The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-08-31
IFrom the Copperhead.
letter from Henry Clay Dean.
MT. PLEASANT, Aug. 6, 70.


CAPT. SAMUEL B. EVANS. Dea
Eriend:-This question is ~presente'
to me wherever / go, what 1 think o
the French Prussian War? ] repl,
through the CoPperhead to all en-
quirers.
1 am opposed to all wars in Amer
ca and Europe ; war is the brute's Law
of reason, and when adopted by mel
destroys morality, religion, knowledge
virtue and justice, not only of thu
State which assume martial law anC
arbitrary power above all claims o
Justice, civil law and Constitutions
restraints, but undermines the founda
tions of society, to overflow commu
mites with all of the miseries of crime
all of the ~sufferings of poverty anC
affords tyrants a new pretcNt for rob
bing the laborihg masses.
In regard to the present European
war. 1t is simply a war between ty.
rants in which the poor people OF one
country willtbe butchered during the
war by the, poor people OF another
country who have never e each
other, can have no possible wrongs to
Gvenge and are the mere machinery
of usurpers, to perpetuate their power.
When the war has ended, the expens-
es increased to carry it on will be
made the pretext for an army of tax
gatherers to rob the people for n cen
fury to come in tariffs, imposts stamps
and direct taxes with all of the pomp
extravaganza and show necessary to
conceal from the people their real
condition.
p This war will embitter the mutual
feelings of the slaves of William and
Napoleon, for a full half century and
yfasten each monarch securely on his
throne which is the real object of the
war which will dazzle the eyes of the
ignorant with its splendor and enrich
the treasurers of the mercenary with
Its plumbers.
The fundamental idea of q just
government Is liberty. The faith in
terpreted teachings of Jesus Christ
was freedom. The only purpose
worthy of true Democracy is the lib
Grafton of the people from chains
The real character Of the contest in
Europe, for the last four hundred
years have been generally misuDder-
stood in the United States. For the
most part the European revolutions
have been struggles for power and
place, rather than battles for liberty
The only bold, rational and Radi-
cal attempt at true freedom was in
the French revolution, which ended
q failure, yet left q love of personal
liberty among the French people from
which free government will ultimate
~ spring and spread over Europe.
K6ssuth wasTrather anxious that
the Hungarians should be restored to
authority in their own country (Which
was rightly than that such personal
liberty as we understand in England
and in America should be given to
the people.
The resolution which drove Franz
-Sigel and Carl Shurz to the United
States were thoae of. plumber and
domination which had nothing of lib
erty in their objects, and how natu-
rally both of these men in a neutral
free country try to involve this coun-
try where only liberty a be the los
er.
The great evils of these wars are
that they prevent the people from Sc
curing and moving to destroy the re-
al enemies of progress, liberty and
Justice In Europesand in America.
The great mass of the true Democ-
racy in both continents is to establish
the personal liberty upon true founda
tons that every man, woman and
child may enjoy the fruits of their
labor and CONTROL their own persons
and exercise the most unlimited rights
o-fconscience and opinion.
>, Ehe true Democrat then has before
him, this duty and labor In Europe
to destroy the entire feudal system
with its entails which embarrass the
conveyance and enjoyments of the
lands which were made for all and
should be open to the enterprise and
industry of the people; to destroy
with the feudal system the privileged
governing class who claim the right
to govern from their ancestry by the
laws Of the feudal system; to destroy
all rights of government based upon
the laws of primogeniture to destroy
all special privileges and abolish all
special legislation for the protection
ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of corporations and
Individuals ; to abolish all national
debts, Standing armies and govern
ment monopolies.
At the present time in the United
States the real Democracy are not
organized upon the great principles
laid down by Thomas Jefferson and
unfortunately for the country they
have followed in the steps of their
European consciences and looking to
the "attainment of power" rather
than the triumph of principles.
The war in America is the one in
which we are most interested-the
war of reasoe agaidst brute force-the
Of jusrice against robbery-the
war of capital against labor-the war
of liberty against slavery.
The poor people, the laboring class
es must have something to eat and
wear as cheap as it can possibly be
produced. To obtain this we must
have
,uust AholsSh oil 1ioaDsea upon I