Resolutions from the workingmen of Massachusetts; February 20, 1861

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Resolutions from the workingmen of Massachusetts; February 20, 1861

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Each transcribed document contains links that connect it to other documents on the same topic in the collection.

People

Brown, John, 1800-1859 Crittenden, John J. (John Jordan), 1787-1863 Sumner, Charles, 1811-1874 Washington, George, 1732-1799

Events

Crime Crime--Murder Criminal Procedure Criminal Procedure--Execution Military Engagements Military Engagements--John Brown's Raid, Harpers Ferry, W. Va., 1859 Secession. American Civil War Wars and Military Conflicts--American Revolutionary War, 1775-1783

Organizations

Political Parties Political Parties--American Party (U.S.)Political Parties--Democratic Party (U.S.)Political Parties--Free Soil Party (U.S.)Political Parties--Republican Party (U.S. : 1854- )Political Parties--Whig Party (U.S.)United States--Congress United States--Congress. Senate

Occupations

Legislators Politicians

Places

Kentucky Massachusetts--Suffolk County. Boston Military Forts New Mexico Virginia

Social Identifiers

Abolitionists African Americans African Americans--Enslaved People African Americans--Historically Free and Newly Freed

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MASS MEETING OF THE WORKINGMEN OF MASSACHUSETTS, IN FANEUIL HALL,
FEB. 20, 1861

ADDRESS—OF THE—WORKINGMEN OF MASSACHUSETTS.

The workingmen of Massachusetts, assembled in Faneuil Hall, send greeting to their brethren throughout the United States: It is the right of a free people, who are misrepresented and mis-governed by those in power, to take counsel to-gether for the redress of their grievances.

The beloved union of thirty-three free states has been broken, and we must not fear to inquire into the cause of this great wrong, nor to seek its redress.

We believe the chief cause to have been that the people, North and South, have been deceived and betrayed by politicians and office-seekers.

The Father of his Country, in his Farewell Address, counselled us to beware of the "misrepresentationo of designing men who would excite jealousies and heart-burnings by geographieal discriminations of Northern and Southern, and by misrepresenting the opinions and views of other districts of the country."

His wise and prophetic warnings have been for-gotten and disregarded. The South have been taught to believe that the North hate them and are pledged to trample upon their rights and de-stroy their property; while the North have been taught that the South hold them in hatred and contempt, and are united in a hostile plan of ag-gression upon their liberties.

If these are the true feelings of our country-men, a restoration of the Union is impossible in "a Government which derives its just powers from the consent of the governed."

It is in vain for politicians to tell us that secces-sion is illegal. Seven Sates have seceded already; and if the citizens of those States are united in their determination to leave the Union, no laws, and no force, can compel them to remain.

We very well know that if the freemen of Massachisetts were united in the determination to leave the Union, because they felt that they had been wronged by years of hatred and aggres-sion on the part of the other States, then, neither the fore of laws nor of arms could bring them back to a government in which they believed lib-erty and equal rights were impossible.

Our forts might be taken, our commerce de-stroyed, our towns burned, as they were during the Revolution, but our free race could never be held as a conquered people. Our Southern brethren are of the same blood as we are, and we feel that if force could bring them back into the Union, they would be fit only to be the bondsmen of their own slaves.

Since coercion is unwise, unjust, and impossi-ble, we must look to other means for the restor-ation of the Union, and we believe that those means are in the power of the people. Between the people of the States there can be no misunder-standings if they can but be brought together.

We believe that the first duty of the people, South and North, is to put away forever those desgining politicians who have decieved the people, and brought this danger upon the coun-try.

We appeal to our brethren at the South to deal with their traitors at home, the sowers of sedition, who endeavor to mislead and misrepre-sent them.

We, on our part, will do our best here at the North to expose and to put down forever the mis-chief makers who have sown discord between the States, and brought our country to the verge of civil war.

We see plainly that the ceaseless falsehoods which have misled the South as to our true feel-ings, and the rash and wicked deeds which are charged upon our whole people, are due to a small but active and unscrupulous party of Abolition-ists, who have adopted every disguise and joined every party in order to accomplish their evil pur-poses.

