Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-03-06
WEDNESDAY, MARCH e, 1918
The "Copperheads" Of 1918.


IL : already apparent. from press com
mont m all parts of the country, that
there - to bc a revival Of the term o'
"Coppcrhcad and that IT Will be applied
TO those who. in the course of the coming
national campaign for the election OF q
new Congress will oppose the present
Federal administration. Whether the
analogy j, perfect or defective remains
TO I've seen.
President Wilson, in this years na-
t,cnal political campaign, faces, TO a
considerable degree, the same situation
that President Lincoln was confronted
With In The .off-ycar elections of 1862.
The Clril War va~ then in It's midway
,a,ttion rhc Union armies had been
dr-.-trou~l, defeated in number Of
lmprrtant engagements II seemed prob
alac the Southern Confcdcracy would
t..nnrh
Il that time. throughout the loyal
North there was i large feeling Of sym
pa,hy Tor the causc Of the South. This
w. especially manifest among followers
=, the Democratic party. They had
hcCn oppoScd 10 the war, believing. with
Horace Greeley although he was any
thing but a Democrat that il might he
better 10 allow our southern sisters to
dcpa- IN peace. than 10 engage IN a
war to forcibly keep them within the
bounds of tic Federal Union. And in the
''ofI year campaign Of 1862 they were
conspicuous in their efforts TO elect
Congress or National House Of Rep
resentatives that would be in political
opposition to the Lincoln administration.
And 10 this end they inaugurated an ag-
grcsSive campaign, under the party call
and righteous restrictions OF the Constltu
ton Of the United States. For there were
many able public men Of that time who
insisted that the war Was IN contraven-
tion of the basic principles Of our Federal
constitution. and should not have been
entered upon
But the loval supporters of President
Lincoln rallied to I. : banner in the Con
gr,.ssional campaign Of 1>G2, and earnestly
worked ior thc election of National
IIotI>, of Representatives that would
consistently support him IN his prosecu-
1ian ot the war One OF their most ci-
teejlyc arguments was the employment
a. !, popuiar song -Taint Safe 10 Swop
lIu.-,~ Nhic CrossIn q Stream. mean
rg that II would bc yer1 unwise for 4
national administration IN change It's
political and operative complexion while
engaged IN a great war The result Of the
elections was House of Representatives
IN accord with President Lincolns ad-
mn ration. and committed to q support
oi ms war policies
y We have SAID, those who opposed
P-rsidcnt Lincoln IN those days were
4 ssed - southern sympathizers, and
derlsivelv called Copperheads, after
the manner of the reptile of that title
which was supposed to have procliUty
toy crawling up behind q man and biting
ham in the heel But they were not such.
They were. III the mann. good citizens OF
the country, who believed the war to be
unconstitutional and who were III favor
o. ending II at the earliest possible time
aud '.pon the best possible terms
Bur i is different III these days We
are not now engaged in cIvil war, which
divides no, only neIghbors but members
o families which abrogates the line Of
demarcatlon and leaves on both sides
I hos who favor the cause Of the other
side There Is nothing moro terrible
Than q civil war, because il brings about
such conditions and leaves those al
home, among themselves, to be torn by
contendpg emotions and radically vary
ing views Of the actual situation
Our present war IS not civil war.
Nc arc engaged in a war with foreign
nation. which gave us such provocatIon
that IN national self-respect We could do
nothing else than declare war against IT.
Now We arc actually in the fight Those
here a. home who are not with us, must
b. against u Arc there any Of our peo-
pc who viii be willing to assume the
position Of the "Copperheads' Of 1862,
and, without their justification under the
ederal Constitution, TO resist the govern
mcnt in It's efforts to conduct a successful
war against a foreign enemy? The line Of
is now plainly drawn, and
we are bound to fight this war to q finish.