Received in an email forward:
Subject: Look what Australia is doing! Excerpts from an on going debate in Australia.
This is true and can be checked at
http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/australia.asp
Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia , as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks. A day after a group of mainstream Muslim leaders pledged loyalty to Australia and her Queen at a special meeting with Prime Minister John Howard, he and his Ministers made it clear that extremists would face a crackdown. Treasurer Peter Costello, seen as heir apparent to Howard, hinted that some radical clerics could be asked to leave the country if they did not accept that Australia was a secular state, and its laws were made by parliament. "If those are not your values, if you want a country which has Sharia law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you", he said on National Television.
"I'd be saying to clerics who are teaching that there are two laws governing people in Australia : one, the Australian law, and another, Islamic law, that is false. If you can't agree with parliamentary law, independent courts, democracy, and would prefer Sharia law and have the opportunity to go to another country, which practices it, perhaps, then, that's a better option", Costello said.
Asked whether he meant radical clerics would be forced to leave, he said those with dual citizenship could possibly be asked to move to the other country. Education Minister Brendan Nelson later told reporters that Muslims who did not want to accept local values should "clear off. Basically people who don't want to be Australians, and who don't want, to live by Australian values and understand them, well then, they can basically clear off", he said.
Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques.
Quote: "IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali , we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians."
"However, the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the 'politically correct' crowd began complaining about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others. I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to Australia ." "However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand."
"This idea of Australia being a multi-cultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. And as Australians, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own life style."
"This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom"
"We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society . Learn the language!"
"We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us."
"If the Southern Cross offends you, or you don't like "A Fair Go", then you should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet. We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don't care how you did things where you came from. By all means, keep your culture, but do not force it on others.
"This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'."
"If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted."
_________________________________________
Maybe if we circulate this amongst ourselves, American citizens will find the backbone to start speaking and voicing the same truths !
If you agree please SEND THIS TO EVERYBODY YOU KNOW! (HOORAY FOR AUSTRALIA ! OUR "REPRESENTATIVES" IN WASHINGTON SHOULD TAKE A HARD LOOK AND LEARN A LESSON BEFORE WE DON'T HAVE A COUNTRY ANYMORE!
Ho’s response:
The last comment is wasted energy. Those gutless, self-serving politicians in Washington could care less about the opinions of most Americans. They have proven themselves over and over again to place their personal ambition above the nation and above the people.
Maybe I should move to Australia. Apparently a much higher percentage of Australians love their country and culture than do Americans. It is my opinion that the "Politically Correct" and "Multi cultural" crowd in America are so full of class envy and hatred for the personal freedom, culture and economy of America that they are doing everything in their power to destroy them and bring our country to it’s knees. America has done more to bring more people out of poverty than any other nation in the history of the modern world, yet the PC crowd condemns America for poverty. (Remember, their truth is that which promotes their agenda and has nothing to do with being factual.)
The degradation of our education systems and other associated systems are the result of many years of growth and control of those who foolishly believe one bloated, self-serving entity, the government, can do a better job than thousands of individual independent organizations in virtually every area. That private enterprise, capitalistic enterprise, can do anything government can do and do it better, cheaper, safer, creating more and better jobs and yes, even do a better job environmentally, there is absolutely no doubt. It has been proven time and time again. This is now especially true in our education system.
Even the Chinese have discovered this fact and look what’s been happening to them. Yes they have problems with pollution, but they are also doing something about it. While our elected officials pander to powerful political and economic forces, lining their pockets and satisfying their petty egos with power, the Chinese are loosening the chains of socialism and encouraging capitalism, free enterprise and personal freedom. "Who’d a thunk it." If this continues, I can see a time in the near future where the world roles of China and the US change places. Where China and maybe others, including India, become the strongholds of free enterprise, quality education and success as they forego the dull gray life of socialism which envelops most of the rest of the western world. Can despotism and dictatorship in the west be far behind? As in Venezuela?
