American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-04-27
The Peace Democracy.

-. 60 90
The Peace Democracy.
The course of the Democracy, during
the progress ef the present war, has been
somewhat singular. During the extra
session Of sixty-ono, Breckenridge in the
Senate, and Burnett in the House, were
the leading apologists for treason, endeay,
oring by every arti6ce to embarrass the
operations Of the Government, and en-.
courage the cause of the rebels Finally
when they could no longer mask theil
treason, they openly cspoused the RebeI
cause, an election soon to come off in
Kentucky, they confidently expected, Gas
did also their friends in the North, } that
their course would be endorsed by the
people of their State, but in this they
were disappointed, Kentucky for the first
time declaring her determination to stand
by the Union. This not only disappoint-
cd them, but alarmed their friends in the
North, and for time, gave comparative
quiet to the loyal States, all parties ayow-
ing devotion to the Union cause
The canvass which took place in the
fall of sixty-two, was conducted, in most
cases, with avowed attachment to the
Union cause, but no sooner had the Dem
,ocrats realized the fact that they had gain
cd strength with the people, than they
began to give evidence of their disloyal
purposes Yallindigham became bold in
his denunciations of the Administration
and its method of conducting the war
In short, denounced the war itself, declar-
ing that the Southern people never could
be subdued His sentiments were reiter-
ated all over the country, and he, for the
time being, became the representative
man of his party; but after his over
whclming defeat at the polls, his party
again became comparatively quiet, and
seemingly loyal.
But as Presidential campaign was
about to open, they were unwilling to go
into it without first feeling the popular
heart with, by at least flank movement,
giving their "Southorn brethren" some
assurance of sympathy. This time Mr..
Long of Cincinnati, was chosen as the
victor, who, on the Sth of the present
month, made speech in the lower House
of Congress, repletc with disloyal senti-
ments from its beginning to its conclu-
sion, in the course of which, he declared
that we could never subjugate the South
that there was no power in the Consti-
tuition to carry on war against sovereign
States-that if the war was to be carried
on longer, it should be done by Republi-
cans alone, &c.
A resolution to expel Him was introdu-
cod by Speaker Colfax himself, which, aE-
ter being modified to one of censure, was
finally passed by the house. And altho'
in the course of the debate on this resolu-
tion, Democratic members sometimes took
pains to have it understood that they did
not endorse Mr. Longs sentiments, still
we believe not single member Of that
party roted, even to censure his treasona-
BILE utterances! But ON the contrary, vo-
ted in a solid phalanx to allow him and
others who saw fit to follow his example,
TO proclaim from our halls of Congress,
that there was still party in the loyal
North which sympathized with these per-
jured traitors, (their Southern brethern }
Doubtless the.resoiution was modified from
one for expulsion to one of censure mere
ly, hoping that upon that issue, the vote
might be a unit against these unwarranted
and unpatriotic utteranccs; but alas how
sad to reflect that three years of bloody
war has not been sufficient to enable the
leaders of that old party to withdraw
their sympathies from those crueh-men
who are still the animating influence by
which the rebel hordes are still continuing
to resist the onward march Of our brave
Union army. When will this state of
things cease?
s6s- Gen. Vessels surrendered Ply
mouth, N. c., on Wednesday, the 10th
inst, after four days hard fighting. Our
loss was $50 killed, and 2O00 prisoners,
Rsbel los. 100 Killed.