The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-06-23
COLUMBIA, !. Isl. g.
wednesday Morning. june Is, 1859.
The Negro Labor ouestion.-Rp,si In sh,
~ Brichiayers' Union.

The Negro lapor easation--Rey In sls
Bricliayers' Union.
The Washington correspondent of the
I New York Herald says: .t, t-g.,
The African WON'T down at any.
body's bidding, He is bound to belup
in every place, and intends to smash
things generally or have his tights. The
bricklayers here have had second dose
ofithe African, and are in a1terfibie fever
because he insists-as also does the Co.
vernment upon laying bricks on q per-
feet equality with pale faces Of the same
profession. At meeting OF their Union
on Thursday last, the bricklayers' COM
mittee appointed at the previous meet.
inglt examine into the subject, reported
during the evening that two colored
bricklayers were employed in the Navy
Yard upon the same footing with tho
whites, and Thomas Mahoney, Robert
Patterson, Ben. Myers, j. W. Elliott,
Richard Robey and VIM. Myers were
working with them in defiance of the
rules of the Union, and should. there
fore, be expelled. Previous to the re-
port of the committee being made, one
of the Navy. Yard yoskmen WAS present,
and so bitter was the feeling that mo-
tion was made to expel HIM from the
room, which the Preident declared out
of ordof, as he was yet d member Of the
5.Union.D AFesolution Of expulsion of the
above named men was Offered and oar
ried, after debate, by p large majority.
One OF the mum Der Feported by; the com
mittee has not worked, in the Navy Yard
since the employment of:,the,t colored
men there, m consequence ,of severe
illness, 5bnt as ihis politics tyerei we'll
known and his name still attached to the
brick mssons' roll in tho yard, they
Iabored under. the impression that they
would .h9ye TO expeF him as soon ,as lie
was able to work, and SO made complete
Job of the affair by ee3pelling him along
with the others At the previous Meet
ing, on; the ga OF June, it vas under
been appointed ito ,swait on the. Navy
Yard workmen who were members Of
the Union, and request them tot'iquit
work. For some reason, or other this
committee never waited upon them, but
Thomas Mahoney, the senior workman,
rejecting the, sentiments of his asso-
ciates who had determined in body to
stick to the Government, prepared the
following letter, TO beHdelivered to the
Union:
WASHINGTON, June s. 1869.
BsicFalSSyers' Usio9 No. 1, FYasli"spn,
GsNT1EMEN;sAt q meeting of the Union
held June'3, 1859, It, was; resolved, by n
large majorityof the members, that my
self and ptlIerI members of theT Union
employed in the Navy Yard should stop
work, or be expelled from the Union.
This demand is made upon us, from the
fact that colored bricklayers are employ
ed in the yard. respectfully decline to
quit the Government work. We're your
proceedings conducted in spirit of JUS
tice aud humanity, you would have; no
cause to makefsuch a demand upon, me.
We're You to open your doors for rhe.ad-
mission OF colored men to your Union,
the same as the Government work isF to
you exclude political discussions from
your councils, you are political body
or, at least, the majority ure!: Political
is too mild term to be applied to many
of yon. The veil with which you would
cover yourselves is too thin to hide your
deformity. Numbers of you have worked
with colored bricklayers when they were
slaves without complaint, and I am of
the opinion that If they were returned to
slavery tomorrow, yon would SO alter
your laws that. you would have the ines
timable privilege OF working with o. CO.
lored chattel. Your Union was barely
formed when you commenced your
threats against the Government, which
ended in your defeat. and you seem to
be keeping it up with no better prospect
of success than on former occasion.
1t is said that I entered into certain
obligations when I joined the Union. I
admit it. But when it is demanded of
me to forsake my convictions of right
and duty to join with men to embarrass
the Government, and to make war upon
portion of my own country-born citi-
zens, will take my stand on the side of
right, and have nothing to do with a
course SO unrighteous as you would have
me to do. You have good and sensible
men among you; but they will not listen
to wise counsel You are joined to your
idols, and it is best to let you alone. 1
regret that there has been occasion for
my penning this letter. It is disagreea-
BILE for me to enter into strife with my
fellow-men. A quiet corner suits my
age and temperament best. The harm
that NAV come to me- from beino exnelled