The weekly union record., 1864-08-27
Copperhead Love for the Constitution.


The Coppeshead leaders are ringing changes
on the freedom of speech. says the Shasta
Courier and Of the press, and declaimiDg, in al
the hollowDess Of hypocrisy. agoinzi alleged
iDfFsctions Of tie Constitution, in the vain hope
Of deludiDg the people into the belief that they
are Its especial guardians. But they sig0aIly
fail IN this; for their course for years past in.
spires distFast in the sincerity Of their love for
the Constitution, and defeats the claim they
would establish Of being its defenders
1t will be remembered that for twenty years
or more there has been no such thing IS free
dom OF speech. 50 far as the question Of slavery
wus eouceFued, in any of the States Of the
South and yet these gentlemen had not word
to utter il behalf of the constitutional rights.
Ii will also be recoIlected that from Van Ba.
rens tina to the present, liberty OF the press
has been denied from the Potomac to the Gulf
OF Mexico, by public sentiment aud legislative
enactments, except, perhaps, in the District Of
Columbia. and yet these constitutional gentle
men had 10 protest to enter. Il viii Likewise
De borne in miud that in 1856 and 1860 the
advocacy OF Fremont in the former, and Of
Lincoln IN the latter year, for the Presidency.
was practically denied, wherever slavery had
an existance 10 The land. except at the risk Of
the property and lives Of those who would at
tempt 1t, and yet they were as silent as the
tomb. II is well known that where The "pecu.
lar institution" has hourished, it has been for
4 generation dangerous TO any ones safety to
be suspecsed Of entertaining an opinion adverse
to the expedlency or morality of human bond
age; but this was all right with these coustl-
tutiona expouuders. 1t will not be forgotten
that when a United States Senator was strick-
en- down at a post in the Capitol of the Ma
ton, by bludgeon in the the hands of chr
airous son Of South Carolina, for words spoken
in debate, this class dreamed not of iufractions
of the Constitution
But now, when war is in tie land, when a gi-
gandc and iniquitous rebellion is seeking to
disrupt the Union and subvert the Republic.
not content winh their endeavors 10 paralyze
the arm of the Government and magnifyiug its
reverses, deplcriug lis victories, depreciating
its credit, and Ieiraining from everything by
which good citizens attest their LOYALTY. they
invoke the constitutional guarantees which they
have heretofore uniformly ignored, to shield
those who abuse the freedom of speech aad lib
erty OF the press, by using them to discourage
enhstmeats, incite Instructions, and giving aid
aud comfort TO the countryS enemies.
Therefore it is not strange that loyal ci;izens
do not consider them very proper men to read
homllieS on constitutional rights, or pen dia
tribes on constitutional infrac,oDs. They are
looked upon as blind guided, aud not the men
to whose keeping that instrument, framed by
the wisdom Of our fathers, should be ntrusted
As the sacred fire OF the Romans was confded
10 the care Of none but the vestals. who relig.
iously observed their VOWS, so the spirit of the
Federal Constitution Will be preserved by
those only who couscienliously regard the OBJ
legations of patriotism.