Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1863-06-09
Peace Platform.

The Fernando Wood Democracy in New York,
at great demonstration, recently adopted among
other resolutions the following
3" RESOLVED, That under the Constitution THERE
Is NO POWER In TIE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO
coERcE THE STATES or any number Of them by
MILITARY FORCE. II the power Of coercion ex.
ists It all, it is legal power, and not military.
That the Democratic party, II true to its 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 truthfuly with
them."
Wood gave his views Of the war, and his desire
for peace as follows
Even admittiugits legality and constituiionalily,
admitting that it is really prosecuted for the pur-
pose Of Union, admitting that there has been none
of these encroachments upon our rights, admit
ting that the administration had done nothing but
what they were empowered TO do and what il
was best for them TO do say 1t is failure, that
we have undertaken what we cannot perform. No
revolted people that have kept an Independent
Government for twslvemonth have ever yet been
subjugated, and no purely agricultural people in
the protection Of their domestic rights have ever
yet been subjugaled since the earth was founded
Even laying history aside the history Of this two
years war shews thst whilst we are brave and de-.
termined, whilst we have thrown our best spirit
and energies and on unlimited amount Of treas
ure into this contest whilst our men have fought
as men never fought beior', yet we have only
gained defeat. humiliating to our sectional pride,
destructive TO all our material interests and ami
hilating 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 10 the same
common sense principle that you and would
appeal to 10 every affair Of life when we see we
cannot succeed, il is prudent and wise, honest
aud enncbing to admit our failure, and that we
must back down from our position.
Let us declare Tor peace, and let us decls-e
that the party or man who advocates the PR
culion OF this war is false to the democratic creed
and should be cas-, out rom among US a Demo-
Gratis. II this war is to 90 on, want the Repub.
ican party to have the power and take the respon.
siblity. | do not want to see Democratic ad-
minisiration succeed this IL il is to be done upon
the war platform, because tell you here--and
speak advisedly-that at the South, the thing they
bold in the utmost contempt, even more than an
abo,Onist, is hypocritical, canting, yling War
Democrat And i it Is said that the South won't
make peace with Lincons administration (groans
for Lincoln) let me tell you they never will make
peace with Democratic administration, and il
this war continues two years longer, the only ap
prehension that nave is, that instead Of recog-
nizng their independence they won't recognize
our independence.
1t is only doing justice to the Democracy Of
the State Of New York and the better part Of the
Democracy of the city, to say that they rspudiate
Wood, aud go for vigorous prosecution Of
the warm their way.