They were Whigs among the Whigs, and they joined the coalition party against the Whigs. They have joined the Free Soil party, and they have joined the American party, and they finally have joined the Republican party. And they have be-trayed them all.

We believe that now their power is at an end, because their dissguise of philanthropy is thrown off, and their purposes are at last known; and we do earnestly appeal to all patriots, and all honest men at the North, to pledge themselves to an unending hostility to the principles and plans of the Abolitionists for the following reasons:

Because they undermine religion, and openly deny the authority of the Holy Word of God, which is the rule and guide of our faith.

Because they proclaim that our cherished Constitution "is only an agreement with death and a compact with hell."

Because they avow that for sixteen years they have plotted the destruction of the Union, and desire now to complete their work.

Because they publicly boast that they have always had secret societies organized to resist the laws which the people have made, and all are bound to obey.

Because the blood of the murdered Batchelder, brutally murdered in the Court House of Boston by a mob of Abolitionists, teaches us the object of these secret societies, and shows what Abolitioniss mean by benevolence and love of man.

Because the bells of the New England churches which the Abolitionists tolled on the day of the just execution of John Brown, proclaimed their hatred of the Union and their sympathy with his wicked raid, and with his murder of peaceable citizens of Virginia.

Because their pretended love for slaves a thousand miles away, is but hypocrisy. If they loved man—kind, and would prevent sin, and suffering, and wrong, they could find here at home objects more than sufficient for the exercise of all their assumed virues. But their philanthropy is more deception— their affected sympathy is selfishness— and their feigned love for the slaves, a cloak for their insidious designs.

For these and for many other reasons, we ap-peal to all good citizens at the North,—Republicans and Democrats, Union Men and Americans,—to see to it, that henceforth the pest of Abolition shall, under no disguise, be tolerated in their counsels.

But to the Republicans we appeal most earnest-ly, to avow their open hostility, because the Abolitionists have, for their own purposes, de-cieved the South, and taught them to believe that all Republicans are Abolitionists.

Let this be a war not of force, but of opinion; a contest of reason against fanaticism, of patriotism against treason; and, before many years, the name of Abolitionists will be remembered only with contempt, and its dishonest efforts to obtain power a subject of derision.

In the hearts of the people of Massachusetts there is not, nor ever has been, any feeling of hatred for the South. Our brethren do not under-stand how a few active and unscrupulous men can appear to have so much influence. The truth is, that the workingmen care little for the strife of political parties and the intrigues of office-seekers. We regard them with the contempt they deserve. We are weary of this question of Slavery; it is a matter which does not concern us, and we wish only to attend to our business and leave the South to attend to their own affairs, without any inter-ference from the North.

Only in the hour of danger do we step forward to demand and enforce our political rights. And now that we are obliged to come forward for the sake of our country, we learn with profound as-tonishment, from the confession of the great party leaders, that the question which divides and dis-tracts the country, as to whether slaves shall, or shall not be admitted in the Territories, is a mere quarrel about an abstract opinion; and that in ten years only twelve slaves have been domiciled in the Territories in New Mexico. Well may the people say that they must come forward to pro-tect themselves from the politicians.

But the workingmen of the United States have other duties than to put down the treasonable designs of the abolitionists. It is in our power to save the Union, if we will but be united. Let us forget, then, forever, that we have been Whigs or Democrats, Republicans or Americans, or Union men, and let the symbols and platforms and passions and prejudices of party be discared, never to be recalled.

Let us not quibble about words, or stand obsti-nately upon slight differences of opinion, like our Representatives who dignigy their preverse obsti-nacy with the name of principle,—but, disregard-ing all other objects, unite earnestly, honeslty and heartily to preserve the Union.

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Let us form throughout the land associations of workingmen, whose only platform shall be, Lib-erty and Union, and equal rights to all.

If our present Congress does not without delay propose satisfactory amendments to the Constitu-tion, we can petition our respective Legislatures, and upon the application of the Legislatures of two-thirds of the States, Congress must call a Convention for proposing amendments to the Con-stitution. In a Convention called by the people, the rights of the people will be safe.

