The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1863-03-25

of the Administration party, which, IN the
eyes of abolitionists, it is treason to oppose
Clinton Democrat.
Of all the villainous falsifiers that ever
cursed nation the copperhead press of this
country is chief. In this item of half-a-dozen
lines there are three assertions whose truth
we deny and whose falseness we think can
be proven.
|. Wendell Phillips in all his speeches
since the war began has steadily maintained
firm conviction that the Rebellion would be
crushed and the Union restored-that in the
restoration of the Union slavery would be
done away with, but that in any event the
Union must be restored-and has never in any
speech ''recently delivered in New York, 3"
made use of any language such as he is here
charged with We read all his published
speeches, thing we do not believe this big
oted partizan scrbbler dare do, and have not
found any such doctrine as is here asserted
His speeches are all anti-copperhead, peace,
compromise, -armistice, &c.
H. tits here asserted that "a e is the leader
of the Administration party" We are sur
prised that any one claiming to be an intelli-
gent reader of his country's history dare pub
lish such palpable falSehood. Does not the
editor of this second edition of the Patriot &
Union know that Mr.. Phillips and his peculiar
party not only opposed the gallant Fremont,
but that in 1860 ne made some of the most
violent speeches against Mr.. Lincoln, main
tanning that the election of a Democrat would
olition party was organized that night after
night Mr.. Phillips lectured to crowded houses
in Brooklyn denouncing Mr.. Seward and the
Republican party; that he was mobbed in
New York city, and the Republicans con-
domned him as strongly and even more
strongly than Democrats, as the latter looked
upon him as assisting their party. Does he
not remember the mournful speech of Mr..
Phillips after it was known the Democracy
had split at Charleston, and that he then said
! he was anxious to have Democratic rule four
years longer, which he conceived would end
Slavery by the destruction of the Union, and
he thought the Democracy were the only par
tizans who would ever dare its destruction.
| He expected the Democratic party at the
North to have taken a more active course
than they yet have, but this was all owing to
| the haste of the Sou.heners, if they could
have had six months more to talk about it we
| have not shadow of doubt but that almost
the entire Breckinridge party at the North
would have openly assisted South Carolina,
as their course since plainly demonstrates.
| His relation to the Administration can be said
! to be this: when he saw that the Democrats
were for the disunion ofthe country, he worked
with them for what he conceived to be
! Freedoms sake; after a civil war had been
! precipitated upon the country, ne supporte /
the Administration because he saw it would
save the Union and that Slavery must be de-
stroyed if the Union was saved. That is
Wendell Phillips position as we understand
it. He is now making Union speeches
throughout the country the same as Demo-
cratic Andy Johnson, of Tennessee, who the
coPperheads at Harrisburg refused. to hear.
We DO not defend much of Mr.. Phillips ca
reer but believe in giving justice to all
When he was with the Democrats he was Dis
uni0n but now he is with the Administration
and he is Union.
III. "IU is treason to oppose the Admins
tration party" Who ever said so-it is news
to US. But we hold the following to be trea-
: son, which you may mean when you say oppo-
siton to the Administration; Opposition to
the Proclamation of Freedom-which has be-
come law of the land, not only by the Mill
tary power vested in the President but also by
the law of nations, John Quincy Adams, on
the l4th of April, 1912, in the Congress of the
United States, said:
~ lay this down AS the law Of nations.
say that the military authority takes, for the
time, the place of all municipal institutions
: slavery among the rest. Under that state o1
things so farfrom its being true that the State;
where slavery exists have the exclusive man
Of the United States, bit the commander Of til,
army, has poa0er to order the uniUrsaL emancipa-
ton ofthe s!aUes."
. And then again he announces in words fur.
: ther applicable to the present hour:
: 'Nor is this a mere theoretic statement
/ Slavery was abolished in Colombia, first by the
, Spanish General, Murillo, aud secondly.by the
! American General Bolivar. 1t was abolished
by virtue of military command given at thu
head of the army, and its abolition continue
e 10 be law to this day"
t The representatives of slavery fumed ant
J ragged at these words and at their venerable
author; but nobody answered them. An(
I they have stood ever since in the records o
Congress, firm and impregnable as adamant
Opposition to the Conscription Bill, and at
tempting to arouse the baser passions of mel