Abraham Lincoln-the New York WorkingMen's Association-March 21, 1864.

Abraham Lincoln

-From a Reply to a Committee from the New York WorkingMen's Association

Lincoln, who was himself descended from a family of working people, and who had worked at manual labor in his youth, was always sympathetic to the working class.

He addresses here a New York WorkingMen's Committee and takes the opportunity to impress its members with the importance of the War to the common people of the country.

March 21, 1864.

Gentlemen of the Committee: The honorary membership in your association, as generously tendered, is gratefully accepted.

You comprehend, as your address shows, that the existing rebellion means more, and tends to more, than the perpetuation of African slavery -- that it is, in fact, a War upon the Rights of all Working People,...

None are so deeply interested to resist the present rebellion as the Working People.

Let them beware of prejudices, working division and hostility among themselves.

The most notable feature of a disturbance in your city last summer was the hanging of some Working People by other Working People.

It should never be so.

The strongest bond of human sympathy, outside of the family relation, should be one uniting all Working People,

of all Nations, and Tongues, and Kindreds.

Nor should this lead to a War upon property, or the owners of property.

Property is the fruit of labor;

property is desirable;

is a positive good in the world.

That some should be rich shows that others may become rich, and hence is just encouragement to industry and enterprise.

Let not him who is houseless pull down the house of another,

but let him work diligently and build one for himself,

thus by example assuring that his own shall be safe from violence

when built.

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