The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-08-01
Curtis on Hen bricks.
The shumel Hypocrisy of tine Gre
form" Cry with Such a Man ON the
Ticket

[Harpsr's Weekly Of September 2, 1851
As the letter of Mr.. Tilden in its effort to
please the repudiating element of his party
shows how powerful he believes it to be, it is
worth while TO see what kind of public
man his associate, the representative of that
sentiment is, since, in case of Democratic
success, the government might fall into his
hands. Mr. Hendricks has made no dis
tinctly favorable impression whatever upon
the country, although he has been governor
and senator, aud long engaged in public af-
fairs. Trained, like Mr.. Tllden, in the
school of pro-slavery politicians, he was the
inconsiderate ally of aggressions of slavery
and the debauchery of the national mind
and conscience. He was faithful support
er of the degrading Democratic effort to
stlfe freedom in Kansas and to dishonor the
national name.
During the war he was Copperhead.
Governor Morton, In his heroic contest with
the rebel legislature of Indiana, had no sup
port from Mr.. Hendricks, who was elected
by that legislature to the Senate of the
United States. He left his church when its
minister preached loyal sermon, exhorting
his people to sustain their government.
And early In the war he said in speech:
"If the war. being prosecuted. shall have the eff
feet OF a6olshing our market in the South, by des
then would advise the Northwest to look out for
ITSELF"
1t was just at the time that Mr.. Tilden
was engaged in publishing tracts to discredit
and denounce Mr.. Lincoln's conduct of the
war. Mr.. Hendricks zealously aided this
work by addressing meetings, the calls of
which summoned "all who are in favor of
peace. all who desire to be free from the
death grip of this wicked, tyrannical and
imbecile administration, its arbitrary and
illegal arrests, ind its draft and conscription
laws, by which peaceable citizens are
dragged from their homes aad all the en-
dearments of domestic life, to butcher and
be butchered: to come out and hear this adj
vocate of peace and reunion" And in this
vein he spoke. In February, 1863, at such
meeting, he denounced Mr.. Lincoln for
making an Abolition war. 1t was the alti-
slavery men who were guilty:
"If Congress would take bundle of switches and
switch them all out Of the White House, it would
not be we'll Roa NAV hear the esaI Is ao il will
churches; your sons may go out to the battlefield:
but our country is not to be restored it until
Aboliionism Is buried, never TO be resurrected.''
Colored regiments had been authorized,
and he exclaimed:
ed. They have passed bill in the House of Repre-
sentatives to arm an army of negroes. Ev-
cry man who voted for that BILL and the President
when he shall have signed it, will have offered a
direct insult to every white man and woman in the
United States-an insult that every proud man will
resent"
Naturally the audience responded, ''Kill
the niggersr and Mr.. Hendricks would be.
of course, Jealous guardian of the equal
rights of both racesl He advised his hear
ers, if anybody came iinto their neighbor-
hood without law to arrest deserters, to
"attend to that gentleman at 0nce:" and
the response was, "We'll attend to them,
old fellow" He did not advise enlisting,
for he said that he would not recommend
anyone to do what he did not mean to do
himself. And he continued:
81 am ready to compromise at any thine. l am
ready TO say TO the people of the South Come ia
again and We will secure to you your constitutional
rights, and, if you desire them additional guaran-
tees If there Is any man WI desires to Continue
fighting and spending the peoples money and lives
do not sympathize with him. Congress will not
meet until next December, and until that time the
government will be under the control of the Adolf
tionsts 1t may be that events will settle the cues
tion before that time. If it goes on a little while
longer as has since the President issued bis proc
lamation, it is going against Us. do not know
whether that Proclamation is going to be taken back
or not; am going toyote to take It back the first
to have issued. The people say to Mr.. Lincoln.
'You must stand by the constitution. You have no
right to make an Abolition purpose of this war;
Mr. Lincoln says to the people, You are not loyal;
1 am loyal He says, 'You fellows you men in
workshops and on farms, I'll put you in dungeons if
you do not be still when shake my hand"
These were Mr.. Hendricks views and
words while his country was engaged in
mortal struggle with slavery and treason. Is
there any good reason why he should be Sc
lected from forty millions of people to be the
possible head of government which he did
his best to destroy?
When the country that he sought TO de-
stroy emerged victorious from the war, Mr..
Hendricks as Senator denied the power of
Congress Or of the people to abolish slavery
by a constitutional amendment He was
one Of the three Senators who voted for