Year: 1863

At meeting of the Democratic Unior
Convention, held in New York on Tues
day evening, Hon. John Van Burer
spoke as follows:


Let us look little at the condition oi
the country, and what is the real diff
Guilty under which we are laborine. Oi
course every man has his own theory
and, like others, have one. l do not
think 1t is entirely correct 10 say thai
slavery is the occasion of the unhappy
difficulties in which we are now plunged
| shall be slow to believe that the insti
tuition which had legally and constitu
t'onal'y existed for eighty years, which
was perfectly understoodby our fore
fathers at the time of the declaration o.
independence, that was well known
when they went through the sever
years bloody struggle of the Revolution
which was equally appreciated at the
time the constitution was adopted, and
which has been recognized, confirmed
and acquesced in for eighty years since
the adoption Of the constitution, should
all of sudden, now, within a few
months. have proved such an irreconcil
able cause of difference between the
non.slaveholding and the slaveholding
States that they cannot live together 10
peace and amily, as they have so long
and so gloriously done. | do not be.
lieve one word of that. Now, | believe
that the occasion of our difficulties is a
very different one. Although slavery
has como very prominently forward
since the question arose, | believe that,
in the first place, at the lotion Of our
troubles lies deep corruption in the
officers of the government. And be
lieve that unless we can get rid Of that
and put honest men in Office, to what
ever political party they may belong,
we never shall be able to re.establsh
the government Of the United States in
the form in which IT has so long and so
happily existed. will very briefly call
your attention TO what has occurred for
some years past We have had in the
State of New York political party
which has allied itself 10 every issue
that has arisen in the State. While the
democrats have gone under the same
name, and pursued the even tenor OF
their way, they have been resisted by a
party Ct men who combine sometimes
with anti Masonry, sometimes with anti
rent, sometimes with temperance, some.
times with the peculiar interests of the
canaIs,as it was supposed, have en-
Geavored to bring themselves into
power no Iunttcr what the combi-
nation might be. They have gen
orally been distinguished by extraordiu-
ary laxity in legislation, and an extreme
corruption when holding public Office
They did not succeed in bringing them.
selves into power To any considerable
extent over the United States. Though
the party opposed to the democratic
party may have concilated the particu.
lar interest to which have alluded
the corrupt interst of the State of New
York-it did not succeed in gaining
the ascendency over the United States
till now; and now it was by allying 1t
self with the fanaticism of abolition
which enabled them 20 carry all the free
States in the Union, and from party
which overturned the democratic party
aud brought them into power do not
think they could have succeeded If these
had been one particle Of wisdom shown
on the part of our Southern friends; =
they were then our friends, and should
be very glad to describe them now in
the same way. They chose at Charles
ton To assume ar utterly untenable po
siiion, under the lead of Mr. Yancey, of
Alabama, and to demand that tho peo
pie of the free States should accept
their dogma upon the subject of slavery,
or that the convention should be broken
up and they should retire. When the
convention reassembled at Baltimore
renewed difficulties arose, and they gain
retired from the convention and made
separate nomination.


Mr. Douglas was the unquestioned
choice of the people of the free States
under the circumstances of the case. |
was not supporter of Mr. Douglas,
and should have preferred that some
moderate Southern man should be nom.
mated; or, if not, that some man should
have been taken from the North who,
while true to the great principles of the
North, should not have been so exceed.
ngly unacceptable to the South as Mr..
Douglas had made himself. That was
the opinion, in my humble judgment, of
Mr.. Douglas, too; ard | believe he was
entirely willigg that such aresult should
be reached. But before this could be
accomplished, Mr.. Yancey and his
friends retired from the convention
At Baltimore they again seeded and
nominated an independent candidate.


And what have to say in regard to
that is this: that it was not ouly bad
party fealty in these gentlemen to do
this, but that it was committing us to
the tender rnercics of the abolitionists,
who, it was supposed, would swamp
and override us when they started off
with Mr.. Breckinridge for their candi.
date, whom they thought they could
elect to the Presidency, or, at all events
maintain their ascedancy IN the slave.
holding States. This | say, was most
unjust. Follnwing that was the election
of MIR. Lincoln In that election took
no part. However much may be re.
r,roached for oyerspcakinO uDOn the Oc.