The Ottawa free trader., 1863-04-04
The Democracy and the War.
Hon. John ID. Cation and Hon. John T..
Stuart.
OTTAWA, February 4, 1868.

express your approval of my paper to Gov
ernor Seymour. | last night received a
letter from mutual friend of Governor
Seymour and myself, in New York, stating
that the Governor had sent HIM the paper,
with the request to see it put In print, and
desiring my permission TO do So Before
deciding the matter, | wish to take your
opinion on the subject. Governor Sey.
mour ; request, together with the message
in which he has taken substantly the
same grounds as to the course proper to be
pursued by the Democratic party, but
without attempting to discuss the reasons
why, as have done, that the party should
adopt that course as its principle of action
Crittenden to the Kentucky Legislature,
Governor Seymour for his message
To me il is so clear that we must
support the war, while we condemn the
proclamation, if we would maintain and
increase our asceidancv, that l cannot see
how any are SO blind as to think and act
otherwise. In this part Of the State, at
least, any other course will utterly pros
tratc the party. Let this course be adopt
ed and acted upon oy pnolic bodies, our
speakers and papers everywhere, and our
accessions cannot be computed, and we
shall soon be able to save the government
and restore the Union ia spite of the radi-
cal element that has now got control of
the government This can only be done
by the Democratic party, and it can only
do it by augmenting its strength and be-
coming all powerful everywhere.
No party, whatever its principles may
be, can effect any good without numbers,
which constitute its strength. To ahand
on the war and refuse it support, is to
abandon the Union, and those who suppose
the people are prepared for this, no matter
wha. outrages the Government may COM
nit, grossly deceive themselves. This is
the peoples Government, and they will
distinguish them from Mr.. Lincoln, and
will not suffer him to decov them any
more than the secessionists. What though
Mr.. Lincoln or those who control him now,
may have an incidental object III view, in
supporting the war and carrying it on,
that cannot justify us in abandoning it
altogether, for 10 abandon it is to abandon
the country and all hope of the Union, for
no party could now make peace with tle
South with a restoration Of the Union
There must be war and victories first, and
those who think otherwise greatly mistake
the s'uthern te:nIe' IS represented from
every quarter, without exception. Two
| things are to be accomplished TO save the
Union. One is for our leaders TO pursue
such a course as to secure to our party an
clming strength over our opponents,
and the other Is to prosecute this war with
such results As to predispose the South TO
make peace with us on the old basis with
further guarantees for their legitimate
rights, if necessary Lincoln and his adj
vIsers are doing al! that can be lone by
their fanatical course to accomplish the
first of these objects, and surely succ, g led
in doing so, unless We are guilty OF ALI
equal folly and defect-.he accomplish
ment OF that object 10y abandoning the
principles we profeSsed during the last
canvass Then we claimed 10 support the
war, but opposed the radicalism of the
Administration, and we succeeded on these
professions,
Suppose we abandon this. and oppose
the war a our enemies said we would. and
thus verify their assertions. Can any sane
man mistake the result? II Lincoln does
not succeed in accomplishing the second
object, then we must do it ourselves when
we shall become 50 strong as 10 enable us
TO assume controle Of public affairs But
peace will be easier accomplished 10y Us if
the necessary victories are won by them
necessary successes in the field The road
to the end desired may seem long and a
painful one, but that end is certain il we
act wisely-and at last one, two, or even
five years, is short period in the history
of nations, and will certainly appear so in
history. Let Us then act as statesman,
and be governed by the dictates Of true
wisdom. Let us rise above petty coasid-
erations which may be beinnocently INDUCED
in ordinary times. Let Us embrace this
subject in view OF its vast proportions, and
OF the nomertous consequences depend
ent upon the course we shall pursue.
| firmly believe that il is the purpose Of
tho radical Aboliiionists who now have
the ear Of the President, though he may
not appreciate it, TO acknowledge the Con
federacy Just so soon as they can find n
pretext for so noing. and avoid the respoa-
.ibiItv, and this would be most effectually
done by the Democracy refusing longer to
support the war. Everybody can see that
the war could not be prosecuted a month
should the Democratic party really and
earnestly oppose it, Then would Mr.. Lin
coin be absolutely forced to peace, and
that, too b. admitting the separation; for
no other peace could he obtain under such
circumstances and then the sponslbIlity
OF such Q peace is thrown upon us. We
could not avoid, for it would be literally
and practically true that We forced Lincoln
in such peace, and we should have to
bear the crushing responsibility TO the
final dismemberment of our country. This
would literally annihilate US as party
and leave those wild, bad men, the leaders
and controllers of party forever dominant
and triumphant in every Northern states
to work their will Upon no other hy-
pothesis can their present acts be explain
ed Every provocation which ingenuity
can devise to array Us in hostility to the
war; every impedimen: to a restoration OF
the Union is enacted; even the conduct
of the war seems to be designed for the
success of the enemy, and now shall we
fall into the wicked but artfully devised
trap?
If we act prudently, AID wisely, and
patriotcal!y, we shall defeat this device,
and it will recoil upon the heads of its
authors, utterly crushing in its effects If
we allow provocatives to throw US off from
the true and only course which can save
our country. we actually become their
tools and instruments by which they will
destroy it. They are playing a desperate
game, which will crush them and slve the
country, by making the Democratic party
the greatest and most powerful party that
ever existed-numbering in its ranks every
true patriot in the land; or it will crush
out the Democratic party and destroy the
Government, and by their own eontrivance,
the result is left entirely in our hands
Shall we so act as to accomplish their
purpose, or defeat theul2 Shall we take
the responsibility of destroying the Gov
ernment or the glory Of saving it Tie
East may live and prosper, it may be, with
out the Union; but the West, an inso-
lated agricultural community, dependent
entirely upon her neighbors for transport
tation and market, is almost equally
ruined in the event of separation, go
which way she will. Her interests can
only he subserved and her prosperity Sc
cured, by maintenance of the Union of