In my opinion the powerful and self-serving "Robber Barons" of America now sit in the halls of Congress, in bureaucratic positions in government agencies, and among the lobbyists, media and entertainment personalities. These powerful people work to impose their agendas on an American populace that has less and less to say about it’s government. Though they vigorously deny it, fact is they provide aid, comfort and support to Islamic terrorists and others who would destroy us. They seem happy to sell us out to our potential destroyers just to gain power and money for themselves. That their efforts have encouraged our deadly enemies and aided greatly in their efforts to destroy us, there is no doubt. Like spoiled children that destroy toys that won’t do their bidding, they work to destroy a culture and economy they cannot control.
I suggest that those America haters like Michael Moore, Sean Pann, Noam Chomsky, Susan Sarandon and the rest of the entertainment world freaks, move to Cuba or Venezuela and live under the wonderful system they are trying to foist off on America. I would suggest Europe, but before long and thanks to their European counterparts, Sharia law will be in effect there and they would be among the first to be beheaded.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
In God We Trust???
I recently received the following forwarded email:
"NBC this morning had a poll on this question. They had the highest Number of responses that they have ever had for one of their polls, and the Percentage was the same as this: 86% to keep the words, IN God We Trust and God in the Pledge of Allegiance 14% against
That is a pretty 'commanding' public response. Therefore, I have a very hard time understanding why there is such A mess about having "In God We Trust" on our money and having God in the Pledge of Allegiance!
Why are we catering to this 14%?"
Ho’s comments:
We cater to the small minority because of the elitist Politically Correct crowd in the media (entertainment world). They guide and control the thoughts and opinions of the sheep and America haters among our citizens to serve their beliefs and agenda. They have those citizens who follow and support them out of habit, out of ignorance, out of class envy, out of belief systems, and out of self service.
Not to worry! If this bunch succeeds in their "hate Bush, hate conservatives, hate Republicans and hate America" campaign, the resulting aid and support for Islamic fascists and terrorists will solve that for us. They will soon replace the word "God" in the pledge with "Allah" and "In God we trust" on our coins with, "It's Allah or lose your head." I wonder how the feminists will respond to Sharia law? We’ll probably see this in Europe before it gets here so if you plan to visit Europe you’d better do it soon before the Islamic fascists take over. Remember, they like to behead Americans. They've been murdering all they encounter who won't join them for a millenium and a half. Why would anyone expect them to change.
Ho
"NBC this morning had a poll on this question. They had the highest Number of responses that they have ever had for one of their polls, and the Percentage was the same as this: 86% to keep the words, IN God We Trust and God in the Pledge of Allegiance 14% against
That is a pretty 'commanding' public response. Therefore, I have a very hard time understanding why there is such A mess about having "In God We Trust" on our money and having God in the Pledge of Allegiance!
Why are we catering to this 14%?"
Ho’s comments:
We cater to the small minority because of the elitist Politically Correct crowd in the media (entertainment world). They guide and control the thoughts and opinions of the sheep and America haters among our citizens to serve their beliefs and agenda. They have those citizens who follow and support them out of habit, out of ignorance, out of class envy, out of belief systems, and out of self service.
Not to worry! If this bunch succeeds in their "hate Bush, hate conservatives, hate Republicans and hate America" campaign, the resulting aid and support for Islamic fascists and terrorists will solve that for us. They will soon replace the word "God" in the pledge with "Allah" and "In God we trust" on our coins with, "It's Allah or lose your head." I wonder how the feminists will respond to Sharia law? We’ll probably see this in Europe before it gets here so if you plan to visit Europe you’d better do it soon before the Islamic fascists take over. Remember, they like to behead Americans. They've been murdering all they encounter who won't join them for a millenium and a half. Why would anyone expect them to change.
Ho
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Reverberations from 9-11
A friend of mine just sent me the address of a website with photos of expressions of sympathy and solidarity from all over the world right after 9-11. The website is http://www.coreykoberg.com/9-11-01/ . If you check it out you’ll probably shed some tears.
