Year: 1864

/ resolution Of the copperhead Platform


f. That the aim and object of the Demo
cratic party are to preserve the Federal Union
and the rights of the States unimpaired and
] they hereby declare that they consider the
| administrative usurpatioD of extraordinary
aud dangerous powers not granted by the
| Constitution-the subyerson of the civil By
the military law in States not in insurreetion
the arbitrary military arrest, imprisonment,
trial and sentence of american citizens in
States where civil law exists in full force /;
the suppression of freedom of speech and of
the press the denial of the right of ASYLUM !;
the open and avOwed disregard of State rights ;
the employment of unusual test oaths and
the interference with and denial of the right
of the people to bear arms in their defense, is
calculated to prevent restoration of the Un-
! ion and a perpetuation of a Government de-
riying its just powers from the consent of the
gsyerned.


Now that is a pretty heavy Indictment
They declare that they are going to restore
the States to all their rights, and they
think the Administration usurpation of
power dangerous. What are these arrests
for? There never was time on earth
when there was rebellion in the land.
where men were not tried by military au-
thorities for treason Sometimes it is





take hold of men q, d not allow them to
be tried by jury. Suppose you should
capture jeff. Davis, would YOU turn him
over to be tried by jury at Richmond :?
But these men want military arrests
stopped Are you afraid of being arrested
by military authority? | tell you, if you
are loyal to the country, and stand by the
Government, you will not be interfered
with


BY the suppression of the freedom of
the press, | suppose some rebel newspaper
has been squelched BY the suppression
of the freedom of speech l suppose they
mean that they are not allowet to get up
and hurrah for jeff Davis They ought
not to complain, God knows, and yet they
are afraid they will be suppressed in their
freedom of speech.


| don't know what they mean by the
disregard of State Rights. | know what
Southern men-Jeff Davis means by State
Rights-the right to secede and leave the
Government whenever they please If
they mean that, State Rights never ought
to be restored


CoPPERHEAD SYMPATHY WITH SOLDIERS.


/ will now examine the last two resolu-
tions:


i. That the shameful disregard by the Ad-
ministration of its duty, in respect to our fel-
low-citzens who are now, and long have been,
prisoners of war i'll suffering condition, de
serves the severest reprobation the score
alike of public policy and common humanity.
6. That the sympathy of the Democratic
party is earnestly and heartily extended To the
soldiery of our army, who are, and have been,
in the field under the flag of their country;
and, in the event of it's attaining power, they


4
that the brave soldiers of the Republic have
so nobly earned.


The rebels have in their possession, Of
our men, probably 10000 prisoners of
war. At least one ha f of that number
are at this time without clothing enough
to cover their nakedness, and are not al
lowed to be furnished it. OF that number,
probably one hundred and fifty die per
day. Not one is allowed a covering for
his head They are kept in pens without
been for months The Union people of the
North have purchased clothing for them,
and sent it to them The Quartermaster's
Department has furnished clothing for
them, and blankets, and asked the rebel
authorities to give them to the men. Pro-
visions have been sent to them and this
was all that could be done The rebel
treatment of our prisoners is hard, know;
and if our soldiers could get t. them, they
would not be permitted to suffer any lon
ger.


That fifth resolution is the greatest piece
of literature ! ever saw. If you viii tell
me what Mr. Lincoln, or the Administra-
ton, or the officers, or all of them, have
had to do with these prisoners since they
have been there, | would like to know what
it is. We are not allowed to feed or clothe
them. Who is responsible for it? jeff
Davis He would not clothe or feed them,
nor allow US to do so, but has kept them
out in the open ar like so many cattle,
exposed to the sun and the storm. Let
me ask you if it v ould not have come with
a better grace from citizens Of the United
States, if that resolution had read like
this: Because of the treatment received
bv our prisoners at the hands of the rebel
Government it deserves the severest re
probation on the score of common human
ity.


But the last resolution is very smooth
very nice and patriotic 1t applies to me,
and have a right to talk about it because
| am a soldier The sympathy of the De-
mocracy is heartily and earnestly extended
to the soldiers of the army and the sea
1ncI VI LIiC iift'S hctAit VI t''C
manifestation of the spirit ! would like
to see the manifestations Of this sympathy,
and | would rather see it manifested in
acts than words. In what way do they
svmpathize with US? by resolutions that
we are a noble band Of patriots, that the
war has been successful, and they are
proud of the army? No, sir. They say
tn 9 war has been a failure. Do they con-
gratulate with US because we have planted
our flag in every Southern State They
saw no such thing Do they sympathize
with the widows and orphans of those
slain in battle They say not that Is
it by visiting the army and associating
with the soldiers and officers? If so L
have failed to see them. | want any man
to tell me when Pendleton. or Va iandig-
ham-except ,shcn he was sent through
the lines-or Wood, or Rynders, Of Bel
mont, or Richardson, or Robinson, or Al
len, or any of the rest of them, have ever
come to see the army and take the hand
of a so der Not one OF them ever came
to see US since the war began, after we
passed south Of Cairo ] have met other
men-those men from Indiana, Illinois,
and all the Western States l speak now
of the leaders / have seen Governors L


l y mn ~