The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-04-04

sii'iI ~ TIE iofetaoto VI c4uoty Soou thihSS w
come tg rn
The Rhode Island Eiectton-Tne Reac-
ton Against the Copperh ads.
The Rhode Island election has fallen like q
wet blanket upon the copperheads. They were
warned by New Hampshire that they were
playing a desperate game. They were pre-
pared for close contest, and perhaps for a
drawn battle, in Rhode Island; but the results
of the late election there have utterly con-
founded all their calculations. That election
in its results perfectly consistent with the re-
suits of the Northern elections Of last October
and November-marbs another popular reac-
ton in behalf of more vigorous and decisive
prosecution of the war, and against disturb
ing political faction and there is no reason to
doubt that the voice OF the people of Rhode
Island will be the voice of the people of Con-
necticut in their State election on Monday next
We think we cannot be mistaken in the conclu-
sion that the popular verdict from Rhode Island
against this impracticable and revolutionary
peace programme of the copperheads is but the
outcropping, in small corner, of solid
formation of public opinion underlying all the
loyal States.
great political reaction, however, may be
more aptly compared to great freshet in the
Mississippi river, carrying with it vast amount
of driftwood and floating rubbish, which, as
the waters recede, is left high and dry at the
head Of every island and upon every projecting
point of land. The peace agitators of the cop
perhead faction of the North were but the bits
of driftwood and rubbish borne along in the food
of the State elections of last autumn. In their
preposterous self-conceit, however, these silly
copperhead politicians imagined that they con-
trolled the elements, and that their foolish,
mischievous and repulsive notions of constitu-
tional rights, peace, and peace conventions and
armistices were the ruling ideas of the public
mind. Elections which broadly and plainly
expressed the dissatisfaction of the loyal States
with the blgndering, squapdering and disas.
trous way in which the war had been conducted
were construed by these deluded copperheads
into popular reaction against the war itself,
and in favor of peace with the rebellious States
of the South, even to the extent of civil war in
the loyal States of the North.
Acting upon this most outrageous misconcep-
ton of public opinion, q number of these cop
perhead peace agitators-green and unfedged
politicians, or shallow pated old hucksters, pos
sessed of only that one idea Of the democratic
party and the spoils and carried into the Legis-
latures Of Illinois, Indiana and New Jersey
upon great popular uprising for q
more vigorous prosecution Of the war
proceeded to such fantastic tricks in
the way Of peace resolutions, peace PROPOSE
tons and denunciations of the war az very
soon to disgust their constituents and to excite
the general indignation of the brave volunteers
fighting for the Union. The real conservative
sentiment of the whole country has just dis
closed itself in this Rhode Island election. 1t
means an earnest, active, overwhelming prose-
cution Of the war, until the armed forces Of the
rebellion are put down; it means that the peo-
pie of the loyal States intend to support the
measures Of Congress passed to enable the adj
ministation to crush the rebellion; it means
that there shall be no intervention, no media
ton, no armistice, no convention short Of the
subjugation of the rebellion. The rebel chiefs
themselves have de6antly announced this as
their ultimatum, to wit-that this issue between
them and the supporters of the Union must be
settled by the sword, and the people Of the
loyal States have simply resolved that II shall
be so settled, inasnuch as II can be settled in
no other way.
This puts an end to all argument in favor of
armistices, or conventions, or mediation in any
form. Hence this popular reaction in Rhode
Island against the copperhead peace faction--it
is because that faction interferes with the vgor-
Gus prosecution Of the war, and is giving
aid and comfort to the enemy. The great Cen
trail States, from the Hudson to the Mississippi,
last autumn rose up in judgment against the
disastrous war policy of the administration,
under the preposterous theories and disorgan-
izing war measures of the abolition faction.
The results have been good. That disorgan-
izing faction has gone to the wall. Its leaders,
lively tractable and docile. They no longer
insist that emancipation acts and proclamations
will subdue the rebellion, but they recognize
the necessity Of meeting and defeating the rebel
armies by force Of arms. Now in their turn,
the copperhead faction are beginning to receive
their instructions from the people. They are
told from Rhode Island that their peace convcn-
tons, and armistices, and denunciations Of the
war, are as far from the road to peace as an abo-
lition crusade, and that the agitation Of peace
with the rebellious South, at the expense Of
civil war and mob law in the North, is little
better than open rebellion.
President Lincoln is thus assured that, against
all sorts Of selfish and miserable intriguing POI
litical factions, be will be supported by the
people of the loyal States in the prosecution Of
the war. But, on the other hand, with the enor-
nous forces and resources at his disposal, let
him fail, during this spring and summer, to