It is so sad that the perveyors of hate and animosity have since done everything in their power including outrageous lies and ridiculous charges all laced with the vitriol of class, ethnic, racial and political hatred and envy to divide us and virtually incite mob rule. And to what purpose? That singular, self-serving purpose is political power and monetary gain for themselves. They believe they have discovered that fanning the flames of envy into unreasoning hatred among the poor and less educated will gain them the votes they need to gain power and thus money for themselves with little regard for any damage it does to our nation.
I'm quite certain those in opposition could have found a more constructive means to oppose what they believe to be wrong, but they chose instead to use the path of inciting hatred. They chose to use their followers in the media to help them launch a campaign of charges, condemnations, and even more importantly, omissions in hopes of molding public opinion and affecting elections in their favor. They acted on the known fact that it is far far easier (and cheaper) to destroy than to build. The murderous Islamic 9-11 terrorists who used planes as bombs clearly demonstrated that a few men can destroy in short order what took many men years and a great deal of money and effort to build. This old lesson has not been lost on the left.
The easy way is destruction-- the hard way is cooperation, creativity and construction. Cheap and dirty attacks are much easier than hard work, dedication, cooperation and building. In addition, those who for whatever reason are at the bottom of the income and education scales-- the underpriveleged-- the have-nots-- are easily enlisted in causes that promise the destruction of those better off than they. Enlisted by words of hatred and condemnation for those they envy for whatever reason they become a mob with mayhem and destruction their aim. How much easier to bring down those they envy than to work to raise themselves up.
In his book, "The True Believer," Eric Hoffer describes men who think so little of themselves they can only gain self-esteem by abandoning "self" to a "cause." These true believers, as he calls them, will do anything, including committing suicide for their cause. Following their "leaders" who enslave them to serve the leader’s own and often undefined purpose, these are not men of free will, but true slaves of those who manipulate them. Such is the enemy free men now face including those within our nation as well as those elsewhere.
Here, from fifty years ago, are two of my favorite Eric Hoffer Quotes that describe these people so accurately:
“To know a person's religion we need not listen to his profession of faith but must find his brand of intolerance.”
“People unfit for freedom - who cannot do much with it - are hungry for power. The desire for freedom is an attribute of a have type of self. It says: leave me alone and I shall grow, learn, and realize my capacities. The desire for power is basically an attribute of a have not type of self.”
It is so sad that the perveyors of hate and animosity have since done everything in their power including outrageous lies and ridiculous charges all laced with the vitriol of class, ethnic, racial and political hatred and envy to divide us and virtually incite mob rule. And to what purpose? That singular, self-serving purpose is political power and monetary gain for themselves. They believe they have discovered that fanning the flames of envy into unreasoning hatred among the poor and less educated will gain them the votes they need to gain power and thus money for themselves with little regard for any damage it does to our nation.
I'm quite certain those in opposition could have found a more constructive means to oppose what they believe to be wrong, but they chose instead to use the path of inciting hatred. They chose to use their followers in the media to help them launch a campaign of charges, condemnations, and even more importantly, omissions in hopes of molding public opinion and affecting elections in their favor. They acted on the known fact that it is far far easier (and cheaper) to destroy than to build. The murderous Islamic 9-11 terrorists who used planes as bombs clearly demonstrated that a few men can destroy in short order what took many men years and a great deal of money and effort to build. This old lesson has not been lost on the left.
The easy way is destruction-- the hard way is cooperation, creativity and construction. Cheap and dirty attacks are much easier than hard work, dedication, cooperation and building. In addition, those who for whatever reason are at the bottom of the income and education scales-- the underpriveleged-- the have-nots-- are easily enlisted in causes that promise the destruction of those better off than they. Enlisted by words of hatred and condemnation for those they envy for whatever reason they become a mob with mayhem and destruction their aim. How much easier to bring down those they envy than to work to raise themselves up.
In his book, "The True Believer," Eric Hoffer describes men who think so little of themselves they can only gain self-esteem by abandoning "self" to a "cause." These true believers, as he calls them, will do anything, including committing suicide for their cause. Following their "leaders" who enslave them to serve the leader’s own and often undefined purpose, these are not men of free will, but true slaves of those who manipulate them. Such is the enemy free men now face including those within our nation as well as those elsewhere.
