Year: 1869

government printing ONCE and the probable opposi-
tion OF the subordinate Union No. 101 Of this city
his becoming member OF the society has given rise
to newspaper discussion In different parts of the
country and at times elected observations severely
rejecting upon the craft generally One such article
purporting TO emanate from the Cincinnati Gazette,
has been widely copied its evident intention being
to carry the matter into the halls OF Congress and
its primary object without doubt array the domi-
nant political party against all trades organizations
The writer belongs 20 both societies OF the craft
this city, and he could not for good and substantial
reasons, be persuaded TO vote to make Douglass a
member of subordinate Union No. 101.


The privileges OF our craft are not the offspring Of
an hour; it has taken many years and great many
severe privations TO establish them No one who
has passed through the labor OF securing them VIII
even for one moment consent to have them placed
Jeopardy. / know for fact that TO elevate one
negro the privileges of the craft in any part Of the
country, and more especially in Washington, Is 10
admit the element which viii destroy its power.
This view Of the case is not without demonstration.
Where he Is now employed in other crafts, such as
carpenters, pasterers, &C.. he is underworking the
white mechanic and this Will be the case with every
mechanical business which he Will touch. He Will
never work we'll and he will always work for less
than the white mechanic, thus degrading the STAN
dard OF prices for which we have deservedly abored
and by superior abilities become entitled TO.


AS the matter stands IL Is not an opposition to
Douglass to the color OF his race but TO the In


ferior workmen OF his class who Will be speedily
manufactured with which to stock the government
printing office. Already they have begun to school
them TO the trade at the Howard University
as the buildings were finished and they win be en-
ployed by the government, whether they are good
OF learning was solely because of their color. Is
this acting upon Just prlnciplef Is II rght that
the white mechanic shall sacrifice his best interests,


divide his scanty loaf with the negro while the rich


of the nation secure in their landed estates and
| handed property but continue 10 grow more rchP
| nta
Of superintendent Clapp. clearly nmates. II mot


individual proprletorshp, but national proprietor


ship which makes this unjust decree. Certainly the
| printers OF the United States would not object II
| the black choose to have printing Offices and
typographical societies OF their own; among them


selves certainly they would without objection OF any
| kind be permitted to work as they choose and for


whites and to be made not so much partakers OF the
| privileges we have secured as instruments for the


destruction OF those privileges, Is the thing which
| we will ever object TO and vote against.


This letter is not written In the spirit OF democra-


& Is written t y IN Yolsd mo or M ncon Ia Ce
| cago, but acted with his party there-the men who
| were chiefly instrumental In making him President;
| very well remembering one night IN particular that
| preceding election day, wherein he stood side by


Side with Norman B. Judd tne man who nominated


Mr.. Lincoln in the Chicago Convenhonl until


midnight constructing the electoral ticket against


imitation by the democratic party.


BY business association with and observation or


these men, who insured the national position OF Mr..
| Lincoln, 1 learned TO know the views and mo-
| tives that animated him and I know that
| Nj. Lincoln averse to coniunction-I do not
| mean amagamation, but q aconjuncton-either Dusi-


social, OF the two races. He illustrated this
view when subsequently. the negroes OF the south
came 1ocklng Northward through the lines OF the
army he sought to domcile them In South America,
and only failed because the nations OF that region
would not accept them as near neighbors Still
moved by this DESIRE very clearly shown while he
lived. Mr.. Lincoln not unfavorable to the Amer
ican Colonization Society, and the writer knows to


certainty that he really desired the emigration OF
the blacks to Liberia this regard to this GER
tain extent, at least, meriting the cognomen OF
Moses that the blacks were fond to apply 10 him;
for N ha n lpl thpu1
to the land which promises them more than any
otherto the free republic OF Liberia on the shores
OF Africa. lie knew very well that white and black
interests would clash IN the domain OF American la
Dor, OF which, indeed, the government printing Of
fee imbroglfo furnishes striking example at the


The views entertained by Mr.. Lincoln on this SUBJ
ject are not now the views OF President Grants
party, only because a convenient political can
be made OF them IN this country thing never
thought OF or encouraged by Mr.. Lincoln II they
could be 80 used without treating them in a defe-
rental way-wlthout giving them place and emolu-
ment-it Is equally clear President Grants party
II is not merely the printers OF Washington who
object TO ailiate with them but the whole sensible
North look upon IL in the same ght or, II this s not
so why recently did deputatlon OF negroes wait
uDon the President ana appeal to him TO give them
Northern situations under the government, ana the
PRESIDENTS hesltatlng reply that he would con-
slder the subectp Why stop TO consider II the thing
dent Knows that il would be an impropriety the
Northern people could not stand do not mean
ballots aralnst him how could his party standi


Certain parties In the interest OF the government
are straning every nerve TO show that the opposi-
tion OF the subordinate Union l0l Is against the
negro on account OF color. While there IL some


thing true In tna the greater truth is that the ma


before them in this CITY, that it win open The door to
new class of rats made so principally by the
rapid manner In which superintendent Clapp VIII
desire to propagate them for use In the government
onice. -


government in attempting to force anegro in among
the whites and compel association with him Is but
part OF q general design upon the working men Of
the country not merely OF Washington CITY, but OF
the whole country. And the successful intent OF
secretary Bore in curtaing the pay Of the working
Congress when the eight hour law was passed. IL
nothing more nor less than another part OF the
general design to oppress the laborng classes, and
to which the President has made himself privy by
the proclamation which he uttered on the subject.
TO a committee Of Navy Yard men VINO waited upon
him TO know the exact meaning OF his proclamation,
he is said to have fecitousy answered that It was
woTded very carefully and meant what 10 said"
Well what did IL sayf Just ths:-That hereafter
there should be no reduction or their wages. Here
solomon's " st tn meant what Il said~in other


words, II meant nothing SO that the proclamation
was n cheat, since further reduction OF the wages


was no longer feared, but a restoration TO the pay
they had received for the ten hours was what the


mechanics Of the Navy Yard wanted and what Con


gress on the authority OF Senator wilson and others


who labored for the measure, designed they should


SO. thus in more quarters than one at the present
moment are the mechanics Of the nation
assaed by the government In what concerns their
vital interests. But the mechanics are not power
less They can easily be made q unit. The printers
OF the United states are not the men TO be imposed
upOn The effort 10 destroy one union is q direct
attack upon them al-inyoves the interests OF all
and every one OF them VIII perceive and compre-
hend the issue. Our craft has during the past led
all other crafts and at the present time enjoys the
sympathy OF every other organization of working
men. II the administration persists In It's attempts
10 Oppress the aborers within ts control IL can have
no other effect than TO unite, as they have never YET
been united, the entire Why should not the ad
mnistration take warning In time, and In this re-
spect amend its waysH For II Ia even now true and
l utter no chimerlcal declaration when say that
the mechanics OF the nation are bound together by
ties Of interest and affection broader and seourer
than any party lines.


since this letter was begun read In the HERALD
an expression that the Douglass matter would be de-
session about TO convene in Albany Bnt none of us
mere hold that expectation To do so would De
nntr lonn oafah