, 1863-03-21
OPINIONS OF A DEMOCRAT.
Tho Speech Of John Van Ruren ut
BROOKLYN.

al citizens Of Brooklyn, on Monday evening
LAST. Hon. Martin Kalbaeisch, the Demo-
cratic Mayor, presided. John Van Duren
made one Of his Characteristic speeches, from
which We make the following extracts:
I have on previous occasion, at very great
length, and at greater length than would be
suitable now, stated what my views nre re-
spcctlng the General Government, and will
only say that see nothing In the action Of
the General Government, or In the mode Of
prosecnting the war, that prevents mt from
IN respect to putting down this rebellion.
[Checrs.1 will not repeat my previous re-
marks on this occasion, before such an tntel-
Ieent audience as this, because have not the
time to do so, and neither do consider 1t ne"
cessary-except TO offer ono OF two excep.
tiops. ThoEe who arc opposed to the further
prosecution Of the var occupy great deal OF
time in making objections to certain acts of
the last Congress. These acts are: 4 bill for
raising and ar1nipg, by means OF What people
who hare made arrests, or who may hereafter
be called npon to make arrests, against DANA
ges for their acts; and IN act authorizing the
President of the Emitted States, whenever in
his opinion it may be deemed necessary, to
suspend the writ Of ha1sas corpus. It is not
necessary s.a =. % now M to repeat my opinions upon
two OF those acts: but in reference to the
ConscriPtion act, wish to make ono OF two
,he people Of this State. It pu IS said bF their II
representative, Mr.. Brooks, who undoubt.
edly presents the strongest views of
their case, that this act by which the
militia Of the United States, or Of tie different
eral Government is more odious than the
Polish Conscription, and you are are oil aware
that there is rising in Poland on account Of
the Conscrlption which has been ordered by
Russia. This rebellion, in my Judgment, ia
exceedingly fortunate for US, because it has
directed the attention Of European Powers to
Poland, and keeps France occupied at home
Instead Of attending to us with whom she has
no business. Mr.. Books said this act is ten
times worse than the Polish conscription, and
many persons are occupying themselves very
intcl.tly in finding different objections to the
recent act Of Congress-. b} which there is d
forced levy Of the people Of the United States,
which is now raging. [ do not understand
that they complain Of the fact that it is ap act
Of Congress. [Laughter.] There has been
great diversity Of sentiment as to the mode In
which troops should be raised ty the General
GoFernment-wlether theactual power would
haze to be transferred to tie State, or neither
it should be exercised By the General GOV
trnnment, leaving the States to cooperate
so far as their incinatfons would In
duce them. The chief objection, as I
Of persons are forced to embark in
| this war, which they may not approve.
| But the citizens Of New York have prcce-
dent in regard to the mode in which troops
thal1 be called out under similar clrcumstan-
ccs, to which shall have q single moment to
refer. Some Of you are OLD enough to re-
member, and all of you have read Of the war
| Of 1872. There were then 4 large number OF
persons in The State Of New York who did
! not believe in the prosecution Of the war
| who refused to embark in it, and it became
necessary to pass law By which they should
be compelled to engage in the contest, and
bear arms against Great Britain. That law
IL Of the acts Of lS14, passed in the month Of
October in that year. It Was called qualif-
| cation act. 1t WAS III act far more stringent
| in its provisions than that act Of Congress
against which al1 this opposition il attempted
to be made. i was an act dividing the people
| Of this State into c1asses and providing that
without reference to their preference Or pre-
JUDGES, excepting only the persons who were
| declared TO be exempt by that act, 1900
troops should be raised By tho State Of New
York, and should be obliged to serve for two
years in the armies Of the Union. Tint act
! It wis pashed at . time when those who
expected TO sec the country overthrown
| would exnlt in our proposed defeat.