Here, from fifty years ago, are two of my favorite Eric Hoffer Quotes that describe these people so accurately:
“To know a person's religion we need not listen to his profession of faith but must find his brand of intolerance.”
“People unfit for freedom - who cannot do much with it - are hungry for power. The desire for freedom is an attribute of a have type of self. It says: leave me alone and I shall grow, learn, and realize my capacities. The desire for power is basically an attribute of a have not type of self.”
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Copperheads, Then and Now
The more things change, the more the seem the same. A history lesson.
Although the Democratic party had broken apart in 1860, during the secession crisis Democrats in the North were generally more conciliatory toward the South than were Republicans. They called themselves Peace Democrats; their opponents called them Copperheads because some wore copper pennies as identifying badges. A majority of Peace Democrats supported war to save the Union, but a strong and active minority asserted that the Republicans had provoked the South into secession; that the Republicans were waging the war in order to establish their own domination, suppress civil and states rights, and impose "racial equality"; and that military means had failed and would never restore the Union.
Peace Democrats were most numerous in the Midwest, a region that had traditionally distrusted the Northeast, where the Republican party was strongest, and that had economic and cultural ties with the South. The Lincoln administration's arbitrary treatment of dissenters caused great bitterness there. Above all, anti-abolitionist Midwesterners feared that emancipation would result in a great migration of blacks into their states.
As was true of the Democratic party as a whole, the influence of Peace Democrats varied with the fortunes of war. When things were going badly for the Union on the battlefield, larger numbers of people were willing to entertain the notion of making peace with the Confederacy. When things were going well, Peace Democrats could more easily be dismissed as defeatists. But no matter how the war progressed, Peace Democrats constantly had to defend themselves against charges of disloyalty. Revelations that a few had ties with secret organizations such as the Knights of the Golden Circle helped smear the rest. The most prominent Copperhead was Ohio's Clement L. Vallandigham, who was a vehement opponent of President Abraham Lincoln's policies. During the American Civil War (1861-1865), he headed the secret antiwar organization known as the Sons of Liberty.
At the Democratic convention of 1864, where the influence of Peace Democrats reached its high point, Vallandigham persuaded the party to adopt a platform branding the war a failure, and some extreme Copperheads plotted armed uprisings. However, the Democratic presidential candidate, George B. McClellan, repudiated the Vallandigham platform, victories by Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman and Phillip H. Sheridan assured Lincoln's reelection, and the plots came to nothing. With the conclusion of the war in 1865 the Peace Democrats were thoroughly discredited. Most Northerners believed, not without reason, that Peace Democrats had prolonged war by encouraging the South to continue fighting in the hope that the North would abandon the struggle.
Copperheads were the "Peace" faction of Democrats in the North who opposed the American Civil War, wanting an immediate peace settlement with the Confederates. They were also called "Peace Democrats" and "Butternuts" (for the color of the Confederate uniforms). The Copperheads nominally favored the Union but strongly opposed the war, for which they blamed abolitionists, and they demanded immediate peace and resisted draft laws. They wanted Lincoln and the Republicans ousted from power, seeing the president as a tyrant who was destroying American republican values with his despotic and arbitrary actions. (Sound familiar?)
Some Copperheads tried to persuade Union soldiers to desert. They talked of helping Confederate prisoners of war seize their camps and escape. They sometimes met with Confederate agents and took money. The Confederacy encouraged their activities whenever possible. Most Democratic party leaders, however, repelled Confederate advances.
Some historians, such as Richard Curry, have downplayed the treasonable activities of the Copperheads, arguing that they were simply people who fiercely resisted modernization and wanted to return to the old ways.
