The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1864-06-08
SPEECH OF
G. CHAUNCY BURR
OF NEW YORK

|
At the recent celebration of Jefferson
birth day, by the Anita bolition State
Rights Association of New York, the fol
lowing was proposed as one of the regu-
lar toasts:
s. {, The nominee Of the Chicago Conven
tion-May he be Democrat-a man who will
faithfully represent and sustain the great
American principle of self government. in op-
position to the European coercive p, inciple oi
despo.ism. "
G. Chauncy Burr responded:
Mr. PRESIDENT: It is a saving OF
Cicero's that ..It is not sufficient that all
you say should be true; you must have
the courage to tell all the truth" This
is very high and excellent rule; no
doubt. which all men of truth and honor
would desire to follow. IF all had follow
ed such rule during the last three abom-
Unable years, our country would have
been saved from this baptism of blood,
and from eternal disruption. As far as
human wisdom Can see, the Republic is
in the agonies of death. And, if it must
die, a fitting line upon its tombstone
would be-"Died of the Cowardice of the
Democratic party" The rarity in power
came in to do the very work of destruc-
tion it is driving on with such ferocity
of determination. The Democratic party
stood pledged tn resist these principles
By more than half century of Professions
and of practical legislation. The Repub-
lican party has been as true to its revolu-
tiorary and destructive instincts and to
its pledges as the Democratic party has
been false to ali its principles and pro
fessions. TIE democratic party has af.
firmed and reaffrmed the resolutions of
'9s, until they have become as we may
cay, the keystone of the arch of its phi
losophy Now, behold how, for three
years, it has madly trampled the princi-
pi of these resolutions under its feet
lIew it has turned its back upon the
practice and professions of lifetime, and
gone down to battle in the pools of frater.
nal hland by the side of those whose prin-
ciples it processes to abhor, and whose
whole bistCry it pretends to abominate
Monstrous desertion of principle,i As
founding delusion, which seems to have
infatuated the people With dirt, and blood,
and bastiles. and reconciled them to The
atrocious deformities of principles which
they have spent all their lives in denoun-
cling. But, sir, the sentiment of this
toast carries our minds back to the Dem
ocratic party of other and happier days.
| do not say to the Democracy of other
days, because that has not changed. 1t
is the same now that it was in the DAYS
of its foundation and of its trinmphs. 1t
is sublime philosophy of rights, Of lib
erty and justice, which is eternal and un-
changable in its principles. Those who
profess these grand principles may be
beug hit off, or frightened off, but mutition
never touches the principle, any more
than it does the principles of morality or
religion. When, therefore. you pray. as
in this toast, that the nominee of the
Chicago Convention may be a "Deno-
crat," you simply express the expectation
that the Democratic party will return to
its own glorious principles of voluntary
sefgovernment. and nominate some man
for the Presidency who represents these
principles. 1t is yet to be seen whether
the Convention called at Chicago will be
Democratic, or something else. A body
of men calling themselves Democrats; and
yet adjuring the principles of Democracy, |
would not be Democratic Corveution.
Daniel s. Dickinson, Lyman Tremaib,
John W. Forney, &c. are in the habit of
calling themselves democrats. " and they
go up and down amorg the loudest of the
bowling dervishers, proclaimirg them
selves "life-long Democrats"-jus as Ju- |
das Iscariot may have strutted about with |
the thirty pieces of silver in his pocket,
declaring himself disciple of the Lord |
j esqs; but would Convention of birds
of that feather be Democratic Conuen
tion ? No more .han communion ad-
ministered by Iscariot would have been
the Lords Supper. No, sir. Nor will u
meeting of such people as call themselves
"Couse vatives" be Democratic Conven-
tion. eConservatism," as now used.
means coloordisnu, or something worse.
The conservative" is a mitigated Aboli-
zionist, or he is an unmitIgated coward
and trimmer. This conservatism" is
compounding with despotism. 1t is soma.
thing that tries to split the difference be-
tween the American voluntary system of
government and the European system of
coercive despotism. But the difference
cannot be split. In this case it must be |
all one thing or the other. There are
but two sorces-tbe centripetal and the |
ccntrifugal-rhe Capitalization or the de-
Capitalization of governmental power.-l
Democracy is .centrifugalism opposition |
is centripedalisn, and the "Conserva-
tive" is crack-brained philosopher, who |
thinks he has discovered third force in
nature, where none exists. Sir, there is
no middle ground here There is no
half way place between the voIuntary and
the involuntary or coercive principle as
applied to these States Either the Un-
ion was formed upon the voluntary or the |
involuntary basis. IF upon the volunta
ry, then the war is subvcrsion of the |
fundamental principle of our system.-I
Then, sir, the war is the great, the bloody,
the horrible rebellion to be put down, as
the first step toward the salvation of the |
country. The man who supports thi. |