Is not the policy which the Peace Democracy support in
their papers, platforms, and public addresses, an immediate cessation of
hostilities on the part of the North? And do they not select, as the
exponents of this policy, men who have, from the commencement of the
war, sympathized with the South, and denounced the military measures of
the Government as unjustifiable, oppressive, and iniquitous? Open any
newspaper of "Copperhead" complexion, and tell me, candidly, if you can
approve of the manner in which the all-engrossing questions of the day
are discussed.
You know, in advance, as well as I know, that you will find both open
and insidious attacks upon whatever feature of the war-policy of the
Administration chances at the moment to be uppermost in the public mind,
a liberal collection of incidents illustrating the horrors of war,
abundant abuse of army-contractors, appalling estimates of our probable
national debt, enthusiastic commendation of the skill of Southern
officers and the bravery of Southern soldiers, extravagant laudation of
some Federal commander who has disobeyed the orders of his superior and
conducted a campaign in such a manner as not to annoy or alarm the
enemy, eloquent denunciation of all attempts to fetter free speech or
limit the liberty of the press, indignant complaint that the rights of
the citizen are disregarded, an ostentatious parade of historical
parallels to prove that an earnest and united people fighting for
independence has never been subjugated, a bitter paragraph attributing
to Abolitionists all the evils of the existing controversy, the
inevitable sneer at negro soldiers in spite of the bloody baptism which
they have so heroically borne,--all this, but (mark the significant
circumstance!) not one word in condemnation of Southern treason, not a
single sentiment that can by possibility alienate old friends, or can
ever be quoted as evidence that the editor had dared to assert his
manhood.
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