Year: 1865

A Political Big Thing"


The following letter, written by the
editors Of the Chicago Times, the lead
ing rebel sheet and organ Of the copper
head party in Illinois, to B. Small, Esq,
OF our county, who was subscriber to
said paper, and who was therefore
doubtless supposed by said editors to be-
long to the copperhead fraternity, win
explain how these copperheads have so
suddenly and so ardently fallen in love
with the soldiers: 0-1 s6sf


CHICAGO, July 81, 1865.


DEAR Sir: We think you viii agree
with Us, upon a moments reflection,
that this is not q time when the eireula.
ton of Democratic papers should be al
lowed to diminish; that, on the contrary,
il is g most propitious time to make
special effort to extend such circulation.
The close of the war and the restoration
policy by the President, (much more
just than there has been reason to anti
cipate,) promise q return of national
unity, and this attained, the re-aseend-
eney of the Democratic party will sure
ly follow. 1t is All-important that the
President should be powerfully support
ed in the maintenance Of his policy, as
against the bitter hostility Of the Repub-
lican radicals towards IT, and the Vigor
with which the Democratic party sup.
port him will make it more or less tri-
umphant, for it is true that he looks 10
the Democratic party for support in the
emergency. This support must be main
ly exerted through the instrumentalityo of
the Democratic press; and il will be
powerful just in proportion that the
Democratic press shall, Ia its cireula.
ton, represent the people The truth is
that the success Of his policy depends
upon the support of the Democratic
party. It ia not precisely such policy
as you or we would have proposed, bur
fairly carried out il will enable the
Southern States to set in motion their
own political machinery, and thereafter
to form and regulate their own domestic
institutions in their own way, subject
only to the Constitution of the United
States, This is the grand end to be reach
ed, and the only present way of reach
ing it is that proposed By the Presi-
dent The contest upon the question
may extend beyond the ensuing session
of Congress; the Republican radicals
may command q majority in one or both
Houses, by which the consnmation of
the Presidents policy will be deferred,
in which even this question will be the
absorbing issue in the Congressional
election next fall Then will rise the
momentous question of finance, internal
taxation, and tariff. These wilIbeissues
in all future elections. The West cannot
but embrace the Democratic politicso on
these questions; her interests all lie in
that direction, and so do the interests of
most of the Middle and all of the South
ern States. Nov is the time to SOW GOOD
seed relating to these questions, n I'D it
is the Democratic press which must SOW
it. To these brief suggestions we might
add others, but it is unnecessary, mas
much as they will arise in your own
mind We shall send thisl circular to
prominent Democrats all over the North
west, in the hope that it will have some
influence in exciting prompt and active
efforts in behalf of the largsst possible
circulation of Democratic papers. We
shall be happy 70 furnish the Chicago
Times to the extent that II may be cho-
sen, and we promise that it shall not be
less faithful to Democratic principles in
the future than it has been in the past.


The returned soldiers viii be a con-
siderable element in politics hereafter,
and ii is important that they should not
be Overiooked in any arrangement for
the dissemination of political truth. DOE


Respectfully yours, IL


W. F. STOREY.
To Mr.. B. SMALL, Georgetown, Ill


The following were proclaimed as the
sentiments of W. J. Storey & Co., on the
18th of July, 1864: s os ae.i sa


He Abraham Lincoln) could not be
more tOOrtbless dead than he is hring,
but tooald be iafnitely less npischierous,
and his corpse, repULsiUe as tt tcouEd be
in its freshesG STATE and richest and
most graceful habiLimeR.s scould yet be
the most appropriate sacrifice NAich the
fnsutted nation could offer iR atoncpseait
for its submission to his iabeciEisy and
despotisns"