Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1863-08-28
From the Cincinnati Gazette
COMPROMISING TO PREVENT sECEs-
SION

SlON.
Mr.. Pueh made. in his speeeh nj the Val.
landigham Convention At Columbus. the fol-
lowing assertion, that comnromise before the
Rebellion would have prevented il;
The Demooracv Ala M, hiring the war
about was by the acts Of the Administra.
ton in power. No one but the abiect slave
of the Administration would saw that this
controversy could not have been settled on
honorable farms Of peace He knew he could
NOT. and he did not state this as n matter Of
opinion. but as fact"
Mr.. Pugh states this as not A, opinion. but
n fact He does not produce any evidence of
the fact: therefore we conclude that he
speaks upon the evidence already upon record
We admit that Mr.. Pugh knows from per-
sonal knowledge whether the controversy
oould have been settled go az 10 obviate the
Rebellion. and upon his knowledge of that
fact we nronose TO discuss the subject of re-
snonsibiiity for the war. according In his own
prineiple that not thew who rebel lint thew
who did not prevent IL by concedine to
Southern demands. are euilty Of the Rebel
lion.
The terms of settlement were presented nv
the South TO the Democratic Convention at
Charleston. in n nlatform DENYING th,. n,,yer
of Congress or a Territorial Legislature to
exclude Slavery from anv Territory and as
serting the duty of the Government 10 pro-
tect the rights and property of shareholders
wherever It's constitutional authority extends.
This was their ultimatum. With this as the
platform Of the party, the Southern delegates
declared their willingness to support any
candidate nominated by the Convention. and
TO 90 on in harmonious control Of the Demo-
cratic party as before. Without il they de-
clared their deliberate determination to Sc
cede from the convention and spht the marty.
The Northern delegates knew that this
would throw the election of President into
the hands of the Republicans. Their stated
method of influencing northern elections wss
to proclaim that the election of Republican
President would make the South secede. Il
was the standing threat of the South in 1856.
and its repetition constituted the chief cleo
tioneering ammunition Of the Northern Dem
ocrats. Here they had the alternative pre-
sented to them Of the Southern platform. or
the secession war which they had proclaimed
in advance and By proclaimipR had encour-
aged. Here was where Mr. PuRh knew Il to
be fact that the controversy could have
been settled so as to avoid war, and the
record of the convention shows how he met
the issue.
Mr.. Pugh followed Mr.. Yancey in specch
to the Convention, and thanked him for his
honesty in placing it before the country that
the South demanded an advance step from
the Democratic party on the question of
slavery. He went on to show that the sub-
serviency to the Southern demands had re-.
duced the Democratic party to a minority in
the North. And" said Mr.. Puob. " when
we come here to debate with YOU, YOU com
mence by telling us we are an inferior class {;
that we shall not assume to have or express
any opinions that we shall not call upon
you to stand by your plighted faith that we
shall put our hands on our mouths. and our
mouths in the dust. Gentlemen. YOU mis-
take us, we will not do it,"
Here was the time when the difficulties
might have been settled without secession
and war, and here, in TIE face of the South
ern threat of Secession from the Convention
and from the Union. Mr.. Puoh refused tn
compromise. He told them that if these
were the terms demanded as a condition of
their stay in the Democratic shin" thew
must 20. "If YOU choose to abandon it !"
said he, "if part from YOU we must. we mart
from YOU without anger. hut in sorrow
Upon this performance of the Nortbern
Democracy at Charleston, Mr.. PuRh is iusti-
fed in saying that he could state il as a mat
ter of fact that the difficulties could have
been set led without war: and bv his princi.
pie, that they who did not prevent the RE-
bellion by Yielding t, the demands of the
South, are Responsible for the war, he has as
sumcd the responsibility upon himself and
the Northern section If the Democratic nnrt,