The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1863-06-05
Peace Platform.

Peace Platform.
The Fernando Wood Democracy in New York,
at great demonstration, recently adopted among
other resolutions the following:
Resolved That under the Constitution THERE
Is NO POWER IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO
coERCE THE STATES or amy number Of them BY
MILITARY FORCE. If the power of coercion ex
lists at all it IS legal power, and not military.
That the Democratic party, if true to It's own
time honOred principles, cannot sustain war
against sovereign States that we believe it to be
the duty of the party to proclaim these sentiments
boldly, that the people may feel that there Is at
least one political organization which will deal
honestly independently, and truthlully with
them"
Wood gave his views of the war, and his desire
for peace as follows
Even admitting its legality and constitutionaity,
admitting that it is really prosecuted for the pur-
pose of Union, admitting that there has been none
of these entertainments upon our rights, admit
ting that the administration had done nothing but
what they were empowered to do and what it
was best for them to do say it is failure, that
we have undertaken what we cannot perform. No
revolted people that have kept an Independent
Government for twelvemonth have ever yet been
subugatcd, and no purely agricultural people in
the protection of their domestic rights have ever
vet been subjugated since the earth was founded
Even laying history aside, the history Of this two
years war shows that whilst we are brave and de-
termined whilst we have thrown our best spirit
and energies and an unlimited amount OF treas
ure into this contest, whilst our men have fought
as men never fought before, yet we have only
gained defeat, humiliating to sectional pride,
destructive to all our material interests, and ami
hilatng to every spirit Of liberty. Candor should
compel US to admit before the civilized world that
we have been beaten and cannot succeed in what
we have undertaken, and appealing to the same
commonsense. principle that you and | would
appeal to in every affair of life when we see we
cannot succeed, It IS prudent and wise, honest
and ennoblng to admit our failure, and that we
must back down from our position.
Let US declare ter peace, and let US declare
that the party or man who advocates the prose
cution of this war is false to the democratic creed
and should be cast out from among US as Demo
Gratis. If this war is to 60 on, want The Repub
lican party to have the power and take the reSpon
sjbility. do not want to see a Democratic ad-
minisration succeed this if it is to be done upon
the war platform, because tell you here-and
speak advisedly-that at the South, the thing they
hold in the utmost contempt, even more than al
abolitioni8t, is hypocritical, canting, Wing Wal
Democrat. And If it is said that the South won'
make peace with Ljncolns administration (groan'
sor Lincoln) let me tell you they never will make
peace with Democratic administration, and i
this war continues two years longer, the only ap
prehension that nave is, that instead of recog
nizing their independence they won't recognize
Our independence.
1t is only doing justice to the Democracy o
the State of New York and the better part Of th
Democracy Of the city, to say that they repudiat
Wood, and go. for vigorous prosecution O
the warn their way.