The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-03-04
THE WAR FOR THE NEGRO CAN NOT
BE SUCCESSFUL.

The announcement that II on Mr. Valland
| igham was to speak at Concert Hall, New Jer
sey, drew forth on Saturday evening q mos
crowded and enthusiastic audience, filling tn,
galleries and main body of the house almos
to suffocation. The platform was occupied by
about hundred leading Democrats of New.
ark and from abroad.
AT three o'clock the meeting was called tc
order by Mr.. Henry Benner, President of
the Democratic Union Club, of Newark. and
Mr.. j G Fitzgerald read the peace resolu tiops
of the Illinois Legislature, which were adop-
ted as the expression of this meeting. with res
olutions also denouncing the passage of appro-
priations by Congress for freeing slaves, calling
On the Legislature and Executive of New Jer-
sey to demonstrate against the suspension of
civil law in the State, and recommending a
bill prohibiting the ingress of free negroes in
to New Jersey -hsi-
Mr. Vallandigham was then introduced by
Nehemiah Perry, and was received with the
most enthusiastic demonstrations of applause.
After expressing his tha.Its-for this reception,
NaisardIgham spoke as fellows:
I remember that it was in the city. of New
ark, little more than two years ago, that
first gave the pledge to any portion of the peo.
pie of the United States that I never would
contribute, by my own words or acts, to the
shedding of one drop of American blood in a
civil war. [Great applause.] How far and con-
sistently have kept that pledge let you-a
part of my countrymen-dete etermine Zap.
plause.] Much has happened since We met.
The history of fifty years of ordinary ocourren-
ces has been written would that it had been
written in peace, but it stands a remarkable
portion of the history of this land-written in
characters of blood. 1 am not here to review
the events of the past 1 came to speak of
the Immediate questions that are pressing upon
the people. Argument upon the questions of
personal liberty and the suspension of the act
habeas corpus is exhausted. The time for
action may come-I hope not. Great cheer
ing.1 There are those who can testify TO the
iniquitous despotism of this Administration :;
McMasters, of the Frcemaa's Journal; Mr..
Reeve, an editor of Long Island and Maho-
ney, of Dubuque, Iowa. fCheers.] They are
here as free as air-no Bastiles combining them.
New Jersey has spoken on these questions
The people of the Northwest l am not fearful
of. There are others here from the North
west, all "Butternuts,' "Copperheads, like
myself, Tcheers1 who can speak of the public
opinion of that section. 1 haze had occasion to
speak of the inevitabiity of reconstruction or
reunion of these States. 1 am deeply con-
vinced, from my observations of the last two
years, that this event will take place in our
day 1 have no doubt of it.
l. dm mere 10 mceC the new QuCS-
tions that have arisen before the people, and 1
believe shall do much more good before the
people than in the halls Of Legislation, and for
this reason am here-I am here the repre-
sentative of the peace sentiment of the North
west [Great applause 1 am not minis
ter, but l believe that Sermon on the Mount
says, "Blessed are the peace makers" At the
commencement of this war there were two
parties. Before the war broke out, a vey
large majority of the North were against oi-
vii war. After the firing upon Fort Sumpter
they seemed to be in an insignificant minority.
But there was no change in tie peopls There
never was time when, in the hearts of the
people, there was not an undying opposition
to the war. They dared not speak it. They
were carried away by their leaders. There
was only small band fayoring peace; they
were fewer than the apostles but there was
no Judas among them. Applause. 1t was
said to be war for the restoration of the u
nion. I thought that an absurdity. 1t might
IS well have been supposed that man could |
beat love into the breast of her whom he was !
about to marry. Nobody now believes, after
two years of war, that VIC have accom- plished,
lion of the Union, except William III. Seward. |
He sees every thing in the color of the rose |
[ believe that the war is now conducted for
the abolition of slavery. That cannot take
place until the Government itself becomes
1espotism. l don't choose to sell nv pre-
,ious inheritance and boon of political person
al liberty, for which the fields of New Jersey