Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1867-04-04
8radfard geporter.
Towanda, Thursday, April 4, 1867.
COPPERHEAD BAsENEss.

In no one thing has the disloyalty
of the copperhead press, and it's gen.
eral hideousness, been made more
manifest-not even in its open efforts
to aid the South when warning on the
country-than its attempts to per-
suade the late rebels TO resist the re-
cent act of Congress--known as the
reconstruction law-even to the
taking up of arms. One can not
open these journals without finding
them filled with despicable abuse of
Congress, and instructions to the
South how to evade the re-construc-
tion act 1t is designated as tyrani-
cal i'll the extreme, and 80 oppressive
that the psople whom it effects will
be justified in making an appeal to
arms to resit its operations. The
loss Of life and of treasure, the de-
vastatiOn and ruin which has over
whelmed the South, and the bloody
track leftin every northern state, and
still so clearly visible, by the rebel
lion just ended, is not enough to sat,
late copperhead thirst for blood. 1t
cries for more. 1t seeks new devices
to rouse more strife and war Its
mendacious ferocity prompts it to
distort every act of Congress, in or
der to beget hate for the law-making
power of the government. And when
distortion and falsehood fail, it open
ly advises the South to fight again.
And the cowardly bypocrites who
aided the copperhead journals, claim
at the same time, to be the peace
party and the only loyal party in the
country.
In advising the Southern people to
renew the conflict, these astute cop
perhead editors seem to forget that
almost every man in the South capa-
bic of bearing arms, is a paroled
prisoner of war. By the terms ON
which the rebel generals surrender
ed, every man in their armies pledg-
ed himself on oath, not to bear arms
against the United States. Another
rebellion therefore, would not only
involve treason, but the violation Of
this solemn oath
We are glad that the more sensi-
BILE portion of the Southern people
are thinking and acting for them
selves on this reconstruction mea-
sure. They discover that the act it.
self is not only not the thing tits
represented to be by the northern
copperhead press, but that, upon the
whole, it is a reasonable and a prac-
| ticable measure. So that the advice
of the northern sympathisers with
rebellion, is not likely to be follow
ed. In every part IF the South, ex-
cept we believe Texas, measures have
been taken, by the people themselves
leading rebels included-to comply
with the act Of Congress One of
these demonstrations was recently
made in Charleston, South Carolina,
the old hot-bed of Secession, at which
Gen. Wade Hampton, an exU. S
Senator, and a general in the rebel
army, and one Of the bitterest and
one of the ablest of southern states
men, made speech in favor of the
reconstruction measure, promising to
be one of the foremost in giving it
affect He was followed by w. L.
Desaussure, Edward Arthur, the Hon.
". J. Talley and James G. Gibbs, all
leading rebels, and all urging COM
pliance with the act of Congress-
We repeat, we rejoice to see this
spirit developed, and more yet, to see
it grow and spread as it is. If it
continues as it has begun, the late
rebel states will soon again be in
their places in the Union, with a
greatly increased representation in
Congress, and therefore, an increased
Influence and power and all true
lovers of the Union will rejoice at
this, if the South will only be loyal
to the Government.