Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-03-13
Breckenridge Democracy and
the War.

necticut, Pennsylvania, and seVerai olhe
States; and the signs of the times seen
10 indicate that an attempt will be mao
to reorganize the little fragment oil
party in Vermont. Within the last si'
months such papers as the Albany Ar
COS and other organs Of the copperbead
have made great efforts to increase thel
circulation in this State, and have sue
ceeded to degree which is highly dis
creditable to the good taste and soun'
Judgment of our citizens. The Below
Falls Argus, which has heretofore beef
only local preacher of seceSsionism, ha
removed to Montpelier, and Nspires from
that central position, to lift up the dark
ness of its countenance upon the Stat
at large.
Whatever may be the design of thes'
movements and of the reorganization
which they foreshadow, the only etfec
of them can be to weaken the hands o
the government, aud TO encourage the
hearts of the rebels. There is not 81
much as a shadow Of the remoeSt pos
sibility that the democratic purity in Yer
mont can elect any oil their candidates
for important Offices, or even seriously tc
trouble the republican party IN any par
ticular, But there is a possibility and
strong probability that rebels at the
South and their abettors at the North
will be encouraged to continue their at
tempts to destroy the nation. Such has
been The effect Of similar movements i'll
other States, such will be the effect of the
movement ia this State. TIE past his
tory and the present connections Of the
Breckenridge democratic party show il
to be of tendency the most dangerous
TO the liberties and the very existence oil
the nation.
Let US examine the past history of this
organization and the relation il holds to
the rebellion which has brought grief in
to almost every family and household in
the country. Where did this traiorous
rebellion commence, and who was it that
first struck down the flag Of our country
and trampled it in the dust Who was
il that struck the first blow Of this most
infamous rebellion that the world ever
saw 1t commenced in South Carolina,
a State which never cast vote for any
patty except this same Breckenridge
party. And without one solitary excep-
ton, every traitorous instigatOr and lead
er o. the rebellion was and is a member
of that party. Every State which has
seeded from the Union was at the time
Of its secession, under the control Of
that same party. More than this, three
Of the most prominent leaders of the re-
bellion were members Of the cabinet of
the last democratic administration and
were treacherously engaged in preparing
the way for the rebellion, periuring their
souls while yet acting as officers OF the
government they had sworn to defend.
Are not these facts? Are they not
part of the history Of the country. Who
are Davis, and Cobb, and Floyd, Wig
fall, Yancey. Breckenridge, and so on
down through the long list of leaders in
this accursed rebellion, who are they all,
every man Of them, bu. democrats of
the Breckenridge school? Now let Us
not be misunderstood. We do not say
that all democrats ut the North are SYM
pathizers with treason aud secession.--
Far from it. There are thousands and
tens OF thousands of democrats, who are
as honest, true, and loyal men as can be
found in the country, many of whom are
now fighting the battles of the Union
What we do mean to assert g this, and
the records Of history bear US out in
the assertion, that the rebellion COM
menced in n State which never voted for
any but the democratic party that
every l~ader of il was breckenridge
democrat, and that ev,ry State which
has taken up arms against the govern
ment was a democratic State.
Take The State of Virginia as an in
stance. Look at the treason of John
Letcher. the democratic governor of that
democratic State. In his first message
to the legislature after he and his coad-
TUTORS had declared the State out of the
Union contrary to the vote Of the PEG.
pie, he says;
" IL is TO be regretted tina; Fortress
Monroe is not in our possession that it |
was not as easily captured as the Navy
Yard and Harper's Ferry. As far back |
as the 9th of January last, ] consulted |
with gentleman whose position enabled
him to know the strength of that fortress,
and whose experience in military mat
tiers enabled him to form an opinion as
TO the number Of men that would be re- /
quired TO capture it. He represented it
to be one Of the strongest Notifications
in the world, and expressed his doubts
M hetLor Il cnl.ld L. anE ~. MI. ......I-l