New Britain herald., 1929-02-13

1 II ~ PERSPECTIVE o. Civil War
days recedes far In the background
we sometimes are In danger sf ever
looking the diniculties that Lincoln
had to surmount even In parts Of
the North. His policies did not At
tain universal approval: there were
copperheads in the land and some
had influence: there were those who
thought the President should be
more Of a compromised; others suf-
fered from war WEAKNESS long be-
fore the final victories of the Union
cause insured q united nation. Lin
coin himself had been minority
President. which was certain to pro-
vide plenty Of political die-hards to
harass and it possible embarrass
the great work OF a Union triumph
ant and advisable.
Over all these Lincoln conquer
ed. He sympathixed with mistaken
viewpoints and was not inclined to
exercise harshness. Far from being
dictator he steadfastly refused to
countenance dictatorial measures
against those who suffered from a
warped mentality in the face of
present national dangers. The ene-
my, he said. was at the front; he
wasted little time with the pea
shooters in the rear.
How his opponents In the North
harassed him at this day can be ap-
preciated only by referring to the
files of publications that existed
during the Civil War. Few take the
trouble to wade through these yell
lowed pages.
1t SO happens that the Belfast, Ne.
journal is 100 years old and fitting
ly published centenary edition the
other day. This newspaper. one Of
the most ably edited of the smaller
city newspapers in New England, OPP
posed Lincoln violently during the
great conflict In rehearsing its his
tory. the Boston Herald printed the
following significant paragraph:
''The episode Of widest general in
terest lin the history of the Belfast
JournaD occurred in the Civil War
period. In 1854 Lincoln issued his
call for half -million men. At the
time William H. Simpson was owner
and editor and the Journal usually
was referred to az Simpsons paper
He published an editorial about this
call for more victims for the
slaughter referring to this shocking
warfare declaring that, Lincoln,
envying the fame of Genghis Khan.
was going to build a tower Of skulls.
and adding that Lincoln acted as
though the American people were
but cattle in the shambles to be
slaughtered at his pleasure A Ban
gor grand jury indicted Simpson for
giving aid and comfort to the re-
bellion.' For some months he was
under arrest but never imprisoned.
At the trial he >demurred that the
| article contained no offense under
the law and the demurrer was allow
! ed by the court. However, he took
stock OF the troubled conditions OF
the time snd suspended publication
of the paper from December 2, 1864.
to July 20, 1866, nearly 20 months %
The voices OF the Simpsons have
been effectually stilled in the face of
the general acclaim accorded Lin
coins greatness. The episode in
Maine at this time serves to illustrate
the sort of thing Lincoln had to COM
| bat within his own ranks. He in fact
won a double victory-one against
the Confederacy and another against
the copperheads. Simpson and his
kind no doubt were sincere; but one
| pauses to reflect that no such sim
cerity was permitted to come to the
surface during the World War.
I
| SILK