I AM THE FORCE

From U.S. History.com
Peace Democrats. Many Democrats within this group hoped that the Union could be salvaged, but felt that military means were not justified. This faction asserted the following:

* The North was responsible for pushing the South into secession
* The Republicans were committed to establishing racial equality, a prospect
opposed by many working class immigrants who wanted to protect their low-paying
jobs and by racists
* Lincoln had become a tyrant and was bent upon destroying civil liberties
* The war was a national tragedy and must be ended, even if that meant granting
independence to the Confederacy.

Support for the Peace Democrats was strongest in the Midwest, especially in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. Residents of these areas held a deep distrust of the East, the seat of Republican power, and kept strong commercial and sentimental ties to the South.

The name “Copperhead” was applied to this group by a disapproving Republican press, which likened the Democrats’ actions to those of the venomous snake. The Peace Democrats tried to turn the name to their advantage by sporting on their lapels copper pennies bearing the head of the goddess Liberty.

In the post-war North, many voters held the Democratic Party responsible for the Copperheads' actions, assigning them blame for lengthening the conflict. The Democrats were not able to escape voter disapproval until well into the 1870s. It was not until 1884 that a Democrat was elected to the presidency.

# posted by TPDN : 1:43 PM