Media Supporters
The Copperheads had numerous important newspapers, but the editors never formed an alliance. In Chicago, Wilbur F. Storey made the Chicago Times into Lincoln's most vituperative enemy. The New York Journal of Commerce, originally abolitionist, was sold to owners who became Copperheads, giving them an important voice in the largest city. A typical editor was Edward G. Roddy, owner of the Uniontown, Pennsylvania Genius of Liberty. He was an intensely partisan Democrat who saw black people as an inferior race and Abraham Lincoln as a despot and dunce. Although he supported the war effort in 1861, he blamed abolitionists for prolonging the war and denounced the government as increasingly despotic. By 1864 he was calling for peace at any price.
John Mullaly's Metropolitan Record was the official Catholic paper in New York City. Reflecting Irish opinion, it supported the war until 1863 before becoming a Copperhead organ; the editor was then arrested for draft resistance. Even in an era of extremely partisan journalism, Copperhead newspapers were remarkable for their angry rhetoric. "A large majority [of Copperheads]," declared an Ohio editor, "can see no reason why they should be shot for the benefit of niggers and Abolitionists." If "the despot Lincoln" tried to ram abolition and conscription down the throats of white men, "he would meet with the fate he deserves: hung, shot, or burned."[2] Through the 1864 election, Wisconsin newspaper editor Marcus M. Pomeroy called Lincoln "fungus from the corrupt womb of bigotry and fanaticism" and a "worse tyrant and more inhuman butcher than has existed since the days of Nero... The man who votes for Lincoln now is a traitor and murderer... And if he is elected to misgovern for another four years, we trust some bold hand will pierce his heart with dagger point for the public good."
Copperhead resistance
The Copperheads sometimes talked of violent resistance, and in some cases started to organize. They never actually made an organized attack, though. As war opponents, Copperheads were suspected of disloyalty, and Lincoln often had their leaders arrested and held for months in military prisons without trial. Probably the largest Copperhead group was the Knights of the Golden Circle; formed in Ohio in the 1850s, it became politicized in 1861. It reorganized as the Order of American Knights in 1863, and again, early in 1864, as the Order of the Sons of Liberty, with Clement L. Vallandigham as its commander. One leader, Harrison H. Dodd, advocated violent overthrow of the governments of Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, and Missouri in 1864. Democratic party leaders, and a Federal investigation, thwarted his conspiracy. In spite of this Copperhead setback, tensions remained high. The Charleston Riot took place in Illinois in March of 1864. Indiana Republicans then used the sensational revelation of an antiwar Copperhead conspiracy by elements of the Sons of Liberty to discredit Democrats in the 1864 House elections. The military trial of Lambdin P. Milligan and other Sons of Liberty revealed plans to set free the Confederate prisoners held in the state. The culprits were sentenced to hang but the Supreme Court intervened in Ex parte Milligan, saying they should have received civilian trials.
Most Copperheads actively participated in politics. On May 1, 1863, former Congressman Vallandigham declared that the war was being fought not to save the Union but to free the blacks and enslave Southern whites. The Army then arrested him for declaring sympathy for the enemy. He was court-martialed and sentenced to imprisonment, but Lincoln commuted the sentence to banishment behind Confederate lines. The Democrats nevertheless nominated him for governor of Ohio in 1863; he campaigned from Canada but was defeated after an intense battle. He operated behind-the-scenes at the 1864 Democratic convention in Chicago; this convention adopted a largely Copperhead platform, but chose a pro-war presidential candidate, George B. McClellan. The contradiction severely weakened the chances to defeat Lincoln's reelection.
Profile of the average member
The sentiments of Copperheads attracted Southerners who had settled north of the Ohio River, conservatives, the poor, and merchants who had lost profitable Southern trade.[3] Copperheads did well in local and state elections in 1862, especially in New York, and won majorities in the legislatures of Illinois and Indiana.[3] Copperheads were most numerous in border areas, including southern parts of Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana (in Missouri, comparable groups were avowed Confederates). The Copperhead coalition included many Irish American Catholics in eastern cities, mill towns and mining camps (especially in the Pennsylvania coal fields). They were also numerous in German Catholic areas of the Midwest, especially Wisconsin.
