Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1863-03-19


orable adjustment of the difficulties between
this country and Great Britain" Mr.. Isaac
L. Varian was then chairman of the Demo
cratic General Committee, and Mr.. Elijah F.
Purdy was one of the Secretaries. They call
ed meeting of the Democrats of this city,
and over that meeting Mr.. Holmes presided,
and for vice presidents were men whose names
when read to any democrat, will bring back
associations of great interest, and perhaps of
some sadness, unless he supposes that the
prominent Democrats in the city now are
more respectable than those whose names l
will read. The vice presidents were Henry
Yates Walter Browne, Samuel Tappan, Man
dert Van Schaick, Gideon Tucker, Abraham
Van Nest and they resolved, not that there
was danger in the union of the purse and the
sword-not that it was usurpation-but that
1t was prompt and patriotic measure on the
part of the House of Representatives, Loud
cheers. Let US see how it was received by
the electors 1t was the I'd and Sd days Of
March, as | have stated to you. The election
in New Hampshire came on then, as it will
now within few days, after the adjournment
of Congress and New Hampshire, which bad
been somewhat equally divided, gave 1000
majority for the Democratic ticket. | shall
be pleased If my Democratic friends find it
gives a large majority now. (Cheers and
laughter.) The city of New York, by de-
fection in the conservative portion of the De.
mocracy, had been thrown into the hands OF
what was then called Wings. The city cleo
ton almost Immediately followed, and the city
was recovered. Issac l.. Varian was elected
Mayor by thousand majority, and twelve out
Of seventeen wards gave Democratic majorities
Immediately after this extraordinary usurpa
ton.
THE MEASURES ADOPTED TO SAVE THE REPUBLIC
IN THE EVENT OF A WAR IN ENGLAND.
General Scott, who was to have presided
here this evening, fortunately for the
country, was then prominent in the com
mand of the armies Of the United States. On
the 7th Of March be went to Maine, and he
remained there until about the 2lst, when he
concluded an agreement with Lieutenant Go
vernon Harvey by which the British troops
retired from their position in the State of
Maine. The Maine troops also retired, and
civil officers were left in protection of the pub
tic property, and by his wisdom and his fore
sight, by the Oath of March, he was able to
report to the Government of the United
States that the whole difficulty had passed
over. (Applause.) Congress assembled in
December, and the President of the United
States made this communication TO them
The extraordinary powers vested in me by
an act of Congress, for the defence cf the coun-
try IN an emergency, considered SO far proba-
bic as to require that the Executive should
possess ample means to meet it, have not been
exerted. They have, therefore, been attend
ed with no other result than to increase, By the
confidence thus reposed in me, my obligations
to maintain, with religious exactneSs, the car
dlnal principles that govern our intercourse
with other nations. Happily, in our pending
questions with Great Britain, out of which
this unusual grant of authority arose, nothing
has occurred to require its exertion and as
it is about to return to the Legislature trust
that no future necessity may call for its exer-
else by them, or its delegation to another de-
partment of the Government"
Not dollar was expended, not volunteer
was called out, not man from the militia was
brought into the field under this act aud
would be glad to know why it may not hap.
pen that this extraordinary demonstration on
the part of the Congress of the United States
of the power and resources of the loyal portion
of this Confederacy, will not again be follow
ed up by similar auspicious result. The sue
cessful way to prosecute war is to make an
overwhelming demonstration of strength to
satisfy those who are prepared to resist the
rlghtful authority of the government, that the
resistance is useless, and that this must be
crushed out. (Cheers) Now, gentlemen,
there is nothing 10 my humble juJgment, there
fore, in the law passed putting this enormous
power in the possession of the President of the
United States to deter me from assisting in a
vigorous prosecution of the war. [Cheers
| can very well understand how, if ] sympa-
thise with the rebellion-if I deemed that this
war should fail could spend hours and col
umns in picking flaws in this act But if
believe substantial justice required that the
great ends of prosecuting the war demands
that the whole power of the Government shall
be lodged by the Constitution of the United
States in the President of the United States,
[ will bow in silence to the act, whether l ap.
prove of it or not Prolonged cheers If
the President of the United States had usurp-
ed these powers, there might be a degree of
propriety in deDouncug it but wh en- the re-
presentatives of the the people, legally elect
ed, after due delberation, assume the respon-
sibiity of lodging these trusts in him, in my
humble judgment, and certainly in view of
the precedent to which have referred, no wise
man will ever complain of the act Great
applause.
THE PROCLAMATION OF EMANCIPATION
And what l have to say is in reference to
the proclamation of the President of the Unit
ed States, declaring slaYes free in certain parts
of the Union. prolonged cheers l have
taken occasion, on several times, to state land
that was perfectly known when l was invited
to speak here this evening" what my objections
were to that proclamation. There are no OBJ
jections to its constitutionality The Presi-
dent has right to make any proclamation he
chooses and so have l. (Applause and laugh
ter.) The only question l make is as to the