The New York herald., 1871-09-03
organization Of a Politico- Re-
ligious Reform Party.
III the Clergymen to Cooperate
in the Movement.
The Protestant Churches Possess All the Moral
and Political Forces Of the State.
GENERAL PATRICK THE STATE ENGINEER.
Appeal Of tho New York City Council for
Volunteers and Funds.
No. 0 PLIMPTON BUILDTNG, /
New YORK, July, 1871.

vOluUCcErS duU = uuuo
No. 0 PLIMpToN BuTLDrNG,(
NEW YORK, July, 1871. J
The New York City Council OF Political Reform is
procuring the enrolment Of all rghtminded cltl
Gems Of this city under the following arucies ol as
sociation the signature to which constitutes men,
bershp IN the ward councils now In the process Of
formation in the several wards or the city.
II you approve OF this measure please to sign
these articles yourself and procure the signature OF
as many others you able, with their address,
and send them this Office as soon as convenient.
The names will be transferred to the roll OF the
proper ward.
A membership in the council involves no payment
Of money or any. other obligation except those
specified In these articles:-
ARTICLES or ASSOCIATION.
The undersigned, citizens or the ward,
hereby associate themselves together as ward Or
cal Reform, for the purpose OF correcting public
abuses, oi securing the competent and righteous
and by the influence OF eur united action. OF con.
sralnng one or eOtn OF the political parties 70 put
In nomination 1or Ollce only lntellgent, patrlotc
And to that emu we hereby soemnly pledge our
selves that we VIII vote IN every elecuoh unless
prevented by causes beyond our CONTROL Tor candi-
dates whose election Will, In our Judgment, best
further these objects OF the Council, BY whatever
medium they may De presented; and mat we VIII
endeavor to secure the universal adoption OF this
pledge.
Cal Reform. d. N. BEERS, Secretary.
The Platform Of the New York City Council
OF Political reform.
Room No. Q, PLIMPT0N BUILDING,
NEW YORK CITY, july 1871. I
To THE CITIZENS OF NEW YORK;
The New York City Council Of Political Reform is
an auxiliary branch Of the New York State Council
recently organized to attempt something for the
correction OF public abuses and to secure good
government Its aim is 10 organize patriotic citi-
xens, Whatever may be their party ahinities, into
permanent guardianship over civil interests.
SUCH movement, 1t Is presumed, every thought
ful man Will recognize as vital necessity, III view
Of the disgrace and periis OF the present political
situation. The grounds Of this necessity were fully
set forth at the meeting held at the Cooper Union,
in April last, ut the Of this Council, which
was presided over by ex-MayOr Aavemeyer, and adj
dressed by Messrs Barrett, Evarts Beecher,
Bellows and Others
Those who have been invited to take part in this
reform movement have been constrained to do so
by the following considerations. The same cOnsid.
eratlOns have also determined its policy ana mea-
sures These principles. It Is presumed. all right
minded citizens Will accept as self evident and OF
universal appllcatton:-
Ftrst-Our political institutions require the per.
mnnent guardlan,hip O All patriotic citizens TO
them from perverson by sthsh Gf .paaitJf6is c6h-
splrators. The popular sentiment that these instI
tutiOns received IRON their heroic founders such
inherent excellence and Orce that they are able 10
perpetuate and protect themselves Is u dangerous
0eus,on. The manifest destiny doctrine is pOlitl-
cal iatalism and . snare. unsupported by either
facts or philosophy. PERSONAL governments. are
cared for by their dynastles. This Is u condition Of
royalty. Thc dynasty vi republics Is the people.
They must conserve with an ''eternal vigilance" the
interests OF their brthrght or they VIII lapse into
usurpauon and despotism by o law OF their
being.
S c0nd-There Is no such organized protectorate
to Keep watch and ward over the development and
working OF our political system This Vital cOnd-
tlOn OF republican institutions is with US, and now
lett TO the spontaneous impulse OF individual ct-
zens Or 10 political parties. Neither OF these has
proved equal TO the necessities OF the case. The
former have neglected and The latter betrayed their
trusts. Individual PATRIOTISM, however true and
earnest has not been able TO cope with the trained
bands OF corruptlOnists, nor have the political
parties been able To resist the temptation OF making
politics money venture ut pubic expense
These pai ties nave sphere that Is legitimate ana
functions that are useful Il not necessary to the
best working OF our political institutions But they
must be held to q strict accountability In them by
some adequate external force constituted on differ
cnL principles, or hey Will inevitably become insrl.
monts Of evil BY the 1orce OF their own constitu
tlonal economy.
Tnird-in consequence of this state of things the
very existence OF our political institutions is at this
moment, In mortal peril under the operation OF Lhe
same causes that nave wrecked ali attempts
hilncrto at popular government The public evils
that arc upon US, and threaten the iuture more
Omlnousy stl are not incidents of our political
system, tnat IN the process oi ITS development
v,
renovated state under Tie operation OF cOnstitu.
uonai principle Of ultimate recovery, but The
symptoms OF decay and rum, iamiliarto those who
have watched IN history tne rise and iall oil demo-
cratic so, crnments. lhe problem OF existence, as
sclI-governiug people, has never been prescn cd
to us GurIn. our whoie career az state or nation
with more elements OF uncertainty IN the solution
than II to-day. AT the opening OF the last decade
mad 10 meet this Issue IN The form OF II challenge
OF our potcal cohesion and geographical unity,
and 10 Settle 1t at the terrible tribunal OF war. 1he
Aanlc question Is presented 10 us at the opening of
this decade, anu IN as menacing an aspect, rs 10
whether there is patriotism enough In the control.
ling elelucnts OF the people to Interpret ana fuly
carry out the Intentions o our polite INSTITUTIONS
No political system Can long survive The canker that
Is eating at tne springs OF our national liie re;
near OF this state OF things If lett To Itself, Is
the anarchy OF Central America Or the Communism
OF Paris.
Fourth-The cause OF these public calam,tes and
dangers Is the neglect by the proper friends OF pub
citizenshlp-not their numerical inieriorIiy or any
developed defect Of the political system. The
mOneyed, cultured, moral ami INDUSTRIOUS classes,
VINO are overwhelmingly IN The majority. as q rulG
and habit, have abandoned their post rs citizens and
surrendered the care oi public aalrs INTO the hands
OF the vagabOnd element Of society, It's ders and all
vcnturers. IL IL case OF treachery OF friends. not
Di the conquest oi enemies Az the spring elections
In this state the last year more than i've hundred
thousand OF TINS class OF voters, and at the autumn
eleouon more than three hundred thousand neg
lecied To their FRANCHISE. IL s estimated that
$4,000 OF this class OF denquens are voters In this
city, 1t Is the especial aim OF this Council TO recall
these political deseiters to their DUTY and to the
supremacy IN the management OF our governmental
ufairs. And this Is the solution II presents OF the
pei pie Xos and per,ls OF the political situation.
The policy adopted by the Council TO eiiect the
proposed reforms Is 10 bring together all right
minded citizens. under formal p.edge, to give
their personal to the dulles tnat nnere in
American citizenship. and to demand OF the respec-
tive political parties with winch they are accus-
toned 10 act as the condition OF their further sup
port, that they put IN nomination Tor odlee men
who will ltly represent the virtuous and lndus-
trious classes and VINO VIII correctly nterpres ana
faithfully carry out the purposes OF 0ur political IN
stltutlons. This work OF enrolment ~ now IN
progress throughout the wards OF this city, and IN
other ces and counties OF this state. IL is TO be
prosecuted by q system OF agencies through every
school district OF the State, AMI pressed