Historian Kenneth Stampp has captured the Copperhead spirit in his depiction of Congressman Daniel W. Voorhees of Indiana:
“There was an earthy quality in Voorhees, the tall sycamore of the Wabash. On the stump his hot temper, passionate partisanship, and stirring eloquence made an irresistible appeal to the western Democracy. His bitter cries against protective tariffs and national banks, his intense race prejudice, his suspicion of the eastern Yankee, his devotion to personal liberty, his defense of the Constitution and State's rights faithfully reflected the views of his constituents. Like other Jacksonian agrarians, he resented the political and economic revolution then in progress. Voorhees idealized a way of life which he thought was being destroyed by the current rulers of his country. His bold protests against these dangerous trends made him the idol of the Democracy of the Wabash Valley."
Today:
The Bush haters, capitalism haters, organized far left (read socialists & communists), anti war activists, and others, all of whom seem to be walking in lock-step with Al Queda and our other totalitarian enemies, have much in common with the Copperheads. The only difference is that the war in question is not over. They are invested in our defeat and humiliation in Iraq and are doing everything in their power to bring about that defeat. Their current ridiculous pre condemnation of Gen. David Petraeus’s report is just one more activity orchestrated by moveon.org and/or the New York Times. It’s hard to tell who’s calling the shots, but hearing precisely the same words of condemnation from so many Democrats and media reporters makes it clear their mantras and marching orders come from a single source.
Remember the plethora of “gravitas” statements a while back? It is impossible for these repetitions of words and phrases to be accidental. It remains to be seen if we will win in Iraq as we did in the civil war and thus relegate the Democrats to relative political obscurity or give in to the efforts of the left and go down to defeat and humiliation and thus relegate Republicans to political obscurity.
I am reminded that when the 13 colonies were still part of England, Professor Alexander Tyler, a Scottish historian, wrote about the fall of the Athenian democracy over 2000 years earlier. “A democracy can not exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover they can vote themselves money from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates promising them the most money from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy followed by a dictatorship.” It is quite clear that this describes today’s America precisely. Historically, collapses are quite sudden and unexpected and happen when a nation is at its peak. Debt and liberalism are sure to destroy America in the very near future. We have neither the guts or determination to do the things that will save us from destruction. The far left should be ecstatic, albeit for a very short time until the despots take over and murder and mayhem become the prime political control activity. I wonder how many main stream media personalities will be left alive after the fall.
Although the Democratic party had broken apart in 1860, during the secession crisis Democrats in the North were generally more conciliatory toward the South than were Republicans. They called themselves Peace Democrats; their opponents called them Copperheads because some wore copper pennies as identifying badges. A majority of Peace Democrats supported war to save the Union, but a strong and active minority asserted that the Republicans had provoked the South into secession; that the Republicans were waging the war in order to establish their own domination, suppress civil and states rights, and impose "racial equality"; and that military means had failed and would never restore the Union.
Peace Democrats were most numerous in the Midwest, a region that had traditionally distrusted the Northeast, where the Republican party was strongest, and that had economic and cultural ties with the South. The Lincoln administration's arbitrary treatment of dissenters caused great bitterness there. Above all, anti-abolitionist Midwesterners feared that emancipation would result in a great migration of blacks into their states.
As was true of the Democratic party as a whole, the influence of Peace Democrats varied with the fortunes of war. When things were going badly for the Union on the battlefield, larger numbers of people were willing to entertain the notion of making peace with the Confederacy. When things were going well, Peace Democrats could more easily be dismissed as defeatists. But no matter how the war progressed, Peace Democrats constantly had to defend themselves against charges of disloyalty. Revelations that a few had ties with secret organizations such as the Knights of the Golden Circle helped smear the rest. The most prominent Copperhead was Ohio's Clement L. Vallandigham, who was a vehement opponent of President Abraham Lincoln's policies. During the American Civil War (1861-1865), he headed the secret antiwar organization known as the Sons of Liberty.
