Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1863-03-12
The Speaker Declares for Peace.
The War for the Negro Cannot be Successful

The Speaker Declares for Peace
The War for the Negro Cannot be Successful
The announcement that Hon. G.. L
Vallandigham was to speak at Concert
Hall, Newark, drew forth on Saturday
evening a most crowded and enthusiastic
audience. filling tho galleries and main
body OF the house almost to suffocaton
The platform was occupied by about q
hundred leading Democrats of Newark
and from abroad.
At three o'clock the meeting was call.
ed to order by Mr.. Henry Bepner, Presi
dent of the Democratic Union Club ol
Newark, and Mr.. j. G. Fitzgerald read
the peace resolutions of the linois Leg.
islature, which were adopted as the ex.
preston Of this meeting, with resolutions
also denouncing the passage OF appropr-
ations by Congress for freeing slaves, call.
ing on the Legislature and Executive OF
New Jersey to demonstrate against the
suspension of civil law in the State, and
recommending bill PROHIBITING the in
gress Of free negroes into New Jersey.
MIR. Vallandigham was then introduced
by Nehemiah Perry, and was received
with the most enthusiastic demonstra.
tions of applause. After expressing his
thanks for this reception, Mr.. Vallandig-
ham spoke as follows:
remember that it was in the city OF
Newark, little more than two years ago,
that first gave the pledge to any portion
Of the people Of the United States that
would never contribute, by my words or
acts, to the shedding of one drop Of
American blood in civil war. TGrcat
applause. How far and consistently |
have kept that pledge let you-a part of
my untrymen--determine. Applause1
Much has happened since we met. The
history of fifty years of ordinary occur
rences has been written would that it
had been written in peace, but it stands
n remarkable portion of the history OF
this land written in characters Of blood.
| am not here to review the events of the
past. l came to speak of The immediate
questions that are pressing upon the peo-
pie. Argument upon the question of per.
sonal liberty and the suspension of the
act of habeas corpus is exhausted. The
time for action may come-l hope not
Great cheering. There are those who
can testify to the iniquitous despotism o
this Administration McMasters, of the
Freenan's Journal MIR. Reeves, an editor
of Rhode Island, and Mahoney. of Du.
buque, Iowa. Cheers. They are here
as free as air-no bastiles confning them
New Jersey has spoken on these ques.
tions. The people of the Northwest !
am not fearful of. There are others here
from the Northwest, all "Butternuts.
"Copperheads," like myself cheers
who can speak of the public opinion OF
that section. l have had occasion to
speak of the inevitability of reconstruc-
tion or reunion of these States. | am
deeply convinced, from my reading OF
history, and from my observations of the
last two years, that this event will take
place in our day; have no doubt of it
l am here tonight to meet the new
questions that have arisen before the peo
pie, and | believe shall do much more
good before the people than in the halls
OF legislation, and for this reason | am
here--l am here the representative of the
peace sentiment of the Norlhwest.-
Great applause. l am not minister,
but l believe the Sermon on the Mount
says, BLESSED are the peace takers. -
AT the commencement of this war there
were two parties. Before the war broke
out. very large majority of the North
were against civil war. After the firing
upon Fort Sumpter thoy seemed to be in
an Insignificant minority. But there was
no change in the people. There never
was a time when. in the hearts of the
people, there was not an undying oppo-
sition to the war. They dared not speak
it. They were carried away by their
leaders. There was only small band
favoring peace they were fewer than the
apostles, but there was no Judas among
them. Applause. 1t was said to be a
war for the restoration of the Union.
thought that an absurdity. 1t might as
well have been supposed that man
could beat love into the breast of mr.
whom he was about to marry. Nobody
now believes, after two years of war,
that we have accomplished. or can by
this means accomplish, the restoration of
the Union, except William H. Seward.
He secs everything in the color of the
rose. believe that the war is now con-
Quoted for the abolition of slavery. That
can not take place until the Government
itself becomes a despotism. | don't
choose to sell my precious inheritance
and boon of personal liberty. for which
the fields of New Jersey were stained
with blood, for the purpose of giving
liberty to the negro. Great applause. |
There is now party who assumes that
the war has failed, and urge a separation
Of the States. l abhor that party. There
is another who believes that the war has
failed, and desire to try the experiment
of bringing the South back by concila,
tion and compromise. am one of that
party. Great cheering Seventy five
out of every hundred of the men Of the
Northwest are in favor of cessation OF
hcstlities and commencement of the
experiment of restoring the Union by
constitutional and peaceful measures. -
| Cheers. There is third party who
call themselves the conservative party, of
which William II. Seward is to become
the leader--the same William II. Seward
who was the author of the phrase ''irre-
Il