The Portland daily press., 1864-11-28
Modest but Slightly Deceptive.

One of our copperhead neighbors copies
the following from the Cleveland Fsdsnd sas
er. and. Of course, does so with approDation:
BVa wise policy. by listening to those iate,
lv arrayed against MIN In peiitical anu
~ orr enemies we may learn as well II not
S.,.sr than of our frlends-Mr. Lincoln may
,,ss III able. however much we may doubt it,
- restore the Union and peace. The Demo
cratic party want the Union restored and an
honorable peace, and sooner or later not only
the Democratic party, but the people will
cIamor for this. Let Mr.. Lincoln act by his let
tar TO Mr.. Greeley, and the people of the
North will rest satisfied. In that letter he
said: "If can sdUe the Union aCith slavery
sciH do 1t! Ii can save the Union without
slavery, will DIT. II l can save the Union
with partial slavery, will do it. But mean
to preserve the Union at all hazards"
The modssty Of this paragraph is found in
the suggestion that Mr.. Lincoln may yet be
abe so restore the Union and peace. "by us
teniag to those lately arrGyed against him In
political battle" That is, II Mr.. Lincoln will
take the advice of those whose policy and adj
mlnistradon have destroyed the Union, and
broken the national peace, and drenched the
land with fraternL blood that they might
show their contempt Of the popular verdict of
the people ;-if he win only do this, he may
restore the Union aud peacei Was anything
ever more superlatively modest? Having
been nailed TO the counter as base coin by
majority Of 100000 Of the American people,
they are now ready 70 profrsr advice, and to
give the President the benefit Of their disln-
terested and wise counselsi No doubt they
would accept seats in the Cabinet, and con-
sent 10 steer the Ship Of State rather than the
President should make failurel Disinterest-
cd pAtrIotsl Their modesty is profound. 1t
is to be hoped that Mr.. Lincoln may not over
look such selfsacrincing patriotism. Perhaps
Buchanan himself would consent to take Mr..
Stewards place; and no one doubts that Nc
CleIIan would cheerfully take the War De-
partment, while Toucey Is yet alive, and would
doubtless consent to manipulate the Navy.
Butt last part Of the above quoted para
graph Is slightly deceptive. True, the Ian.
guage of Mr.. Lincoln to Mr.. Greeley is quoted
with substantial If not exact correctness, but
our copperhead friends do not mean that. Mr..
Lincoln Is notc-euer has Identifying to save
the Union. He tried to do so NTH slavery,
but he could not do it. The thing was impos
sibIe. 1t was like trying to save both the pa
tent and the cancer that is preying upon his
vitals.
To make the Aforesaid language exactly ex-
press the spirit and wishes of the copperhead
brotherhood, there should be transposition.
Only two words need changing. Substitute
slavery for Union and Union for slavery, and
their great idea will be met exactly. The
change seems trifing, but it is nevertheless
vital. 1t viii then read thus:
"If can saue SLAVERY Nth the Union, /
piH do I'll II can save Slavery WITHOUT
the Union, will do it. III ] can save Slavery
with q PARTIAL UNION, will do it. But
MEAN TO PRESERVE SLAVERY AT ALL
HAZARDS"
This is what the leaders of the opposition
to Mr.. Lincoln have meant They have made
the Union subordinate to slavery. We speak
Of the intelligent, leaders, the master. spirits,
the men who control the party. They have
Viewed the efforts of armed rebels to over
throw the Union with complacence, while the
slightest interference with slavery by the loyal
authorities has nearly thrown then into
spasms. They have in solemn conventions,
state and national. bitterly denounced every
act likely to disturb the status Of slavery, while
no word of complaint has been uttered against
JEFF. Davis and his confreres for their efforts
to overturn the Union of our fathers.
There are unpleasant facts that we would
gladly leave out Of sight If fidelity to truth
and duty would permit, and it is time all hon
est democrats calmly considered them. They
will find they are in wrong position; that their
leaders, in whom they have too long and too i'm
plicitly conhded, have committed them to the
preservation and defence of giant barbar-
ism; that slavery is the cornerstone of their
edi6ce, of their hopes. To save it all else
must bend; conscience, justice, humanity, the
Union, religion. the Bible, and God HIMSELF
Rather than II should perish all else may go
by the board, and the old Ship of State found
er in mid-ocean. Let our coppsrhead friends
be honest, and no longer deceive themselves,
but speak out exactly what they mean.