At the Democratic convention of 1864, where the influence of Peace Democrats reached its high point, Vallandigham persuaded the party to adopt a platform branding the war a failure, and some extreme Copperheads plotted armed uprisings. However, the Democratic presidential candidate, George B. McClellan, repudiated the Vallandigham platform, victories by Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman and Phillip H. Sheridan assured Lincoln's reelection, and the plots came to nothing. With the conclusion of the war in 1865 the Peace Democrats were thoroughly discredited. Most Northerners believed, not without reason, that Peace Democrats had prolonged war by encouraging the South to continue fighting in the hope that the North would abandon the struggle.
Copperheads were the "Peace" faction of Democrats in the North who opposed the American Civil War, wanting an immediate peace settlement with the Confederates. They were also called "Peace Democrats" and "Butternuts" (for the color of the Confederate uniforms). The Copperheads nominally favored the Union but strongly opposed the war, for which they blamed abolitionists, and they demanded immediate peace and resisted draft laws. They wanted Lincoln and the Republicans ousted from power, seeing the president as a tyrant who was destroying American republican values with his despotic and arbitrary actions. (Sound familiar?)
Some Copperheads tried to persuade Union soldiers to desert. They talked of helping Confederate prisoners of war seize their camps and escape. They sometimes met with Confederate agents and took money. The Confederacy encouraged their activities whenever possible. Most Democratic party leaders, however, repelled Confederate advances.
Some historians, such as Richard Curry, have downplayed the treasonable activities of the Copperheads, arguing that they were simply people who fiercely resisted modernization and wanted to return to the old ways.
Media Supporters
The Copperheads had numerous important newspapers, but the editors never formed an alliance. In Chicago, Wilbur F. Storey made the Chicago Times into Lincoln's most vituperative enemy. The New York Journal of Commerce, originally abolitionist, was sold to owners who became Copperheads, giving them an important voice in the largest city. A typical editor was Edward G. Roddy, owner of the Uniontown, Pennsylvania Genius of Liberty. He was an intensely partisan Democrat who saw black people as an inferior race and Abraham Lincoln as a despot and dunce. Although he supported the war effort in 1861, he blamed abolitionists for prolonging the war and denounced the government as increasingly despotic. By 1864 he was calling for peace at any price.
John Mullaly's Metropolitan Record was the official Catholic paper in New York City. Reflecting Irish opinion, it supported the war until 1863 before becoming a Copperhead organ; the editor was then arrested for draft resistance. Even in an era of extremely partisan journalism, Copperhead newspapers were remarkable for their angry rhetoric. "A large majority [of Copperheads]," declared an Ohio editor, "can see no reason why they should be shot for the benefit of niggers and Abolitionists." If "the despot Lincoln" tried to ram abolition and conscription down the throats of white men, "he would meet with the fate he deserves: hung, shot, or burned."[2] Through the 1864 election, Wisconsin newspaper editor Marcus M. Pomeroy called Lincoln "fungus from the corrupt womb of bigotry and fanaticism" and a "worse tyrant and more inhuman butcher than has existed since the days of Nero... The man who votes for Lincoln now is a traitor and murderer... And if he is elected to misgovern for another four years, we trust some bold hand will pierce his heart with dagger point for the public good."
Copperhead resistance
The Copperheads sometimes talked of violent resistance, and in some cases started to organize. They never actually made an organized attack, though. As war opponents, Copperheads were suspected of disloyalty, and Lincoln often had their leaders arrested and held for months in military prisons without trial. Probably the largest Copperhead group was the Knights of the Golden Circle; formed in Ohio in the 1850s, it became politicized in 1861. It reorganized as the Order of American Knights in 1863, and again, early in 1864, as the Order of the Sons of Liberty, with Clement L. Vallandigham as its commander. One leader, Harrison H. Dodd, advocated violent overthrow of the governments of Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, and Missouri in 1864. Democratic party leaders, and a Federal investigation, thwarted his conspiracy. In spite of this Copperhead setback, tensions remained high. The Charleston Riot took place in Illinois in March of 1864. Indiana Republicans then used the sensational revelation of an antiwar Copperhead conspiracy by elements of the Sons of Liberty to discredit Democrats in the 1864 House elections. The military trial of Lambdin P. Milligan and other Sons of Liberty revealed plans to set free the Confederate prisoners held in the state. The culprits were sentenced to hang but the Supreme Court intervened in Ex parte Milligan, saying they should have received civilian trials.
