Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1863-03-25

not. prolonged cheers II the President o.
the United States had usurped these powers
there might be degree of propriety in de-
nouncing it but when the representatives Of
the people, legally elected, after due deliber-
alton, assume the responsibility of lodging
these trusts in him, in my humble Judgment
and certainly in view of the precedent to
which I have referred, no wise man viii ever
complain of the act. [Applause.l
THE PRESIDENTS PROCLAMATION.
In reference to the proclamation Of the
Presidentofthe United States, declaring slaves
free in certain parts Of the Union, Prolonged
cheers,l have taken occasion, on several
times, to state fand that was perfectly known
when I was invited to speak this evening"
! what my objections were to that proclamation.
There are no objections to its constitutional
| ty The President has a right to make any
proclamation he chooses, and so have L ZAP
plause and laughter.l The only question ]
make is as to the wisdom and legal effect Of
this proclamation. Now say that the proc
lamation does not set any body free. If a
man is free by law, he is free with or without
the proclamation, bat say that it excites the
Southern people to this view of the subject.
Kisses and applause mingled They say
q You declare that if we come back and sub
nit to the law and to the Government, then
our slaves are emancipated." That was not
the Presidents intention. You may rely up
on it, that he did not emancipate the slaves
in any territory of the United States that is
under the dominion Of the United States
They are not emancipated in Kentucky, in
Missouri, in Tennessee, or in Maryland "a
voice" They ought to be, followed by his
ses, applause, and cries OF " Order u and that
was, in my humble judgment, no part of his
purpose. In my Judgment, his sole object
was to declare, as a general policy, that as our
armies advanced against the rebels, when the
rebels were conquered, their slaves should be
legally free There is no doubt about that
with or without the proclamation, slavery ex-
lists by force, recognized by law; slaves now
are held in the so-called Confederate States
by virtue of the Confederate States Govern
ments and the Confederate United States au-
thority. When our armies advance, and those
Governments are overihrown, the slavehold-
ers who refuse to recognize the Constitution
of the United States lose their slaves by law,
beyond all peradyenture loud applause ]
That being so, it is not wise, in my humble
opinion, to continue such a declaration: but
that, of course, is a matter for the past. say,
as nave frequently said, that, in my judg-
ment, all the good that could have been done
by it has been done. Now, then, gentlemen,
another consequence is that these Southern
men ought to be led to see that their only
hope for continuing is by being in the Union.
"a voice God Forbid" followed by cheers
and bisses.l That is their only protection !;
and it is for them TO determine, under the
Constitution, whether they viii continue to
avail themselves oft.
TIE REACTION.
You have your own proposition, I have
mine, and others have theirs No man can
look over this State and the States of Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois and Pennsylvania, and not
see that from some cause or other, there has
been a great reaction in opposition to the
policy OF the war and the support ofthe Presi-
dent. That is clear by the canvass. Noman
can listen to the returns of the elections that
come here every day from Troy, Utica, Ro-
chester, Lockport, Oswego and Ithaca, with
out seeing that, from some cause or other, the
reaction that began last faI1 has not ceased
Now, you who are prudent and wise men.
who are in a position to advise the President
of the United States which am not, and
don't intend to Observation-Disclosures give
him your opinion as to what he had better do
I have given such suggestions as think win
throw some light upon the matter. Gentle
men, believe that it is justas much our duty
to unite in a vigorous prosecution Of the war
under the President Of the United States, as
it was when the war was first declared, not
any thing that may have been
done. Nor am one Of those who insist that
he should put particular General in com
mand Of the army, or any portion Of it 4
never suggested that he should make change
in his Cabinet, that one member should be put
out, and some other person take his place
That belongs to him, and am not disposed
to interfere. It is for him to determine how
his responsibilities shall be discharged, and
not me. But ,ohat do sag as, that he hadJet-
ter trust the people. !
TIE COURSE OF THE. DEMOCRATS.
Now, there is a great anxiety felt as to the
course of the Democrats. Gentlemen, the
Democrats are a peculiar institution. 1t does
no good to drive the Democrats-to bully or
to attempt to intimidate them,-they viii (
have their own way, always, as Ihave found. I
But 1 never shall be made to believe that the
men who stood by George Clinton and their
fathers before them in the Revolution, who /
stood by Tonpkins and Jackson in 1872, who /
stood by Polk and Marcy in the Mexican war,
,oiH be found ,eanting in this. It remains to
be seen whether they will or net But my /
own course will be wholly unipauenced by
that of any one else. I have been cautioned /
by great many people about attending the /
meeting tonight. was told that it was an
nsidious attempt to disintegrate the Demo-
cratic party, and newspaper which joined I
is last fall Laughter and many representa-
ives in Congress who never Joined us at all. |