"And it was a wonder that they had a Cabinet and men who carried out
the infamous orders of the gorilla tyrant that usurped the Presidential
chair."
Capt. Koontz, of Pittsburg, an ardent McClellan leader, said:
"If Democrats catch Lincoln's bloody spies among them, they must cut
their d----d throats, that's all. [Applause.] It is the duty of every
American to vote for a peace candidate."
Baker, of Michigan, said:
"Let us hurl that usurper from power. Never till that day comes when the
usurper and his victim meet at the judgment seat, can he be punished for
his wrongs, for his conspiracy against American liberty."
Benjamin Allen, of New York, said:
"The people will soon rise, AND IF THEY CANNOT PUT LINCOLN OUT OF POWER
BY THE BALLOT THEY WILL BY THE BULLET." [Loud cheers.] Mr. Stambaugh, a
delegate from Ohio, said:
"That, if he was called upon to elect between the freedom of the nigger
and disunion and separation, he should choose the latter." (Cheers.)
"They might search hell over and they could not find a worse President
than Abraham Lincoln."
Hon. Mr. Trainor, of Ohio, said:
"He would urge the people to be freemen, and HURL ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND
HIS MINIONS FROM POWER."
Henry Clay Dean, said:
"In the presence of the face of Camp Douglas and all the satraps of
Lincoln, that the American people were ruled by felons. Lincoln had
never turned a dishonest man out of office, or kept an honest man in.
[A voice--'What have you to say of Jeff. Davis?] I have nothing to say
about him. LINCOLN IS ENGAGED IN A CONTROVERSY WITH HIM, AND I NEVER
INTERFERE BETWEEN BLACK DOGS."
"He blushed that such a felon should occupy the highest place in the
gift of the people. PERJURY AND LARCENY WERE WRITTEN OVER HIM AS OFTEN
AS WAS 'ONE DOLLAR' ON THE ONE DOLLAR BILLS OF THE BANK OF THE STATE OF
INDIANA. (Cries of the 'old villain.') The Democracy were for peace."
W.W. O'Brien, of Peoria, also threatened "to try him as Charles the
first was tried, as a tyrant and a traitor, and if they found him guilty
to hang him."
The essential unity of Copperheadism with assassination, appears in the
following remarks of Koontz, of Pennsylvania:
"Shall more wives be made widows, and more children fatherless, and
greater hate be stirred up between children of the same glorious
constitution? IF NOT WE MUST PUT OUR FOOT UPON THE TYRANT'S NECK, and
destroy it, The Democratic government must be raised to power, and
Lincoln with his Cabinet of rogues, thieves and spies, be driven to
destruction. What shall we do with him? [A voice--"Send him here, and
I'll make a coffin for him, d----n him."]"
As we review the events which have transpired during this war, we are
strikingly impressed with the magnanimity, the forbearance, the humanity
of the loyal States in their relations to the rebels in arms, and we
are also impressed with the great lack of the exhibition of these
qualities--the most ennobling in national character--on the part of the
so-called Southern Confederacy. From the hour of firing upon Fort Sumter
to the present moment, the war has not been waged by the rebels as if
in defense of the great principles of truth and justice, but with the
malignity, the cruelty and barbarity which would, in many instances, put
to blush the savages upon our western borders. In our dealing with them,
the honor, integrity, fidelity and dignity of the nation have never been
forgotten; and the policy of the noble President, laid low by the hand
of the assassin, was never to give blows when words would answer,--never
to exact by force what might be attained by reasoning,--and never, under
any circumstances, to forget those qualities which make a nation truly
great, the first and chief of which is charity. How has our enemy failed
to appreciate this? The manner in which the warfare has been waged by
the South will be mentioned by historians as cruel, dishonorable and
disgraceful to people of a Christian nation. Failing of success upon
the field, we find the Davis Government countenancing guerrilla warfare,
burning bridges, murdering unarmed citizens, and desolating the homes
of unoffending people, and committing piracy upon the high seas. Still
failing of success and losing ground daily, but driven to desperation
by the apparent hopelessness of their cause, they sink to the depth of
infamy by establishing among us secret orders, the aim of which is to
educate men of base passions to deeds of dark dishonor and unmeasured
infamy; men who receiving such instruction will concoct schemes for the
burning of cities, for the liberation of their prisoners; and, lastly,
they have sunk so low in the mire of dishonor, impelled by savage
ferocity and hate, that it would appear folly, if not downright
criminality to longer deal with them on the principles of liberality
and gentleness, which has marked our conduct hitherto. It was our
generosity, our mildness, our spirit of conciliation that moved the
hand of the demon who slew the country's truest friend. Let it be so no
longer! Let rebels feel that we are terribly in earnest. Let heavy blows
be struck, and struck without delay, and let there be no exhibition of
concession or conciliation, till the enemy sue for peace upon the terms
the country proclaims. As well make Copperheads Christians or honest
men, as to attempt by gentleness longer to subdue rebels, whose weapons
are firebrands and assassins' daggers. It is futile; try it no longer.
Said the great French advocate of justice, when he was charged with
being sanguinary, because he so frequently punished murder with death,
"You tell me that it is bloody work, and sinful in the sight of Heaven
to execute men; so it is, and I am disposed to desist, and I will, the
moment men stop the crime of murder." So will we show clemency, when our
enemy has laid down his arms, and not before.
Another measure by our people would be attended with salutary
results--the extermination of Copperheadism at home. Who helped to
form secret societies of Sons of Liberty and kindred organizations, so
industriously and so efficiently as editors of Copperhead publications.
It is in these orders that assassins are trained, and prepared for their
fiendish mission. Henceforth let the people--the loyal people of the
most glorious country on which the sun shines--swear by the memory of
our much loved and deeply lamented President, that henceforth no paper
shall print, no man shall utter sentiments of treason, under the penalty
of incurring that summary punishment, the righteous indignation of a
sorrowing, long suffering people may inflict. If the people resolve to
endure the curse of home treason no longer, and let Copperheads know
that they can no longer co-operate with Jeff. Davis in any part of
our land, we shall never again be called upon to aid in suppressing or
exposing a North-Western Conspiracy, or any plot against our country, in
any section of our land.