage his political
OF expressing confidence in aud friendship for
each other. tHear believe you have done well TO
hold this meeting-hear hear bearing altogether
upon my position with regard TO IL as concerning your
own; for, rely upon il the ISLANDERS that were uttered
against me had the effect degree Of reaching and
damaging you tHear.l Clearly, II IL true that
the oppressors Of those who lived us and TO
for there canuot be- the one class without the other II
rdnts and wnjua clearly you and the
victims ofntice and II we were devoid OF conscience
you proved to be devoid OF independence and that
you suffered and tolerated injustice from which you could
nos escape, and which you had not oven the cour-
age to resent. Hear, hear.) You know-every
man ana In this assembly knows
every honorable man In Rochdale knows
that there Is not a shadow or shade of foundation for
the charges that have been made against loud
cheers) To those who live in this neghborhood even
I shouia say to laage portian OF my countrymeu,
Judging either from my life at home my public career,
they might have found sufficient answer to those
| charges Hear, hearl Now, ask you, my friends,
this question: because 1t Is worth while to consider
oWhy all these ad,iders against and Ggainst Sn
There Ave hundred firms in this country whose bus
pie many far than do, who have their transac
tIons OF every kind who may have occasionally their
these Ave hundred four hundred and ninety nine left
untouched. and wo and alone am assailed by these
men, loud cheersl Whence como these charges and
these slandersf They come, as you knoW, openly
and chiefly from wen 10 4s tory ranks. tcheers.)
| Occasionally you hear Of them from toms Oh
raised for fsp months into as position Of Mn
iser of the Crown tHear, hearl Our assailants II
me m s Va
the base creatures who for selfish purposes found
crawling about them. lcheersl whai is my crimes
the first hour that stepped upon public platform and
part in political questions have pleaded for the
ask Is that you may b heard In the hall where II
said the Representatives OF the people accustomed to
but sI ~. that you heard
that Parliament meets session after session.
win inset the week after next your srss. clss. the most
l country, shall not be absolutely shut cut Now,
| / say without hesitation that sure, without
chance OF contradiction, that IL Is mainly because
I nut In this claim for the people that have
been thus assaiIed You know perfectly well that
have been accustomed In all my public life to take an
Independent course; that have been faerer OF
those who are In power, nor have been fatcrer Of
teat area. class on wnos. Dsna nsso mainly acted
knee to any class OF the community: have sought Ia
bs guided by higher law than the prejudlces the
passions Of any section OF the people, In this OF
men make errors for profess kind OF inlaliby,
sidsred. Now, take ; proof OF this question on
which those persons to whom have referred have said
Know many Of you that was in Parliament T twenty
years ago. when the act passed. that did not feel my
course which many Of you and many Of those your
fathers who are not now hers thought wrong. was
against any interference by Parliament with the freedom
! OF labor and Of capital. did not wish to trust Q
Parliament OF landowners with the control and the
disposition Of labor and capital in this country.
by their infamous Law, which had lasted for
thirty years. they had conscaled untold and
less amount Of the labor and capital Of Engand-(hear,
rent for themselves, and therefore I did not like
this body OF men 10 meddle with tho question. But
rejoice as much as any Of you can rejoice that you are
eleven and half hours, before. believe that the
establishment Of free trade aboW the time when the
and demand for labor that the Factory bill itself has been
made TO work with success that in oil probability II
would not have met with IL these changes To which
have referred had been made think quite pos
sible-I hope it s cerainthat at some period the
time worked may bs TO some further extent short
l sned. loud cheers) Ny own impression is that
with economical g1uernnent taking much less Of
tazation from ne people 'sih Laas ye9aydsng tie ten
| are and Ae diarf6ufios Of lind in accordance
Wi h political economy, and aciA education generally
and snircrsaity preod anssng The Pcpe there viii be
spread among the people there will DO strong and
rational disposition to work shorter time that there
win be greater care taken Of the easnugs that are made
least essened although the time Of labor may be short
ened. Cheersl But referring to that question Of the
and II any one Of you will undertake look back
those discussions you will find that word escaped my
lips that friendly to the operative class Of this
country and that was anxious TO defend them to
defend their employers from the exaggerated and
caluminous statements Of those 70 whom was opposed
tics am one Of those who believe that In country
people can't be happy, cannot have that which their
be really free and really growing and i'm
proving unless there be wise legislation and Just
administration Of the laws Hear, hear An unjust
Law every house in the country and that most
unjust OF all laws, the law penetrated every town
and every parish and every village and every house,
and il wounded and injured evcU in every house,
and lust law. on the contrary, acts with universal
influence. II Is like the life giving SUM- is like FER
tizng shower II scatters good everywhere and there
Is no district In the country 10 remote no family so hum
BILE, occupation unimportant that II cannot feel
to some degree the influence Of wise and Of just
and bcnsncent law-Qoud cheers)-bat still We must
forget this that laws. monarchs houses Of legs
Iaton powers that be Of any kind everything
for u.s. there will remain much for TO do ourselves,
many duties TO perform and many efforts TO make The
foundation Of oil abundance and comfort Is industry
You arc perhaps, about the most industrious people In
the world. Mr. Bright concluded by snying II not
necessary that any people should work harder than the
people OF England but he did not think they cultivated
the virtue OF frugality those OF other countries
He also impressed upon them, besides saving 10 ako
pride like the middle classes In educating their
children.
Mr. I. B. POTTER and Mr. GOODWIN SIXTH briefly adj
dressed the meeting.
the EASTERN QUESTION.