Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-03-13
The COpperheads In 1914 and 1858

During the war of l612-15 arose part.
in the loyal States similar to the "Peac
Party of the present day. The peace part!
of that day, like the peace party of this day
was hypocritical and vicious. Then, as now
it clamored loudly about the sanctity Of tn
constitution, while it constantly violated tn
dearest principles Of its spirit, and sought t
paralyze the arm earnestly endcavoring t.
preserve it and save the Republic from de
struction. The copperheads of fifty year.
ago held the same relation to the Fedora
party as the copperheads of our day do t.
the Democratic party. The great mass o
the Federal party were patriotic-the grea
mass of the Democratic party are patriotic
The copperheads-the peace-at-any price mer
then, as now, were generally second rate
politicians, possessed of more cunning thar
talent, loving party and power more thar
country, and utterly devoid Of moral convic
tons.
Among their chief schemes to embarrass
the Government was to assault its credit, just
as the Courier did in yesterdays issue. They
sought by that means to place the destinies Of
their country in the hands of Great Britain
just as Thayer & Co. now seek to place the
destinies Of their country in the hands of
few Shareholders by the same means. From
the beginning of the war the Government
was compelled to ask for loans. The Peace
party at political meetings, through the press
and in the pulpit, cast every possible obstacle
in the way. In the spring of 1914, the dark
est hour of the war, this opposition took the
form of virtual treason. The Government
was weak, and its internal enemies knew it 7;
and in proportion to its exhibition of weak.
ness they became bold and outspoken. "Will
federalists subscribe to the loan? Will they
lend money to our national rulers?" lead
ing Boston paper significantly asked. ut is
first because of the principle, and
secondly because of principal and interest
If they lend money now, they make them
selves parties to the violation of the constitu-
ton, the cruelty oppressive measures in rela-
ton to commerce, and to all the crimes which
have occurred in the field and in the cabinet.
Any federalist who lends
money to the Government will be called tn
famous" The people were then adroitly
warned that money loaned to the Govern
ment would not be safe. "How, where and
when," asked this "copperhead" newspaper,
"are the Government to get money to pay
interest? ?" Then, threat of future repudi1-
ton was thrown out, to create distrust in the
Government securities. "Who can tell" said
the writer above alluded to, whether future
rulers may think the debt contracted under
such circumstances, and by men who lend
money to help out measures which they have
loully and constantly condemned, ought to
be paid"
Another newspaper said Of the Boston
merchants: 'They will lend the Government
money to retrace their steps, but none to per-
severe in their present course. Let every
find his own pistols"
These extracts give but faint idea of the
violence of the s'copperheads' at that time.
By infammatory and threatening publications
and personal menaces, they intimidated many
capitalists. These were afraid to negotiate
for the loan openly, fact which the adver-
tisements of brokers at that time have placed
On record. Gilbeart & Dean, Of Boston, ad-
vertised that the "names of all subscribers
shall be known only to the undersigned. y
Another made it known that 'the name of
every applicant shall, at his request, be
known only to the Subscriber. Another as
sured the people that he had made arrange
mcnts "for perfect secrecy in the transactions
Of his business"
These advertisements excited the venom of
the copperheads exceedingly, and they pour
ed abuse upon the subscribers and the Gov
ernment together. Money" said one of the
most prominent among them, with great bit
terness, "is such drug 0he surest signs
the former prosperity and present insecurity
Of trade) that men against their consciences,
their honor, their duty, their professions and
are willing to lend secretly to sup
port the very measures which are both in
tended and calculated for their ruin" Another
said: "How degraded must our government
be, even in her own eyes, when they resort
to such tricks to obtain money, which a COM
mon Jew broker would be ashamed of. They
must be well acquainted with the fabric Of
the men who are to loan them money, when
they offer, that if they will have the good.
ness to do it, their names shall not be ex-
posed to the world" .-
But all these efforts at intimidation failed
to prevent the loan, though the effects Of the
were potent and ruinous to many
people, and for while it was thought impos-
sible for the Government to sustain its army
and navy. Stocks of banks, insurance COM
panies and other corpora tions suffered great
to the injury of thousands of
people, such as widows and orphans.
Had the conspirators fully succeeded, the ma
tional armies must have been disbanded and
the Government reduced to dependency of
Great Britain.
1t may be proper to add, for the gratifi-
cation Of the reader and as warning to the
copperheads of to-day, that many of those of
1914 suffered severely by the very distresses
their villainies had produced, and that they
were ever detested by all honorable men,
They were consigned to everlasting social and
political obscurity. / =. .9.le.esi, .,.. -ss-,
Similar enemies of the country are now, in
various ways, endeavoring to alarm the peo-