Most Copperheads actively participated in politics. On May 1, 1863, former Congressman Vallandigham declared that the war was being fought not to save the Union but to free the blacks and enslave Southern whites. The Army then arrested him for declaring sympathy for the enemy. He was court-martialed and sentenced to imprisonment, but Lincoln commuted the sentence to banishment behind Confederate lines. The Democrats nevertheless nominated him for governor of Ohio in 1863; he campaigned from Canada but was defeated after an intense battle. He operated behind-the-scenes at the 1864 Democratic convention in Chicago; this convention adopted a largely Copperhead platform, but chose a pro-war presidential candidate, George B. McClellan. The contradiction severely weakened the chances to defeat Lincoln's reelection.
Profile of the average member
The sentiments of Copperheads attracted Southerners who had settled north of the Ohio River, conservatives, the poor, and merchants who had lost profitable Southern trade.[3] Copperheads did well in local and state elections in 1862, especially in New York, and won majorities in the legislatures of Illinois and Indiana.[3] Copperheads were most numerous in border areas, including southern parts of Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana (in Missouri, comparable groups were avowed Confederates). The Copperhead coalition included many Irish American Catholics in eastern cities, mill towns and mining camps (especially in the Pennsylvania coal fields). They were also numerous in German Catholic areas of the Midwest, especially Wisconsin.
Historian Kenneth Stampp has captured the Copperhead spirit in his depiction of Congressman Daniel W. Voorhees of Indiana:
“There was an earthy quality in Voorhees, the tall sycamore of the Wabash. On the stump his hot temper, passionate partisanship, and stirring eloquence made an irresistible appeal to the western Democracy. His bitter cries against protective tariffs and national banks, his intense race prejudice, his suspicion of the eastern Yankee, his devotion to personal liberty, his defense of the Constitution and State's rights faithfully reflected the views of his constituents. Like other Jacksonian agrarians, he resented the political and economic revolution then in progress. Voorhees idealized a way of life which he thought was being destroyed by the current rulers of his country. His bold protests against these dangerous trends made him the idol of the Democracy of the Wabash Valley."
Today:
The Bush haters, capitalism haters, organized far left (read socialists & communists), anti war activists, and others, all of whom seem to be walking in lock-step with Al Queda and our other totalitarian enemies, have much in common with the Copperheads. The only difference is that the war in question is not over. They are invested in our defeat and humiliation in Iraq and are doing everything in their power to bring about that defeat. Their current ridiculous pre condemnation of Gen. David Petraeus’s report is just one more activity orchestrated by moveon.org and/or the New York Times. It’s hard to tell who’s calling the shots, but hearing precisely the same words of condemnation from so many Democrats and media reporters makes it clear their mantras and marching orders come from a single source.
Remember the plethora of “gravitas” statements a while back? It is impossible for these repetitions of words and phrases to be accidental. It remains to be seen if we will win in Iraq as we did in the civil war and thus relegate the Democrats to relative political obscurity or give in to the efforts of the left and go down to defeat and humiliation and thus relegate Republicans to political obscurity.
I am reminded that when the 13 colonies were still part of England, Professor Alexander Tyler, a Scottish historian, wrote about the fall of the Athenian democracy over 2000 years earlier. “A democracy can not exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover they can vote themselves money from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates promising them the most money from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy followed by a dictatorship.” It is quite clear that this describes today’s America precisely. Historically, collapses are quite sudden and unexpected and happen when a nation is at its peak. Debt and liberalism are sure to destroy America in the very near future. We have neither the guts or determination to do the things that will save us from destruction. The far left should be ecstatic, albeit for a very short time until the despots take over and murder and mayhem become the prime political control activity. I wonder how many main stream media personalities will be left alive after the fall.
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