The Portland daily press., 1876-07-28
From the New York Independent.l
Thomas A. Hendricks.


The nomination of Mr.. Hendricks by the
Democratic party as its candidate for Vice
President furnishes good illustration of the
fitness of things. The party just fits the cam
didate, and the candidate as we'll fits the party.
There would have been no incongruity in plac-
ing him at the head of the ticket; and this
would most likely have been done if he had not
been outgeneraled by Governor Tilden. Owing
to the manner in which our Presidential cleo
tions are conducted, the ticket is unit; and
both candidates must be voted for or against
at the same time. Those who take Tiden
must take Hendricks. 1t is Tilden and Hen.
bricks or neither; and if the former should
happen to be elected, and should die during
his term of service or should for any reason
vacate the office, then it would be Hendricks
for President.
1t may be well, therefore to inquire who
this Mr.. Thomas A. Hendricks is; and for this
purpose we do not propose to 60 back of 1862,
when he was.elected to the Senate of the United
States by the Legislature of Indiana. He took
his seat in the Senate on the 4th of March, 1868
and retained it till March, 1869. He was con-
sequently, member of the Senate during
part of the war and nearly the whole of the
reconstruction period His general attitude
during the war was one of persistent opposition
to the measures of the Government for its pro-
secution, and also to the reconstruction meas
ures of Congress after the close of the war. I'm
this respect he was a "Copperhead" of the
worst type, not being whit better than VAL
landigham. In June, 1864, Congress passed
the bill for the repeal of the Fugitive Slave
Law, and Mr. Hendricks earnestly spoke
against it and then managed to dodge when the
final vote was taken.
In the month of February, 1865, Congress
adopted the concurrent resolution proposing the
Thirteenth Amenement, aboishing slavery
throughout the United States; and Mr.. Thomas
A. Hendricks recorded his vote in the negative
in all the preceding votes of the Senate on the
subject. In June, 1866, the Fourteenth
Amendment was proposed, and Mr., Hendricks
true to his antecedents, opposed it and voted
against it. In February, 1869, Congress pro-
posed the Fifteenth Amendment, and we find
Mr.. Hendricks among those who voted against
it. His record during the whole period of his
Senatorial career shows not only that he had
no sympathy with the Government in its DEATH
| struggle with the Rebellion, but also that he
was opposed to the constitutional abolition OF
slavery, to the granting of civil rights to the
| colored man and to his entranchisement, as
| was proposed in the Fifteenth Amendment.
In February, 1866, Congress passed the hrst
| Civil Rights bin for the purpose of securing to
| the Negro the rights guaranteed by the Thir-
| teenth Amendment, bill whose constitution
ality is unquestioned, and Mr.. Hendricks, true
| to his Democratic insticts, voted against it.
| President johnson vetoed the bill; and, when
| the question came before the Senate whether it
| would be passed over the Presidents veto, Mr..
| Hendricks repeated bis adverse vote.
A bill passed by Congress amending the char
| ter of city railroad at Washington, SO as to
forbid the COmpauy to exclude persons from
| the cars on account of race or color, was con-
| fronted by the strong opposition OF Mr.. Hen
| bricks. He denounced the bill and voted
| against it.
Take, then, Mr.. Hendricks in relation to the
Rebellion, in relation to reconstruction, and in
| relation to equal rights, as shown by these an
tecedents, and we do him no injustice in say
| ing that he was "Copperhead" during the
war, and that while the Government, after the
| close of the war, was seeking permanently to