The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-03-13

The Movements OF the Democratic Peace
Esssisa-Rspssegrs Ground, w
The democratic peace faction, or coppA-
heads, as they are Familiarity designated, are
tresding on dangerous ground Inflated by the
successes of the party to which they claim to
belong in the State elections of last fall, these
peace radicals appear to have forgotten the
appeals to the people through which those sue
cesses were obtained.
We would, therefore, admonish these deluded
peace men and would-be leaders of the North
ern democracy that the popular reaction de-
veloped last autumn against the administration
was brought about by the military blum
ders and disasters, the wasteful extrava-
gances and coruptions, the fanatical abo-
lition experiments, and by the unjust
arbitrary proceedings in many cases of
the party in power. Upon these grounds, for
example, Horatio Seymour was elected Cover
nor Of New York. His election, too was advo-
Gated on the ground, not that it would open the
door to an inglorious and delusivs peace, but
that 1t would result in more consistent har
monious and successful prosecution Of the war.
This was the position occupied by Mr.. Seymour
himself among the people before his election
and in his inaugural message to the Legislature
after his election The conviction last fall had
taken root in the public mind that the abolition
faction had led the administration from its true
course; that this faction, by its malignant in
trigues, demoralizing abolition measures and
domineering conduct in Congress and in the
Cabinet, had brought disasters to our armies
where great victories would otherwise have
been achieved; and hence General Wadsworth,
the ultra representative of this obnoxious fac
ton, was indignantly repudiated by the con-
sentative people Of New York, the first and
foremost and most powerful of all the States,
the strong right arm of the government in sup
port Of the war.
The good results Of this most significant and
damaging Of all the recent defeats Of the aboli-
ton radicals are manifest. They have become
comparatively amiable and tractable. They
have, to great extent dropped the almighty
Niger" and are beginning to realize the fact
that not to him, but to our land and naval forces
In the field, and to our white militia reserves of
the loyal States, we must look for the suppress
sion of the rebellion. When we see such radi-
cal republicans as Mayor Opdyke, Bryant, the
poet, and Greeley, the philosopher consenting
to be instructed at the Cooper Institute as to
the true war policy of the government and the
people by such old line democrats as John Van
Buren,, Judge Daily and James 7. Brady, we feel
satisfied that the abolition programme is begin
ming to be recognized by its apostles as deplo-
rable failure, and that an abolition crusade will
accomplish nothing but the destruction of the
party persisting in it.
But while the public opinion Of the loyal
States has thus operated bene6cially in tanning
to some extent the abolition radicals and in
bringing them within the reach of reason and
common sense, the boisterous copperheads Of
the democratic party seem to have lost their
wits entirely. What Is the course which they
are now urging their party to pursue, In the
recent speeches and jeremiads Of Vallandigham
and Pendleton, Of Ohio, James Brooks, Ben.
Wood and others Of the same school, they urge
q prosecution OF the war, not against Jen Davis
but against Abraham Lincoln; mot against the
rebel government as Richmond, but against the
legitimate government Of the Union. They
preach the policy Of peace on any
terms Of submission which Davis may demand;
they even advocate Ne outragesusly absurd
expsdient Of recognising his government . The
shortest way to restore the Union. They pirate
Of their devotion to the "constitution a. IL is,"
while they are demanding new one IN order
to conciliats gigantic armed conspiracy which
scorns all their peace offerings and which will
have no settlement but that Of the sword. But
while they are noisily advising the degradation
Of the loyal States to any peace which the re-
bellisn may require, they are - clauorous in
urging their party to the extent Of riots, bloody
conspiraCies and civil war in the North, in re-
sisting the execution Of the laws Of the land.
II is hardly disguised that these silly copper
heads, in their rabid partisan hostility would
have Lincoln expelled as usurpsr and Davis
installed in the White House, for the time being,
az the ratified President Of the United States,
whatever the CONSTITUTION a. 1t isl may say to
the contrary. .trt. 2as.
But the responsible and intelligent body Of
the people Of the loyal States understand
the crisis, its duties and its dangers They
know that they have the power, and ID good
season win have the opportunity, In quiet and
lawful way to correct the shortcomings Of Presi-
dent Lincoln. They know that in the State
elections Of next autumn, If necessary, they can
speak SO forcibly against his Inability 70 dis
charge the powers and duties Of his Office" as
to compel bis impeachment by Congress, and
that in the Presidential election of 1854 they
will have the constitutional occasion for salts
factory change Of the administration and its
policy The intelligent conservative body Of
the people know, too, that there can be no
peace short Of the defeat and dispersion Of the
rebel armies in the field; that it will be time
enough to talk Of concessions for the sake Of
peace when the defiant spirit Of the rebellion is
broken; that the constitution a It is" affords all
the needful compromises for the protection sfthe