Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 13.djvu/31

 POLITICAL PARTIES IN OREGON 23 public. "Now is the time to strike," he urged. "We are the natural allies of the South and the North will be in no position to oppose us." The Adjutant-General called him into his office and threatened him with arrest for treason if he repeated the expression of such sentiment. A few Union victories followed and the man in question made a public address in Salem in favor of upholding the Union. 20 In the fall of 1863, by which time a considerable number of Union Democrats had broken with the Administration, there were continued references in the press to attempts being made by the Democratic leaders to unite the various factions of their party under one standard. 21 Many were the defiant allusions made by the Statesman during this period to the Copperheads the peace-at-any-price men, the real allies of the South. At the same time, under its new management, it attacked those who had supported the Union and who still professed to be War Democrats, but who were now in favor of leaguing themselves with the peace or Secession Democrats of the state, thus making the "tail for the snake of secession." To them, represented by such men as Bush, Harding and Thayer, it gave the name of Coppertails. The Statesman scoffed at their belief that the Copperheads would permit them to fix up a policy and plat- form suitable for loyal men to stand upon, and said, "The Democratic party as now constituted, is, nine-tenths of it, for peace at all events." 22 In defense of its position it quoted the platform as proposed by James O'Meara, leader of the Oregon Copperheads, the last plank of which read : "We are for peace, now and always, and shall regard any peace honorable that is conformable with the independence of the Northern States." In the closing days of the year, the Loyal Leagues made their appearance in Oregon. In April the Statesman had reported 20 This incident was carefully related to the writer by Mr. Reed with the request that the name be withheld. 21 "The secessionists of this state are taking immense trouble to reorganize the 'Democratic party.' Let them reorganize till the archangel blows his trumpet it won't make them any more numerous. ... It is still the same old Copperhead brigade. . . . Go ahead, old snake, you can't put on a skin that won't be known and 'spotted.' " Statesman, Dec. 7, 1863. 22 Statesman, Dec. 14.