The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1868-08-01
The COpperhead Democracy and
a New Rebellion.


The following is an extract from recent
speech, delivered by Wade Hampton, at
Charleston. In stating the demands he
made on the dough-faced Copperheads ofthe
North, this boastful rebel says:
81 therefore asked them to declare that
the question Of the right of suffrage belonged
to the State governments that existed up to
1865. Some doubts, however, were express,
ed of the policy of such declaration
Gentlemen from the North, South, East,
and WeSt, all showed the greatest DISPOSE.
ton to act in harmony. am free to con.
fess that they met us everywhere with cor.
diaiity and good will. In fact, they declared
their willingness to give us everything we
could desire, but they begged us 10 remem.
Der that they had great fight to make at
the North, and they therefore besought US
not to load the platform with a weight they
could not carry against the prejudices which
they had to encounter. Help them once to
gain the power, and they would do their ut
most to relieve the Southern States, and re-
store to us the Union and Constitution as it
had existed previous to the war. / could
not fail to reciprocate their kindness, and |
felt that represented my people in SO doing
| therefore withdrew my resolution, and con.
sented to that offered by the distinguished
Bayard OF Delaware, that suffrage was a
matter for State legislation provided they
would allow me to add three words They
agreed to do this, and | then added the
clause which you will find embodied in the
platform: And We declare that the recon.
struction acts are unconstitutional, revou-
tionary, and void That is my plank in the
platform. The great Democratic party being
pledged to that declaration, wanted moth.
ing else. | could wait in patience for their
triumph, to show us how it was to be worked
out in their own COED time. That the right
OF suffrage belongs to the States is policy
that suits us, when the great Democratic
party Is pledged to the declaration that the
reconstruction acts are unconstitutional, rev.
dictionary, and void ; especially when every
member OF the party, and the warmest are
from the North, is ready to take it up and
carry it out"
Here again VIC witness the same old scenes
that used to be enacted before the rebellion.
The aristocratic slave masters would crack
the whip over the craven northern Democ.
racy, and straightway they would 60 down
on their bellies in the dirt. The beaten
rebels, who were disarmed by Grant, come
again to coalesce and conspire with their
northern Coppcrhead allies to make new
war on the Government, to open the rebel.
lion! They crack their slave whips in Tam.
any Hall, and straightway every Copperhead
cur drops his tail and sneaks to the feet of
his old masters" And 'cc declare that tie
reconstruction acts are unconstitutional, rec
dictionary, and roid!' says this arrogant
rebel, who only escaped the gallows through
the magnanimity Of his conquerors, and the
whole Copperhead party North bow and
cry amen! " That is my plank in tile plat
form" ~ rant nothing else"
The same exponent Of the Coppcrhead
Democracy of Seymour and Blair, made use
Of the following language in addressing
meeting at New York, after the nominations:
ave can have no relief unless the Demo.
cratic party will come out and pledge itself
that we shall have Il fair election; Mut tic
~hitc people Of the South shall rotc. ! rant
yon all To register an oath that mhcn they do
cote their rote shall he counted, aud IL there
is a majority Of mhitc rotes, that vou miH
place Seymour and Blair in tie White House
IN spite Of the Jayoncts that shall Jebrouqht
against hemr'
We had similar scenes in 1860 and previ-
GUS to that. of those slave aristocrats swear.
ing their worse than slaves, the north.
ern Copperhcad Democracy, to resist the
election Of a Republican President at the
point Of the bayonet. They swore then to
help these arrogant rebels to do SO, but of
course they preferred to be absent when it
came to crossing bayoncts.
The same slave lords, their
northern doug faced allies deceived them
in the matter of coming to time with the
bayonet, are again swearing them to place
Seymour in the Presidential chair as they
swore then to place Breckenridge there,
whether he is elected or not.
To be sure Seymour did what he could to
redeem the oaths Of the northern Demo.
cratic allies of the rebels, by melting and
encouraging amob in New York city, which
he and they fondly hoped would prove the
nucleus around which the Comprehend party
would rally and commence the rebellion in
the loyal States, and for this act, no doubt,
Wade Hampton, Forrest, and their rebel as.
sociates, by yielding him their cordial sup.
port, nominated him. Blair owes his nom
nation solely to his letter declaring himself
in favor OF u new rebellion to crush the
Union men and freedmen Of the rebel States,
and reinstate in power the old rebel Democ
racy of those States, who carried on the
rcbelion that drenched for four years the
land in blood.
The very impotence of these rebels, after
covering at the feet of Grant and deiverine
up their swords and solcmnly pledging their
word to abide by the laws and behave them
selves iii future, if they were permitted to
escape with their forfeited lives, demanding
that the laws Of Congress shall be resisted
and that one Of their own party shall be
placed in the Presidential chair! Not only
demanding, but srearing the Copperhead
Democracy to assist them in this new rebel
lion. We ask what man, who has one spark
Of honor left, and who was found on the
side Of his country when Wade Hampton
was in arms against it, can be found now
alliliating with the party which that worthy
calls d" the great Democratic Dartv,n because