Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-05-23
A CHAMPION FOR THE NORTH
ERN COPPERHEADS.

Among other remarkable depart
ures from the plain truth, Ben. Hill
said in his stump speech delivered
in the Senate last week that the
Democrats of the North, and they
only, saved the Unisn. Nothing
could be more palpably false. In
fact, the position assumed by the
Northern Democrats was one of the
most contemplate, possible. They
possessed all the malignity of the
most malignant class of Southern
secessionists, without the courage of
the latter. We have frequently ex-
pressed our admiration for the
bravery and gallantry of the Con
federate soldiers, who endured UNI
told hardships, and made such
great sacrifices in a cause they
loved, although it was not
righteous one, but we have never
entertained any other feeling than
that of supreme contempt for the
Northern copperheads who enjoyed
the protection of the Government
while they were giving all possible
encouragement to its enemies. They
were willing to stab from the rear,
but too cOwardly to fight at the
front. They played the role of
assassins and not the part of brave
enemies.
Does Senator Hill suppose that
the people have forgotten who was
chosen as the Democratic standard
bearer in the great State of Ohio,
when the great struggle was going
on for the preservation of the
Union? 1t was G. L. Valanding-
ham, a loud-mouthed traitor, who
was doing everything in his power
to discourage enistments in the
Federal army and to scatter dis
cord in the Union States.
So open and notorious were his
reasonable utterances that it be-
came necessary for the military au-
thorities to take him in hand and
he was arrested by order of Gen.
Burnside. A committee of Ohio
Democrats, appointed at a State
Convention waited upon President
Lincoln for the purpose of securing
Mr.. Valandigham's release. The
President submitted the following
proposition to this Democratic com
mittee, and told it if they would sig
nifty their assent to them, he would |
order the release of Mr.. Valadig-I
ham:
l. That there is now q rebellion in
the United State, the object and ten.
dency of which is to destroy the Ma
tional Union and that in your opin-
ion, an army and navy are cODstitu-
tional means for suppFessing that re-
belliOn
2 That no one Of you will do any
thing which, in his own Judgment,
will tend to hinder the increase or fa-
vOr the decrease or lessen the efficiency
of the Army and Navy, while engaged
in the effort TO suppress that rebellion
and
3. That each OF you will, in his
sphere, do all he can to have the Off
GERS. soldiers, and seamen of the Army
an Navy, while engaged in the effort
to suppress the rebellion, paid, fed,
clad, and otherwise well provided for
aud supported.
But they refused to give their as
sent. They refused to recognize
the fact that a rebellion existed.
They declined to pledge themselves
not to do anything to decrease or
lessen the efficiency of the Army.
They declined to pledge themselves
not to discourage enlistments in the
Army, or not to encourage deser-
ton from the Army. They de-
clined these reasonable PROPOSE
tons made by President Lincoln,
prefering that their leader should
remain in prison rather than yield
their assent to measures for sup
pressing the rebellion. These are
the men who, Mr.. Hill says, saved
the Union. Does he forget
that the Democrats in Congress
every measure calculated
to strengthen the army and advance
the cause of the Union? Has he
forgotten that Democratic Senators