The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-09-06
IIIITARY SUCCESSES AND COPPER.
HEAD GRtEFS.


on ne Tinct
One Of the phenomena of the times y iho gal
the Coppcrhcads over the capture OF Atlanta.
fret took the share Of spitcful incredibly
|terwafds of bitter spleen. IL Is shown in ,ll
be Coppcrhead presses. IL is indicated in the
arc fag-poles which had Just before been flunt-
Is their colors to the breeze ar McClellsn's uomi-
|iton. 1t can be read ia the sullon face Of the
|oppcrbead who passes you In the street. or sits
xt you at the table There is no denying the
ct, everywhere patent, that the Copperheads, as
party take the capture of Atlanta as a party
sfortune.
Now why is this How happens that this event
| cites feelings in this party so like in kind, if
bt in degree ~ the feelings il has produced
|noI & the Rebels Il is not possible TO assign
|y other cause for this community of feeling
an some community of interest and of purpose.
erman's achievement cannot be, at one aud
|e same time, blow TO the Rebellion
|d blow 10 the Copperhead party
less there is near connection between het
o. The Copperhcad party must he somehow
xiliaTy to the Rebellion, and have n common
L in its fortunes, thus to be cast down when
versiy overtakes IL. There is no mystery about
either.
The simple explanation is that the Copper
ads want peace which shall be In the in
rest of the Rebels, and that these military
ceesses are bringing peace OF an entirely op-
site character. Union men desire this Rebel
Pn TO be crushed, and rejoice in every new blow
that end They consider II to have been
|ncetyed in the most moastrOus sin, to have
n course Of crime utterly beyond parallel
human history, and to be of such completely
|fernal nature that there can be no future
fety to the Republic but in its utter subugation
bey believe that this work will now soon be &C.
|mpllshed. The Copperheads, on the other hand
|Ve always apOOgized for the Rebellion, even
ben protesting to be for the war against Il;
ley have made light of its terrible inhumanlties
|d iniquities; and II is now perfectly natural
r them TO repine when It's calamities thicken.
At Chicago they gave out to the world that
|e war against It had been, and must be, a
|lure, and that peace must be made with Il by
Nil means. They said this in face of the fact
lat the chief the Rebellion had but Just before
|clared, in the most absolute terms, that there
|uld be no peace with his Confederacy except
I its determination or its Independence. Deprc-
|ting as they do every blow which goes TO ex-
rminate 1t, we must conclude that they would
oner welcome the other alternative.
We do not mean to say that the majority of the
|rty are yet positively in favor Of that inde-
|ndence. Even supposng that they are utterly
|st to all national feeling, yet party calculation
Pne would prompt them TO hold their ancient
les in the Union If possible. Hallowed to stop
|e war, and TO treat with the Rebels, they would
70 Confederates back. They would guarantee
|e perpetuatiOn Of slavery.
They would introduce into the Constitution an
|nendment explicitly securing the right of seCes-
bn. They would incorporate the Confederate
|bt with the National debt. If it came to the
|nch, they would, in all earthly probability,
|ree to a new Union, which should exclude
lew England. Or, If this was not decided upon
ley would accept Mr.. Calhouu's project of a
pal Executive, one Northern and the other
|uthern, the sanction of both TO be necessary to
10 validity Of any law. These are among the
Ids they would hope to secure In the ultimate
|nvention' they declared for at Chicago.
And it is their general belief that with such
|rangements the Conicderacy would consent to
|erge itself into a new Union. Probably they
|e right. Ii is not easy to suppose that the South
build long resist such temptation to rid itself
its present burdens, and to become the COM
|ete master of the North. But the policy Of such
reconstruction, and the policy of conceding
bnfederate independence, are alike set back by
ch events as this at Atlanta.
The Copperheads are perfectly right IN their
|stincts and convictions that the Union victories
Sherman, and Grant, and Farragut are as
|maginR to their interests as TO the interests of
|e Rebels. 1t Is their curse that the Union party
Fes and thriyes directly in everything that goes
put down the armed enemies OF the Union /;
|d that they can have no realized or promised
pod for themselves except in national disaster.
Is morally impossible that such a party shou ID
|ve the confidence and support of loyal people.
10 nght-hearted man can fail TO underst md shat
party whose success depends on the misfortunes
our national armies can be in any sense a
|tiOnal party. II requires but such an awaken
* of the national spirit of the people as will soon
Ike place under the stir of this great canvass to
|eep such party into a ruin as complete as that
|hich awaits the Rebellion itself.