The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-04-14
How the Patriot CIymer Talked IN 1854,
and How He Acted.

THB Democratic press throughout the state
have been sorely puzzled to know how to get
over the ugly fact that MIR. HESTER CLYMER
was, during the whole war, a consistent and
virulent Copperhead. In using the term Cop
perhead we apply it in its broadest and most
comprehensive sense. He was an opposer Of
the war, favor of the Rebellion, a deadly
enemy to all legislation tending to do justice
to the soldier, and bitter traducer of the
Government and all who lent it their sup
port. Now that his prophecies of the failure
TO subugate the South have all miscarried,
his friends have busted themselves to find
some moment in his record when he said
something which might be construed into
friendship for our volunteers. After much
exertion their efforts have been crowned with
partial success. A speech has been exhumed
in which he declared that the Democracy
were the only true fiiends the soldiers had
and this forgotten Grafton is paraded in fam
ing letters under the caption Of
TRUTH FROM THE RECORD OF 1864.
"sHoDDY AGAINST THE PRIVATE SOLDIER
"CLYMER FOR THE SOLDIER"
That chaste organ OF the unwashed, the
Philadelphia Aqe, announcing that the dis
union press is full of HeS," goes on to publish
the whole OF the speech, which as a campaign
document is expected to make the soldiers
support the soldiers friend" This patriotic
Grafton was made in behalf OF the following
resolution introduced by Senator HOPKINS
(Democrat). 1t resds:-
"Resolr,d, That the COMMITTEES on Federal Re-
ationo be instructed to bring III loint resolu-
tiou InslruCtng our Senators and requesting
our Representatives in Congress TO vote for
. law recurring The payment Of non commits
s'oned officers and privates IN the service OF the
/ United States in coin or its equivalent.
In favor of this resolution did the DEMO
THEMES from Berks pour out his eloquence.
The address is too long for us to republish.
The speaker terms the veterans "tbat meri-
torious class of fellow-citizens," and speaks of
them in terms which would delight their ears
when they consider the source. After abus-
inc our foreign ministers. who, the Senator
declares, should receive no more than che
private Gsoldiers-atter anathematizing the
contractors. and deSlaIing his dislOyalty to
any administration, he concludes with the
startling declaration that he will never be
enslaved." Would that BozzABIs could have
heard that vowl He would have known that
his soul was marching on.
And now let us look at the occasion for
this advocacy of bettering The condition of
The soldiers. The war looked desperate, the
horizon of the national future was dark, the
finances were disordered and gold was selling
at premium of 2S0. The debt was increas-
ing with frlghtful rapidity. Every day added
a couple OF millions OF dollars to the load
beneath which the nation was grooming.
Retrenchment was the order OF the day, and
the utmost economy was found necessary
The popular faith in the stability of the
national credit was almost shaken. At this
critical moment the Democracy declared
themselves in favor of paying the soldiers in
gold. They who had been making po-
litical capital cut of lack of funds, now
demanded that the United States should
go into the market and buy gold. The
rise of coin would Immediately result. The
debt would increase with double rapidity.
The national credit would be wrecked;
instead OF having gold, it would have neither
specie nor greenbacks-instead OF the soldiers
getting an increase Of pay, they would get no
pay at ALL The adoption by Congress of
such resolution as the Democracy now glory
in favoring, would have been the signal for
disunion, the failure of the war, the destruc-
tion of the nation. ANd that ooGS Why
HESTER CLYMER and his brother Demo
| cr0ts supported 1T. 1t aoGS but another step
&l their consistent policy to secure the ruin
or our land. And now they are seeking to
makea virtue OF an action conceived in treason
, and attempted in treachery and crime. The
! people and the soldiers seq through the
shallow pretense, and will not be deceived.
When a real opportunity was offered of
serving the soldier, and putting trust in him
| by giving him the right of suffrage, how did
We find Mr.. HESTER CLYMER voting then?
| Was it on the soldiers side? On the con-
| trary, on every occasion he voted against
extending to him the right Of citizenship, and
| had he succeeded he would be now endea-
voring to continue the disfranchisement, on
! the ground OF not residing sufficiently
long in the State. What he iawns and cringes
to now, he would scorn and contemn, if he
dared. We would advise our brother editors
of the opposition to let the record OF their
candidate rest. 1t is of a kind that does not
purify the air when it is disturbed. Let him
continue to fight on his peace platform and
Southern sympathy, and not seek to seduce SOL
diers by calling himself their friend, when it
! is evident that he always hated item because
of their devotion to that Union which he ever
q