To our brethern at the South we appeal, to dis-regard everything but the voice of the people. The Senators of Massahusetts insult us, when our respectful petitions are presented in Congress, and our Legislature disregards the wishes of the citizens. But the power remains in our hands, and we shall soon have the privilege of exercising it, and the people, dumb so long because accident has placed the powers of representing them in unworthy hands, will speak for themselves—the people of the North speaking for earnestly, hon-estly and frankly to the people of the South.

If our Southern brethern choose to return to the Union, we will give them a sincere and hearty welcome, and endeavor to protect them in their rights. If they prefer to cast their lot with us no longer, we will bid them "go in peace," and we will endeavor to secure to ourselves the bles-sings of liberty and independence in our own government. We wish no Union but a Union of friendship, not of force; no associates but those who reamain with us of their own free will.

The free people of the North will never sanc-tion the unjust and delusive plan of coercion, nor seek in force or civil war the remedy for the present dangers to the Union. We will never consent "to bear arms against our country, or to become the executioners of our friends and brethern."

Let the advances which we make frankly and boldly, be met in the same spirit, and the Union may yet be saved.

To our brethern at the South we also say that we love the Union, because in the words of Washington, "it is the Palladium of our politi-cal safety and prosperity,—the main pillar in the edifice of our real independence; the support of our tranquility at home, our peace abroad; of our safety, our prosperity, and of that very lib-erty, which we have so highly prize."

We have loved the Union as the costly inherit-ance which a noble race of patriots have handed down to a nation of freemen; sealed with the blood of the bravest of the brave, it was the bright coronal which crowned the suffering, and sorrow, and strife, and despair, of seven weary years of desolating war.

Our Father in heaven visibly protected it by his guiding hand. In fear and in hope, in battle and in death, and in the victory that swallows up death, our ancestors suffered and sorrowed and died to win it; and Washington gave it to us with his blessing.

It is the golden chain that binds the past to the future, linking together the darkness of that long night and the promises of the cheerful dawn—and the glories of the noontide of pros-perity.

It is the bond of brotherly kindness,—for your glory was our glory, your race was our race, your people was our people, your God was our God.

No mountain peak along our coast but has its memories,—no ancient river but has its monu-ments,—no shore but has its sacred dust, and the grass grows green over a thousand graves once red with blood, now perchance shed in vain. We have loved it with the unselfish love of childhood, when our cheeks glowed and our hearts beat quick as we were told of its marvellous history; we have loved it with the thoughtful love of man-hood living not in vain, but living for wife and child, and home, and libety, and country; we have loved it as the day star of civilization; the pledge and promise of liberty, the hope of the exile in every land; religion has lent its sanctities to it; the sweet charities of home and kindred have made it holy ; and the poor and oppressed have it given it their benediciton.

May God in His infinite mercy save the United States of America.

RESOLUTIONS.

Resolved, That we tender to the Hon. John J. Crittenden our sincere thanks for the manner inwhich he recieved and presented to Congress the me-morial of twenty-three thousand citizens of Massa-chusetts, and for the eloquence with which he vindi-cated them from the unworthy aspersions which were cast upon the intelligence of his constituents by the Hon. Charles Sumner, the Senator of Massachusetts.

Resolved, That we respectfully request the Hon. John J. Crittenden to act for Massachusetts, as well as for the great State of Kentucky, and to present in the Senate the foregoing address, as embodying our reasons for the respectful petition of this meeting, that congress will propose such amendments of the Constitution of the United States as will satisfy the Border States, and restore tranquility to the country.

Resolved, That copies of the foregoing address and of these resolutions be transmitted to the Legislatures of the thirty-four United States, whether they now consider themselves in or out of the Union, and to all Conventions and assemblies of the people, North and South, with the respectful request that they may be recieved in the same spirit in which they are sent, and that they may be read and placed upon record as the voice of the Workingmen of Massachusetts, assembled in Faneuil Hall.

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Resolutions of The working men of Mass.