The Portland daily press., 1863-05-15

NC AhuAtOhS Va tAhC ANOh
The opponents of the war-the peace demo-
crats-wince under the imputation of disloyal-
ty, and put on the airs of injured innocence
whenever an intmation is made that their
course is calculated TO nerve the arm Of the
rebels, or to discourage the hearts of those
who are laboring to uphold the flag of the
Union. But they must stand convicted Of
treason to their government, or they must ig
more the teachings of their own illustrious
men. We do not refer to such great men of
the democratic party as jefferson, Madison,
Jackson, Silas Wright and others, but to the
men off later regime-Inen who come nearer
10 those who claim to represent the democracy
of to-day.
When the United States was carrying on a
war against Mexico, on foreign soil, with no
invasion of our own territory, with no danger
from spies, with no such necessity for rigor as
now exists with the enemy's emissaries in our
midst and every word of which the enemy may
take advantage liable to be conveyed TO him
Immediately, there were those among us whom
a Democratic President - James K. Polk &
charged with treason 10 their country. This
grave charge was not made in moment of
excitement, or under the influence of too
much wine, or in mere tea table gossip, or in
familiar chat with party friends, but it was ut
tered in an annual message to the national
congress.
True, he did not particularize; he did not
say in direct terms that any persons were
guilty of treason; but he did SO none the less
plainly by implication. He quoted the consti-
tutional definition of treason, which consists
in adhering to the enemies of the country,
"giviug them aid and comfort" and he point
ed out the ways in which this "aid and COM
fort" was afforded to the enefnies.of the coun-
try at that time. 1t was done by Withholding
from the government, in its prosecution of the
war, sympathy, cooperation and encourage
ment; it was done by denying the justice of
our cause, by insisting that the war did not
exist by act of Mexico. but by the aggressive
acts of our own government, and by publish
ing these things to the world, thus giving the
enemy to understand that party existed in
this country that sympathized with him, and,
to be consistent, must desire his success in his
contest with an aggressive and oppressive foe.
Mr.. Folks intimations in one of his annual
messages implied all this, and virtually charged
treason upon every man who withheld his SYM
pathy from the war, denied its justice on our
part, or alleged that it existed through any
fault of ours. And to this bill of indictment
against large numbers Of the then existing
and powerful Wing party, the Democrats as
individuals and as party, responded "dmen."
1t was the Democratic idea, or the idea of the
Democratic party of ls46-47 in relation to
those who did not yield cordial acquescence
in the war policy of the federal government.
To show that we state no more in relation to
Mr.. Polk than the facts will justify, we copy
the following extract from his message of
Dec. 8, 1916:
The war has been represented as unjust and unnec-
essary, and one of aggression on our part upon
weak and injured enemy. Such erroneous views,
though entertained by but few, have been widely and
extensively circulated not only at home, but have
a more efecfudi means could not hare been DEVISED
TO ENCOURAGE THE ENEMY AND Profract the rdr.
than TO advocate and DHERE To THEIR CAUSE,
and thus GIyETHEM AID AND COMFORT.
Treason against the United States shall consist on
ly in levying war against them. or in adhering TO
their enemies, GIVING THEM AID AND COMFORT
CONSTITUTION U. s. Art. g. Sec 3.
So much for history. Now how stands the
Copperhead portion Of the Democratic party
when brought before the same judgment seat
Do we need to produce evidence that the war
Is denounced as an abolition war? that its ex-
istence is charged upon those who are now
fighting to quell the rebellion? Is proof de-
manded that the war is daily declared to be
without justification on our part? Are not
the enemies of the country daily encouraged
topersevere in their resistance OF the Consti-
tuition and laws, by assurances that when the
Democrats come into power an honorable set
Element will be proposed? Are they not con-
stantly told that we are incapable Of reducing
them to obedience; that our rulers are des-
pots, and are trying to reduce the people of
the country TO the most disgraceful bondage
Is it not the burden of Copperhead papers
that the war is one of aggression on our part !?
To show what we mean, we give below a
few samples of the style of talk now being in
dulged in by representative men of the Cop
perhead party.
James Brooks, of New York, is member
OF Congress elect, and is the senior editor of
the New Yosk Express. This Brooks was
formerly blatant abolitionist, and we have
before us, in the old files of the Portland Ad-
vertiser, of which he was for several years the
leading editor, severer things said of the
South and of the peculiar institutions of the
South, than are often met with in papers de-
voted specially to the abolition cause. In his
paper of Saturday last Mr.. Brooks, among
other equally offensive remarks, said:
II is sincere impression that the present Admin
istraon of Government really desires the sepdr
alton Of the Union much JEFF Ddriss Gorern
nent does.
He also in the same article charged Presi.
dent Lincoln with having rejected offers o.
Peace, sent to him unofficially from the South,
In December last. As the editor of the Tri
bune well says, "if these charges are well
grounded, then the President is a traitor who
fought to be impeached and ANONYMOUSLY ex
'pelled from Office. If they are utterly falls
sand unfounded, what is James Brooks? Con
"sider how fearfully such inculpations of tn
president, if credited, are calculated to par
"alize the energies and arrest the efforts of pa
"triots in defense of the imperiled life of tn
Republic.
mo Stonewall jackson, no park of Rebe
"artillery, could do such deadly harm. to tn
"Union cause as would general belief in tn
"charges of Mr.. Brooks impeaching the integ