The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-02-12

SoHN VAN BUREN, AT LAST ON THE RIGHT
TRACK.-Jef. Davis and his leading organs
have at length convinced Mr. John Van Buren,
that armistices and conventions will not avail
to bring back the revoted States into the
Union. The Richmond Dispatch, referring to
the late conciliatory eiectioneerng speeches of
Mr.. Van Buren,, has answered him thus: that
president Davis expressed the sentiment Of
the entire Southern confederacy whom he said
that its people would sooner unite with nation
OF hyenas than with the detestable and detest-
ed Yankee nation. Anything but that. English
colonization, French vassalage, Russian serf-
dom, all all, are preferable to any association
with the Yankees"
This and other equally emphatic rebel re-
sponses to the amiable and concilatory propo-
sitions OF Mr.. Van Buren, of last autumn in be-
half OF the Union have brought him fairly and
squarely to face the question, Shall we continue
this war for the Union, or purchase an ignoble
peace in the recognition Of South ern consede-
racy? And, like true man, he faces the music.
In his speech to the Democratic Union Associa-
ton Of this city, the other evening, after care
fully looking at the implacable hostility of the
leaders of the rebellion, he says that "Our
friends (the democrats) in Illinois, whs propose
to cndeavor to hold convention, will find il
barren task, because the South is determined
not to return; and until their armies have power
to resist and put us down this war must 60 on.
and those who would attempt to stop it will be
carried away by the torrent" This is to the
point and to the purpose, and it indicates
the right road to the democracy of the Empire
State and of all the loyal States.
We also concur with Mr.. Van Buren,,
or rather no concurs in the views of the
HERALD touching the emancipation proclama-
ton. lie pronounces it dead letter, hum
bug and a stumbling block but he is very
wide of the mark in his notion that "it is a waste
of time to bother with the President Of the
United States any longer" AS the constitli-
tional head of the government, we must sustain
him aud strengthen him, if we would save the
government alive. Some of his acts may be
unwise, partial and UNJUST but he is still the
head of the government. We must take things
as we find them and do the best that we can TO
hold the government, the loyal States and their
people together. Let us consider the emanci-
patton proclamation as only tub thrown out
to amuse the abolition whale and let us still
hope that great and glorious practical victories
over the rebellion are soon to come
Just at the point when Greeley and the abo-
lition radicals are proposing tic abandon
ment of the cause Of the Union. and the
purchase Of a shameful and dclusivo
peace upon the basis of separation, it is ex-
tremely gratifying to find as prominent a leader
of the New York democracy as Mr. Van Buren,
bravely leading the way for an earnest prsse-
cution of the war to the extent Of the all-suld-
cient forces and resources of the Union. Let tie
universal democracy of the loyal Suites take the
Union road indicated by Mr.. Van Buren,, and
We shall put down the secessionists Of the South
in 1863, and the aboiitionists of the North
and Ill other disturbers of the public harmony
in 1864. Nor, in the achievement Of these grand
results, will such patriotic political leaders as
John Van Buren, be forgotten by q grateful
people.