The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1863-05-15
Letter from Judge Cothren

attention aud command the respect Of al
Democrats. We find it IN the Minera
Point Intellfgencer
| Having been for over ten years confn
a., 20 the duties of the bench, and durini
that time having taken no active part il
political affairs, find myself reluc,antl'
compelled to take notice Of some Of tx,
falsehoods and ISLANDERS that personal ant
partizan enemies have carefully and per
sissentIy disseminated through the coun
| try.
| have been denounced as seeessionist
as sympathizer with rebellion, a traitor
and a Copperhead 1t is scarcely necessa
ry for me to say tina. these epithets are
solely the otfAprilg Of private malice, in,
tensified by The machinery of urscrupu-
lous political manipulation. | am ar
American born citizen. have been taught
from childhood to look with that compIa
cency and admiration upon our form OF
government that is peculiar TO Americans
l have contemplated the growing magni,
tude Of eur coun!ry's interests with tha:
pride that is the offspring Of a coun,ry's
greatness. The perfection and comp;ete-
ness in all its parts Of the constitution Of
the United States has thrown a halo round
the memories Of its immortal fouldevs-
| love the country as my own native land.
| love i,s institutions AS best adapted 10
the wants shd necessities ola free and en-
lightened people. ! love lis constitution
as the embodyment Of human wisdom to
define, limit and control the different
branches Of government. | have many
times swern 10 support that constitution,
and with Gods help will maintain and
support 1t to The day Of my death, The
accusation that | an secsssionist or
sympathizer with the South Is tolse. He
who accuses ne with sympathizing with
rebellion is wiiiul lar He who cals
me traitor has not only forgotten my
public serylcas FOR the last seventeen years
under the rerritory aud State of Wiscon
sin, bat shows that reckless disregard for
truth and decency that characterize the
low demagogue and compensated lballer.
The concentrated essence Of malignitv
seems to have found vent in the utterance
OF single word, Copperhead.
Wha, does the word mean If we NAV
believe the reports from the soldiers IN
the army it has some secret, mysterious
horrible, but planned meaning. One
OF the teachings Of history is that in times
of great civil connection the accomplish.
ed and inscriptions politician always
seizes upon the potential engine ofmys,e>
ry to deceive and delude the people until
power is gained. Bot history also teaches
that politicians who re ~ upon the poetical
of bodies Of men purposely kept
in Ignorance of the truth tread upon
volcano, for when the truth comes
to be forced upon the wronged and deiud>
ed, reaction takes place and righteous
retribution comes
During the first scenes Of the revolution
Of 1880, which drove Charlie. XII. fro,"
the weak and lettering throne of France
the cry of viue Ia eharte, although having
no Specification in the mind of the people
aroused all of the vague hopes and exit
ed all of the pent up hatred that swelIed
in their bosoms. The engimatc words
" The Black Prince" nvsterlously whis-
psrsd, and rapidly circulated through the
vast multitudes that .warmed the streets
Of Paris, draw from their workshops and
hiding places by mere idle curiosity, took
like wild fire, and driving TO frenzy the
crowd of idle loi,erers, gave to the insur-
gents an immense army ofinfuriated men,
ID ,I, IL a. IL
was to drown in blood some imaginary
evil.
Does the republican party design by
the now whispered word and now denun
ciatory term Copperhead applied to the
democratic party, to impiant in the bosom
Of the soldiery deep seated hatred to-
wards their brethren Of the loyal north
regardless of consequences The history
Of the revolution OF 1851 is fresh in the
mind of every one who notices passing
events One of the devices used by the
base minion rs of Louis Napoleon to elevate
him from the presidency Of free Repub
lie, where be had been placed by the voice
Of the people to an imperial throre, was
frs. 10 find a term and invest it with all
that was dreadful and then apply it to all
who should question the right or legality
of their nefarous scheme.. They found this
in the word SOCIALIST" There was a
party in the provinces Of France neither
large in number nor considerable in in,
hueuce, that was hateful to ROYALTY be-
cause they believed in human equality,
and dreaded by the middIed classes be
cause they believed in a community Of
property. 1t was necessary that the PEG
PIE should be educated TO believe that
LIS eabaIistic term meant eyervthing
wicked and bad, that human imagination.
could invent. The secret whisper-the
dark insinualion-the midnight league
all ofthe enginery Of public patronage
of personal ambition-of future wealth
Of contracts-sf lust Of po#er-of lust Of
gold-of secret malice-of deylish hate
combining the organized power of royal
list, democratic, republican, constitutional.
i.t, were brought to bear to invest this
word With awfully potential significance
Miserable blind fools many Of those whc
plotted, INDUCING in the delusive hope
that when the object WAS accomplished
they would be at the head of the govern
ment, never dreamed that they were raj.