The Ohio Democrat. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1840-1900, 1863-02-20
Extracts from the Lecture Of r.
JOHN VAN BUR EN-,
ON the Government and the
t War.

The Young Mems Union Democratic
headquarters in New York city was
densely crowded on Wednesday even
ing, February 1.-THE occasion being
the delivery of lecture by the Hon.
JOHN VAN BUREN, on the Rise and Pro-
gress Of the Democratic Party. 4
Il e. X X X
$50 And now let us consider what is the
best mode of prosecuting the war. l
have already stated that prefer peace.
That we cannot have. Those who we
are dealing with will not have it, and
those who attempt to obtain it without
their consent are on fruitless errand
The articles of their journals and the
declaration of their speakers show it. :
Now, some persons have suggested for
eign intervention. To that | oppose
my objection in any and every way,
whether it be in the form Of advice or
of forcible interference. would not
even consent to the plan of the Tribune,
to refer it to one of the Swiss Cantons.
This rebellion is real, and rather than
a call on foreigners to decide whether we
shall live or not, and on what terms, It
@ would be better to die at once. Zap.
plause.) So there is no use of talking
about foreign Intervention; we must
either snbdue this tumult ourselves or
not at all. Next we should inquire up.
on what terms the war should go on. =
There was but one opinion in the North
when the war broke out. When Con.
gress resolved that the war was to re.
store the Union as it existed before and
to restore the Constitution, there was
but one unanimous opinion in Congress
to sustain the Administration Subse-
quently to that time there have been oc.
curreHces which have worked sensible
changssin the Northern mind, produ-
cling dot onl5;an open opposition to the
Administration, but almost plain sym.
pathy with the South and desire to end
the war. Let us see what is the cause
(Mr. Van Buren then recited extracts
from the Presidents emancipation pro.
clamation, and said that no one disap.
proved Of it more than he did.) The
President had no more light to issue it
than the Khan of Tartary. Let us look
for moment at the proper Office of a
proclamation. A proclamation is the
declaration of an existing fact-such as
the declaration of treaty being in force
after it is passed by Congress. The
President stands in relation to Congress
like the crier to the court. The crier
does not open or adjourn the court, but
he merely announces the fact. 1t is
preposterous for the President, if he
thinks that he can change any law or
condition of property by his proclama'
tion. At the same time it must be said
that this same question was debated
some two hundred and fifty years ago.
The President, being lawyer-Qoud
laughter)-I am sorry you laugh, for l
understand that in Springfield he was
considered lawyer Of considerable a.
bility for that small village. daughter
I will now refer you to "Campbell's
Lives of the Chief Justices" lst volume,
page 275, to show how the proclamation
question was discussed and settled in the
time of James the First of England =
(The speaker then showed how the King
had undertaken to issue several procla,
nations on trivial subjects, such as tfr
location of certain houses in London
the weight of starch, &C.. whereupon the
House of Commons fired up and unani
mously resolved to demonstrate with BIZ
Majesty on the assumption Of such {
privilege) They drew up protest
which Bacon was commissioned to pre-
e. sent, and he did so by softening the mat
ter as much as he could. He said -
ave are persuaded that the attribut,
"a which was given by one of the Wises
writers to two of the best emperors, 'Di
Gus NeruG' and DivuS Irojanus' 81
saith Tacitus, reolim insociabGies mas
Q. cuerunt, GnlOerium ct Hbertaiun, may
be truly applied to your Majesty. lie
not the sound of grievances, excelen
o. sovereign, though it be sad, seem hars
to your princely ears. IL is bnt gerni
= tus colunbg-the mourning of u dove
with that patience and humility of heat
'+ which appertaineth to loving aud loya
subjects" The King thereon called
conference of judges, aud on their deci
.s sion abandoned the practice. Wha
was so given up two hundred and 6ft
year., ago, ] cannot think Mr., Lincol
would now attempt to adopt; aud
. think it will be the b siuess of the Sec
fetary Of State to bring The fact to hi
notice, in the mildest manner possible
~, though instead of addressing him a
.nttDiUss lrqlGnus,' be might soften
(. into Honest Old Abe.' daughter =
As our armies progress freedom to tn
slave must follow, as matter of course
- just like the destruction of every othe
ys kind Of rebel possessions If this
what the President means, it is all right
but If he means to say that all slaves i
the South are free, it is false, for the
are now just as much slaves in law as
the proclamation had never been issued
y 1t has, therefore, fallen dead on black q
on white, ] do not think he can eaSGit
oi an insurrection inthe South; and if b
could every soldier of the United State
would rise up to put down the slave rt
bellion (Annlausn I Tn n war apainI