The Portland daily press., 1864-09-07
The OOpperbead Rallv-Marniaoent Finsle.

>>eS SVpPS@HS@~ @soAAJ AA@sAE HAA@S
Tho copperheads made their grand demon
stration Oh Monday evening. By the AID Oh
newspaper puffery, big posters, small clrcu.
lars scattered about town, Chambers Bano
playing 10 front of the building, htfed ooys
10 do some outdoor cheering, and divers 9TH
err appliances, the hall was hiied compactiy, SO
that one kind of steam was at high pressure.
But disappointment was the lot Of the faith
full. In the first place the big-gun OF the
evening was not there. He was sick at the
Hub Mr. Sweat in the course Of his re-
marks, evidently felt the force of this dissp-
pointment, but in rather boastful way said
they did not import their speaker. Before he
was through the general Impotence of the
company Indicated that an Importation of al
most any kind would be deemed relief. Mr.
Sweat insulted the memory of Douglas by
styling Gen. Whitney-who was expected
the faithful among the iaithless." This
Gen. Whitney was Buchanan's Collector OF
Boston, was elected Delegate to Charleston
by the Douglas men and as a Douglas man,
and then proved traitor to his friends, and
was among the worst behaved OF that ill-bred
convention, ined the boters with Yancey al
their head, and aided in nominating the trail
tor Breckenridge This is the faithful among
the iaithlegsn! Fit type Of the copperhead
party. The man who would betray his
friends is none loo good to join in the cause OF
the traitors to his country.
In the absence of Whitney, Mr. Sweat had
to be considered the gun of the occasion i a
very ordinary smooth bore" susceptible OF
neither precision of aim nor effectiveness in
execution.
He INDUCED in the usual platitudes about
the Constitution and Union, and told of his
deathless devotion to the flag and how he
would fight for 1t. The 'peace'' men were
not expected to hear this. 1t occurred to us,
as Mr.. s., at the breaking out of the rebellion
was bona .fcle officer in the regular militia
colonel bold-that 1t was a great misfortune
for the effect his words were expected to have
that he did not then offer his services to the
government, and reveal by acts some DISPOSE
ton to fight for his country's flag. 1t was q
glorious opportunity allowed 10 slip.
There was much of the spread-eagle style
of oratory about Mcclellan, which was reg,t
iarly responded 10 as his right support
err gave the signal for clipping. About the
only valiant thing he said was the following
"No man ever called me or my Democratic
! associates traitor without my finging 1t bach
at him and telling him there ,cere no traitors
! to the Constitution but the Republican party.
These were his words, but they failed of thei
effect; the cue was not given, and the audi
ence could not see where the laugh came In.
Lincoln, he said, had promised to respec
slavery, and just at the moment when th'
! Union sentiment Of the South began to pre-
sent itself, furnished Mr.. Davis with the las
argument be could have for the rebellion b.
issuing bis emancipation proclamation, whcl
had set the whole Soaihagainst us. with tn
whole South against u.s." he said, I'VE mus
utterly fail TO extermlnate and subjugate
free people," Pause for applause, but no ap
plause.l "Point out any instance in whicl
we have offered to protect their rights. sa
there is none. Am right?" feeble cries
fright" wrongly The rights appeared :
have it but did not seem to see the POM
The speaker made no reference to the amnes
ty proclamations which have been issued b
President Lincoln.
Finding that he had hard time OF 1t, AM
the responses becoming more and more fec
Bile, Mr.. Sweat struck into the Fremont plat
form, the Pomeroy circular, Wendall Phillips
speeches aud The Wade and Davis manliesto
reading copious extracts from each, but her
he had no better success than before, and s
he trotted out Mcclellan, whose name WI
again greeted with faint cheers, the audiene
being apparently glad Of an opportunity
have their say.
The largest portion Of the speech was a
exhibition OF the act of self-defence, in whic
Mr.. Sweat revealed Enthusiastically the uncon
fortableness OF his position. and how hard IL
to kick against the prelss. He spoke OF til
various labors he had performed TO advanc
the interests of the city, some Of which W
learn are entirely new TO those supposed TO
most Interested in such interests. He indu
ged in the usual claptrap about high an
unjust taxes, and proved beyond a questio
that his love for the Union is precisely of tbs
character which, while lsuding the Cover
ment. stands ready not only to cry down. OF
pose aud malign every constitutional agent {
the Government, but TO embarrass all its e
forts to save itself, aud to ihwart every etiol
made by 1t which has the slightest promis
of success. In word, If The GoyernmeI
had withheld all the measures which Mr.. Swes
condemns, and had put forth only such as b
woald seem to approve, JEFF Davis woul
have been safely seated in Washington eigl
teen months ago, proelaiming law for the Go,
eminent of the nation, and the constitution,
President would have been an exile and THU
| precisely, may be just what the copperhead
have labored for; what would perfectly satl.
/ fy Mr.. Sweai's loyal heart.
The meeting upon the whole was stuper
do1s izzle except in numbers, and thes
were not the men OF thought, but the men {
passion and prejudice. A dozen such meet
| ing would not ipjure the Union cause.