Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-08-10
Kentucky ana The Copperhends.

ton canvass in Kentucky was the downright
and earnestly expressed antagonism of the
Union party to the copperheads. 1t will be
remembered that the attempt of copperhead
Voorhees,, of Indiana, to address their state
convention at Louisville, caused an uproar
of opposition. The same bearing towards
politicians of his sort was maintained through
out the canvass. This unrelenting warfare
against the copperheads was the chief thing
in the speeches of Judge Bramlette and other
Union men. Instead of attacking the adj
mnistraton, they attacked the rebels and
their allies. Instead of railing at the presi-
! dent and his supporters, they pledged them
selves to support his endeavor to crush the
rebellion to the utmost extent of their intlu-
ence and means. Here is an extract from
one of Judge Bramlettes speeches. He is
talking to Wickliffe and his supporters =
''You object to negro soldiers. Who began
this business? Who raised the first negro
regiment? Did Lincoln? Don't you know
that in the beginning of this strife, in New Or
leans, they heralded it abroad that they lad
| already organized two regiments of negroes to
| fight the Yankees with2 Don't you know that
the first act in the Tennessee rebel legislature
was the organization of free negro regiments?
| Don't you know it to be fact furthermore,
that they have regiments of Indians in their
service, to tomahawk and scalp our women
and children? And yet none Of you here as
scmbled, | will venture to say, have heard
these constitutional Union gentlemen object
to their using negro regiments to fight US with
g
ing the Indians against us. Why is it that you
have grown so terribly repugnant tonegro aid?
You are willing it should be employed against
US, but now that it is being employed to help
us you are terribly disturbed. The reason
seems irresistible, that then they were fight
ing on the side you were anxious should win;
but as soon as they are employed against that
side you object.
Suppose one of you were assaulted by
robbers, who threatened to burn your house
and murder your family if you didn't give
up your money; that yonr neighbor came
rushing to your assistance, and with him one
or two stout negroes, with clubs, and axes,
and guns; that while you were engaged in Il
close hand to hand conflict with one of them
you should see that brawny negro holding one
of them down, would you say, Hold on! |
don'twant any negro to help me. Here, Mr..
hODbtis L am IOl SpiiiS " ouCCGd III NllNllIS
you of by any such aid as that; you may
burn my house and take my property. Is
this what any sane man would d0I But it is
just in this way that southern sympathizers-
constitutional Union men-talk. They would
have us, because the president does not use
just such weapons as they think proper, say
Here, JEFF. Davis, take all we have, and Stay
| us as soon nleaSe..> pilf,anDthcon guns
| fighting with these things
~ am for the constitution framed by
| Washington and his compeers-those good
| and great men who were touched with more
| than human wiSdom-at all hazards and at all
| expense. Are you for it? Alas, | fear you
are for the constitution and the union of the
southern contederacy; for every means and
measure that you object to being used by the
federal government you are perfectly willing
that the rebel government should use. You
are opposed to the Union being maintained by
unconstitutional measures, but you are will
ing jeff. Davis should fight unconstitutionally
to destroy the Union and the constitution.
This shows where your heart is better than
your formal professions of Unionism."
Is that the style of the copperheads? He
dissents from some of the war measures of the
administration. Nevertheless he defends these
very measures against the unreasonable and
dsloyal malignity of the copperheads, and
shows them that the policy they are pursuing
betrays their sympathy with the rebel leaders.
Should the Boston Courier, Providence Post,
New York World, or even the Boston Post,
break out suddenly and talk as he does, it
would greatly astoniSh their readers, so diff
terent is it from their spirit and style, so ye-
hement in its criticism of their usual incula-
tons. The difference between these journals
and the Kentucky Unionists is SO great, that,
before the election, (and even since the cleo
tion,) some of them denounced Judge Bran
lette and his friends as ''abolitionists"