Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-07-14

was Mr. James Brooks, who made the remark,
which became afterward noted, that be had seen
men sitting the stumps by the road SIDE IN the
woods of the South who were unable to read or
write but who knew more of Government and
political questions than the best of New England
children with all their book learning; ana ne lus-
tily denounced, Northern fanatics and abolition
isis. He was followed by Cyrus Mason, "a man
well known to many New 1orkers.) by George
Ticknor Curtis, and by Samuel j. lhden. The
meeting decided to form a society to publish and
ditfuse sound political iniormaton-that Is. as the
result showed, the most uncompromising Copper
head spceches and pamphlets. A Committee on
Publications, and one on finance of which Sam
uel J. Ilden was q member, were appointed; and
a week later the organization was completed by
making Mr.. 5. f. Is. Morse permanent President,
Ioring Andrews Treasurer, and Cyrus Mason
Corresponding Secretary and General Agent.
Then operations began.
These consisted of the occasional publication OF
pamphlets, the study of which Is To-Day profound
" suggestive. Their main object was two fold !;
hrst, to show the blessing of human slavery: and
second, to prove that every great measure OF the
war was unconstitutional. The first pamphlet is
sued contaiEed an aceovnt of the speeches OF MI.
Morse and George Ilcknor Curtis at the Demon
leo meeting, with letter from Samuel j. Tilden
to the Evening Post, denying that the movement
WAS IN any sense a revolutionary conspiracy or
intrigue. Mr.. Iiden's letter, written at the mo-
Inent when the issue of the contest was most I'M
certain, was calculated to persuade the country
that the measures of the war were perllOus usur-
pations, and that liberty and the Government were
pcrshin1 amid the iolles and faults Of Abraham
liucoln's Administration. Mr.. 1Ilden stated that
when Preston King asked him to cooperate IN
the formation of the Republican party be replied
that it would be dangerous agency, and either
politCa. blunder or crime, as creating conflict
in which the Government would probably perish.
This first pamphlet was followed by speech OF
Mr. Turuie, then Senator from Indiana, OF the
kind that Mr.. pendleton and Fernando W God and
the other peace men were in the habit OF max
ing. Otaer members of the series were "Emanc-
patton and its Results, showing that 1t had al
ways been misfortune, and the ovation at the
Academy OF Music on the Fourth of July, 1865,
when Gov. Seymour made speech fomentlng
the utmost Hostility to the Administration, and
unquestionahly melting the draft riots of ten days
later. There were also the "libe View Of
Slavery" the speech of Pugh for Na,iandigham
the letter of the Albany Copperhcads to Mr. Lin
coin Of the 30h of June, 1873, and others of the
same kind.
Hi, was the business IN which Mr. Tilden was
engaged in the crisis OF the struggle Tor national
existence. This was the measure OF his PATRIOTISM
and this was his view of Mr.. Lncoln's policy and
conduct. Is there thing in the democratic reso-
luton Of 1861 which Is inconsistent with 1t: Is
that resolution any thing else than dec aration Of
the sentiments which MIR. TlGen had carefully ~
culcatcd and fostercd And while this is the way
10 which Mr.. Tllden maintained the govern
ment and served human liberty and equal rights,
Governor Hayes served his country and her cause
in another way. To which one of the two is that
country aud her cause the more indebted? Which
one of the two more deserves the gratitude OF
every true hearted AmeriCan-the modest Repub-
can citizen who, when the war threatened, sad,
quietly Nothing would now be SO fatal as com
promise; a man may escape piso-shot, but not
a dose Of poison" then offered his life for his
country or the democratic performer who, with
Fernando Wood, and Nalandigham, and Henry
CLAY Dean, did in tie Northern States the work Of
Jefferson Davis?
We are told that this is an absolete question.
Far from it. The attitude and conduct OF every
public man Of this generation; when the existence
of the government and human liberty itself were
in peril, cannot be an obsolete question. There
are indeed, present issues which are commanding
and pressing But they can be dealt with more
wisely and fifty by honest and experienced men,
who were iLstinctyeiy true and loyal to the
country and its cause throughout the war; IL
is not necessary that performer of to-day
should have been "Copperhead' OF yesterday,
while a Cop2erhead would desire nothing more
earnestly than that political and patriotic men,
cries should not extend further than two or three
wears. The war indeed, is happily over, despite
such constant and shilul hostility as that OF Mr..
Tldcn But there questions which the war
has left that cannot be treated safely and wisely
hy party ard politicians who neither approved
the war nor sympa hiZed with reconstruction. y
democratic restoration, with candidate who was
not even war democrat" would be reaction
which, as it is not necessary to any reform or
measure of progress, we believe patriotic c0un-
tIv viii think long before it DEGREES.