It was passed under Democratic auspi
ccs, and by q Democratic Legislature
and was the act Of oil others which has
been referred to IN the past history Of thi:
State, which, by its assurance to loyal mcn
that the Government would be sustained. and
by the information that it gave 10 the enemy
that We we're determined not to be either dis
mayed or defeated in the war without ever
rtqui,inga man to be called out under it
tAl'plausc;( The bill became Law, and wa:
put upon the statute book, and the orfgina
act now stands there, and is now on tile ii tht
archives Of the Senate, with the original elias
sifcation hill to be preserved us !. 1n0numen
Of the patriotism and intelligence and firm,
ness Of the Legislature Of 16i4'15. If tta
act was 4 monument Of intelligence and pat
riotiEM at that time, should be gladto know
whether in tic course Of forty-ninc years
years Of prospeIity-since 1t was passed, il
has become evidence Of cruelty, of arbitrari
ness, Of uneonstitutionality. Ii my hnmbl.
Judgment, it is evidence Of neither. What
to attempt to show that similar act pasBct
BY the Congress Of the nation, less harsh il
its provisions, less severe in the exemption
It allows, is all act against which tue pcopl
Of this State should rise, and attempt to I'M
pose war On their own Government because j
II unconstitutional iu its provisions. 1subini'
t1at there is soEhi,g ii Tie act Of tie last Cen
sr&xs, os lh0'e repeatedly had occasion to say
sotAiHg in any q TIC lutcs passed 6y tat,t Con-
gusss, or in TIC PToc1ansa1ioas cf the President
fhafX0nfd 7t4nire any io3n{ or patriotic .,lan L
hts'to', u tie support q &c Gotsan,nens or Il
unhul1aly engaged. am aware that1 hare NJ
right to speak for anybody else, / have 1,eyc
| nNdestaken to do 60. I um not one Of taos
who have eyer thought myself able to adyis
others, or what they ought to do. It is true
I lave been more or less connected with pub
lie mcn who have adinonishcd the Govern
nc1.t of this country. | think have bee,
highly favored by associating with them.
| l.ayv hecn more or less engaged with them
But all I have attempted to claim WAS that
wns able, after careful reelection, to ietermin
what I ought to do myself; but you ma
sensations must be when find man cndeay
oring to arprisc the public Of what ought +
do, and what ought to say, and what tn
President ought 10 do, and when the ar1nic
i ought 10 advance and when to retreat, wha
tho people Of this State have to do with Grea
Btitnin or France or Russia. In view {
!. omission on the part Of others, and dignoranc
; on the part Of myself, trcmblc sometime
when I 60 from my lodgings to my office, fo
, those people who know so much. Laughter
i I lind \ great many people tell inc that "
are right, that this rebellion is unjnstitlahl
: | and ought TO be put down. but it is impossib
to eubjugate the South; that they are six mi
lions Of resolute people, perfectly united "
never to be put down. say with Col. Mi
, lcr, of Eric, 80 far as 1t is necessary to subj
gate the South - NC viii try" I believe til
t The people who say that It is impossible
: They are people who seem to hope that '
|, cannot overpowcr The South. Whenever
;, find one Of these men who tells you that *
e cannot sub1ugate the South, l always thi1
: he is man who Is signing to be subdued al
d hoping to be conquered. l believe VIC G.
+ overthrow the armies of the South, md Il
intelligence that comes to us now Is ca1cul
c ted to confirm that conviction. [App1aust
e We do not propose to snbJngnte the Sout
I We PROPOSE to subjngatc JET Davis and S
i the South free. {Applausc,] As the armi
e Of the United States advance, they oyer:hr1
t, the rebel army. believe they ean do III;
e The enormous array Of force, with the =:
g thcir a,mies. IApplanse.} There arc men
/. the South, loyal and patriotic, who hate Il
a iron rule Of JeH Davis, and believe they r
Q rejoice at the triumph of the armies Of t
Union. With or without the Proclama1i
r ne,ond al question. The .gal effect q or
crate States and the Confederate Goyernme
Itself just SO last us we take possession
their territory, is to I'll tue slave Of eve
man who will not become 10.
to st the nha9d unitsd +na states ard PIED
J. throw The Government, as yon advance
ac destroy the army arrnyed against the Unie
aud there, ! trust in God, you viii take the rel
te President prisoner, and bring him captl
~ either to New York or to Washington, fang
10 Ter aud applause and the question viii IL
r. Voices Hang him W Gen. Jackson
r ways thought that he ought to have hang
=. John G. Calhoun, and to the last day Of ]
~ life it was j subject Of regret that lle had r
It Gone it. [Grcat laughter: And if be b:
N the present generation #ould hare been spa,
l -os,, 81 nr%f +tn~