Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1863-05-26

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to be heard; the people are entitled to
know whether the things alleged against
him dssripg bis candidacy were trus or
false: the soldiers chose voting SO deeply
concerns HIM have right 10 know how
Judge Cothren stands upon questions in
yolsing their future character; for if they
are engaged in war for the wrong, they
can never be respected, but will iive and
die in dshoror In justice to ourself. who
charged him with not supporting the war
for the union with that heartiness and deep
anxiety that gusheth from the soul, we offer
his letter. We care not for bis bitter de-
nunciations Of the republican party, nor
for his tnunts thrown at the "little. WIFI
ming, pulling journals" nor for what he
says tf the "small shoaider-strap missiona
ries," nor for the odious charge that the
design is, by using the term Copperhead,
ito bring an ignorant and infuriated SOL
diery into the North to wreak their ven
geance upon an imaginary evil" We care
not for the charge that republicans coined
the name Copperhead, for all know that
it was first used in the army and applied
in soldiers letters to all of every party who
oppose the government means and sas to
crush the rebellion.
The word "chief of Copperheads" was
first applied to Judge Cothren the day af-
ter elestion by the Milwaukee News. and
with it boast that if the democracy could
elect such, then is Wisconsin safe as dem-
ocratic State next fall The charge of
Judge Cothren that all democrats are call
ed Copperheads by the republicans is un-
true; only this is charged. that Copper
heads quite generally call themselves dem
ocrats and invariably vote the democratic
ticket; that very near all the democratic
party leaders are Copperheads-thougb,
half to two-thirds of the masses of the par
ty are war men and as soundly for the
union as are republicans and aholitionists.
Mat Carpenter, Rosecrans, Gov. Todd,
Gen. Dix, Dickinson, Van Buren,, Burnside,
Butler, Stanton and near half the army
officers, and third of the army file are
all democrats-voted for Douglas, Buchan.
an, Polk and the next war. Nobody
charges such with being Copperheads,
though Copperheads have a habit of charg
ing them with having joined the abolition
lists in "this war for the Niger" Judge
Cothren does not manifest a feeling OF deep
hostility to therebellion, except 10 deny brief
ly that he is rebel sympalhizer; yet he
manifests strong feelings against the ad
minstration and against the republicans
who certainly are ct enmity with the ieb-
els. He denounces ali charges made
against him during bis candidacy, as false,
but if his professions of regard for the
constitution rest upon an equally sandy
basis, many juror will bring in verdict,
of not guilty of constitutional sorndness.
He goes at length into French history to
find parallel TO the present times, which
is the same in routine that we have read in
the N. Y. World--a paper devoted to
peace conventions anc hostility to the
means and ends of the war for the union.
The letter is venomous one. The writ
er denounces "those who make war upon
the constitution for the purpose of sub
verting and destroying the government"
and says such are traitors "withn tie
meaning or the constitution" That he here
alluded to the administration and all repub.
licans who did not vote for him is just as
clear to ohi mind as that he does not par
ticularly allude to the Southern rebels.
Democratic leaders have habit of saying
the Northern violations of the constitution
a. rights of the South and the war upon
the constitution by Northern abolitionists,
have led TO this war. by provoking the
South and diviug them to it. They do
not however acknowledge that Southern
mobs and interdictions of free speech and
free press false imprisenments Of Yankees,
conduct of Breckenridge men toward
Northern democrats at the Charleston con
vention, de-, were also provoking to the
North as well as violations of the coastitu-
ton.
Friendship for the constitution is GU
rions theme. Judge Cotbrea is friend
to the constitution in bis o@n way, which
way differs vastly from its meaning accord
ing to other distinguished jurists. Even
Wendell Phillips is friend TO the consti-
tuition as he understands it, which very
much differs from the way we understand
in respect to its meaning up
on the niger question he exactly agrees
with all Copperheads, that the Southern
Interpretation is the right one. Gerrett
Smith, one of he most learned, ablest and
best men in the union, holds precisely op-
posite to Philips and the Copperheads as
10 the meaning of the constitution on the
niger question; and singular, chief JUS
tice Marshal, James Madison, Thomas JEFF
farson and all the old Statesmen arraad