The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1863-06-23
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Copperhead fraternity into which he in
Quoted himself, and announces that
henceCorth lie shall not condeScend t.
instruct mankind until the world becomes
reasonable and candid enough TO receive
his doctrines There is no small amount
of egolism evident in this announcement
of Mr.. HEDGES. but we can forgive him
for that, when considering the fact that
friend CoRNELIus evidently don't like
the company lie has been in. The fact
is, it takes the meanest kind of New
Englander to become an inveterate
Copperhead. and HEDGES is loyal by
virtue of his paternity. His associations
have done a good deal TO corrupt his
Judgment; and but a few short weeks
suficed to change him from a decided,
earnest supporter of the war at the time
Of his return here, to p"ater about con.
stitutional inhibitions, and q denouncer
of war measures. But after all, one
could not help believing that HEDGES
was willing 10 have the Rebels beauii.
fully whipped, and was always glad of
Union victory, and we never fell like
calling him dialoyal. Nor is lie alone in
this. We think, for instance, that Mr..
LEAvITT is another We find LEAvIrr,
notwithstanding his open co operation
with the men who would do everything
to embarrass the prosecution of the war,
reading and discussing Union victory,
as if he enjoyed it, This is very unlike
some Of the poisonous traitors we have
in our midst, and il is constant source
OF inquiry, to many minds, how these
two men-(we take them as exemplars
ola class )-can co operate with another
class who are SO palpably imbued with
sympathy for treason. And. why is it ?
Well, we have gone thus openly into
a personal statement Of position, and we
don't know that it will be any more dis
tasteful if we as freely give our opinion
of motives, or Of causes. The fact is,
these men are the type Of class of
minds whose love of party and regard
for party names, override every obliga-
ton to principle. every obligation OF pa.
/ III, "a, {
the nostrum of popular sovereignty was
labelled Democracy, were devoted TO it.
even TO the extent Of breaking up Ma.
tional Convention. To have heard them
talk in 1860, one would have thought
! that no power or inducement that men
could bring, would cause them 10 swerve
from that principle. But when Mr..
LINCOLN WAS elected and thei. party
leaders deemed it necessary for their
party success, that the moral power Of
the Republican party should be broken
by surrender by the administration Of
the principles upon which it was elected
no sooner did Democratic leaders turn
round and support the most obnoxious
Southern pretensions-than these same
men united with them in the demand
And what they declared at Charleston
they never would grant, they denounce
the Republican party for not accedne
to. They broke up their party at
Charleston rather than submit to Sla
very's demand Of protection in The Ter.
rtories, and to-day they are following
VALLANDrGHAM and FERNANDO WooD
and D. A. MAHoNY, who advocate the
adoption of the Montgomery constilu.
ion, that would carry Slavery through
GU, the land. AID why Because these
men have stolen the name OF Democracy,
and under that name are seeking to sur
render the country to most vilainous
slaveholding aristocracy. HEDGES and
LEAvITr know that there is no spark OF
the principles which they proiessed, in
the peace party of VALLANDIGnAM-they
know that these leaders look TO com
pIete and entire surrender of those rights.
about which they frothed so much in
1860, and the entire supremacy Of the
slaveholding interest in State and Terri
tory. And yet, instead of that frmness
of opposition, which, unmoved, saw the
Charleston convention split in twain,
rather than surrender what they called
the essential principle of Democracy.
they now meekIy follow the lead of men
who advocate the driving out Of the Un-
ion the States Of their nativity, and the
entire surrender Of the remainder TO
Slavery. No spark Of the old principle
left, and yet cliDg to the empty name
Of Democrat-grasping the shell and
caring nothing for The substance.
The same senseless regard for terms,
IS also apparent in the nervous dread Of
his class to being branded as abolilion-
.i5 To these men nroC.ssinn n dpyrno