Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1864-09-02
How will the Democrats Give us
Peace?

Gov. Parker of New Jersey, prom
, nent and influential democrat, the pres
ent executive head of his State, under
took to answer this interesting question
in a speech at Freehold, in that state, g
few evenings since. No man, no organ
so high in authority or so respectable in
position, in the opposition party, as Gov
Parker, has yet met this query Sc
promptly and fairly as he does and we
therefore copy below all he says upon
the subject. 1t offers, indeed, but bar.
ren prospect for the desired peace, for ii
insists on the preservation of the Union
which the best and highesl authorities
of the rebellion pronounce impossble,-
and processes only to concede the preser-
walton of slavery as the inducement to
the South to lay down their arms but it
is all the case the democratic party can
present, and as they have faith and hope
in it, alike for giving them the power Of
tbe government, and for restoring the
Union in peace---it S entitled to be
heard and read of all men.
Gov. Parker said -
What do the national democracy pro-
pose to do when they obtain the power
| cannot tell what they will do first, but
l think they ought to commence by un-
doing almost everything that has been
done at Washington during the last three
years. They ought to unmuzze t b
press, take the lock off the mouths f.
men, and restore in its pristine purity
that great writ Of right, the habeas cor
pus. They ought to open the doors of
military prisons crowded with citizens
incarcerated without the formality of tri-
al and set the prisoners free. I hey
should repeal all acts Of Congress that in
fringe on the proper jurisdiction of the
state courts they should make short
work of the indemnity act, and give eve
ry man who has been aggreved the op /.
portunity to test the legality of his i'm
prisonment in a court of justice. They
should repeal the cCnscription act, and if
troops are needed for the United States
service they should be riased by the
states through their own agents. They
ought to repeal the confscaion act and
wipe out all proclamations of emancpa-
lion and reconstruction, and all test oaths
to support executive decrees, past, pres
ant and to come, and the only oath they
should require is the support of the con.
'titution and the laws. Having gone
back to where we stood before the war
'egan, and having put the government
nee more in the right, the way would
'e oper for terms Of peace. The democ-
acy would not be strenuous on merely
ormal points j n what manner terms -
houId b proposed, and b y whom;
whether informal meetings of citizens i
9ho are cognizant of the views of those o
n power should prepare the way for ne o
citation; whether commissioners should q
e appointed by the general government, |
+ whether there should be an armistice 9
nd convention of states. They should r
OF stand on technically or etiquette in D
he midst of suffering and death, if an II
onorable peace is within their grasp. II
am in favor of whichever of these n
lCdes will bring peace and Union the e,
1onest. The difficulty now is that the 81
arties cannot be brought together i n n
of impossible terms being q,
sisted upon in advance. The success 10
the democracy would bring ibe bellIg-
rents face to face; an honest effort
ould be made to agree upon fair terms,
ld that would be a step in the right di- -
,ction, even if the effort should (not =
rove successful. / am asked on what =
rms would the democracy negotatiate -
it'll view to peace l suppose the j.,
hicago convention will do that. Blu! |
ink | know something OF the senti- ..
ents Of the people, and particularly of =
e democracy, and l am satisfied they
ould repudiate the Niagara letter Of the
esident. They would not insist upon ln
e abolition of slavery as condition. i"
the southern people chose, in their sew w
al states, to abolish slavery, they "'
Duld be well satisfied, provided they
,pt the negroes at home; but if they
ere not willing TO dispense with that
stitution, for which the present genera =,
~ is not responsible, but which was i,
tailed on them partly by the action OF !.
e people OF the North, the democracy :.
ould be content to permit them to man> ;.
,e it in their own way, and get rid of il -
hen they desired, believing, however, -.
at it would be better for both races
at there should not be immediate r
rcible emancipation. The sufferings
II. -. oolIoJ a., C-aoJ,.o,, f., IL