The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1865-03-16
The ''Four Points of Copperheadism.

Edward A. Pollard, editor of the
Richmond Examiner, author of the
Southern History Of the War; is a
Democrat in good standing, residing in
the city of Richmond. The Chicago
Convention utterly refused to censure
him or his co-rebels for their irregular
opposition to what they all styled the
Lincoln despotism," and which was
then as fiercely denounced at Chicago as
at Richmond. Never having been read
out of the Democratic party, nor their
acts disayowed or condemned, hy the
authoritative convention of that party,
Pollard and his fellow rebels still remain
Democrats in good standing. Pollard
has recently spent a few months at the
North, in the city of New York and else
where, and while here renewed his old
intimacy with the Democratic politicians
of the North, especially of the city of
New York. On his return to Richmond
he published in letter to the Richmond
Examiner certain facts which are we'll
known to almost the entire people, but
to which Democratic witnesses have
hitherto been somewhat chary of con-
Tossing.
mo doubt can rest in history that at
the time of the Chicago Convention the
Democratic party in the North had pre-
pared a secret programme of operations.
the final and inevitable conclusion of
which was the acknowledgement of the
independence Of the Southern Confeder-
acy. 1t was proposed to get to this
conclusion by distinct and successive
steps, so not to alarm too much the
the Union sentiment of the country
The first step was to be the proposition
of the Union as it was, in convention
of States If that was voted down. then
the proposition of a new principle of
federation, limited to foreign relations
and to revenue. If that were rejected,
then the proposition of an inter confeder
ate union, to preserve, as far as possible.
by an extraordinary league, the Ameri-
can prestige, and if all these propositions,
intended as successive tests of the spirit
of the South, were to fail, then at last
the independence of the Confederate
States, made SINE qua non, was to be con-
ceded by the Democratic party of the
North. When their choice could no
longer hesitate 1t will be seen from this
sketch of the programme that the de-
sign of the Democratic party was TO get
the North on the naked issue of the war
and separation. The plan, as we all
know, utterly failed in its execution"
Here we have the four points of Cop
perheadism. on which the pretended
Democratic party fought their last
fight and lost their last battle Only the
first of these did they venture to name
in their platform. The course to be
pursued if the convention of the States
should fail was secretly discussed and
understood, but not published. As Mr.
Pollard, where not biased by his ardent
devotion to the rebel cause, is a consci-
entious writer of much ability, and as
his sources of information from North
ern Copperneads. peace men, spies and
rebel emissaries. are extensive and in
innate, his statement is entitled to great
weight
1t is well enough for the New York
World, if the statement of Pollard is true,
to style it a eonard and pooh pooh itwith-
out even an honest denial. But if it is
untrue it would be far more to the pur-
pose TO state what those who formed the
the Chicago Convention did intend If a
convention of the States failed They
were pressed for this answer throughout
the canvass, They always withheld it,
They dare not answer it now The
of States would amount TO nothing.
What then? Pollard answers Let the
Democracy" contradict his statement if
they dare, and disproye it If they can.
The Issue is simply this: 1sDoes he lie.
or are you traitors = Meet it if you
CZic11o TriLuzs