The Nashville Daily Union

Speech of the Traitor, Dick Merrick, at the Indianapolis Copperhead Meeting—Scenes and Incidents.

The copperhead State convention met in Indianapolis on the 20th inst. Inasmuch as certain Southern papers, professing loyalty, have boasted that the Indiana democratic leaders occupy genuine conservative grounds, we will give our readers some samples of the speeches made on that occasion. They will be repudiated by all loyal men everywhere. Richard P. Merrick, of Chicago, said:

The admission of Western Virginia was an invasion of the rights of the States which was unconstitutional, and ought not to be tolerated. The sovereignty of Virginia, though in rebellion, was as sacred under the Constitution as ever, and the Constitution protected the vested rights of her citizens as well in rebellion as before it. The confiscation laws were unconstitutional and ought not to be submitted to. The South will not and cannot come back under these laws. If he were a citizen of Virginia, as he was of Illinois, he would burn every blade of grass, unite every citizen, and shed the last drop of blood, before he would submit to those disgraceful laws.

Mr. Merrick then proceeded at some length, in an argument against the right of a military commander to arrest a citizen of the United States, not in military service, and he asserted that martial law was no law, but simply the will of the commander.

Two years ago we were united against the rebels. It was then a war for the suppression of the rebellion. Step by step the administration passed on till it has thrown by all disguises and now wages a war for the negro. The emancipation proclamation becomes a matter for you to discuss. You must decide whether it shall stand as an edict of the people in subduing the rebellion or make it impossible for you to subdue the rebellion.

The speaker then referred to the Proclamation as involving the rights of the States, which under the Constitution, are as sacred now as ever. If the rebellion is put down under the faith that the nation is pledged to sustain the freedom of the slave against South Carolina, you will then have another war for the negro.

John Eden (Eden with the Copperhead tint) next spoke. He had known no platform since the war but the Constitution; and what had brought this civil war upon the country was the departure from the Constitution by the Administration and Congress in the emancipation proclamation issued by the President and the personal liberty bills and confiscation act of Congress. The Republicans of Illinois were now organizing Union Leagues in every county of the State, and he supposed they were doing the same in Indiana. He thought they could be better employed in recruiting men to aid in the vigorous prosecution of the war, which they talk so much about. The Government had all the money and all the men it had called for, and yet it had accomplished nothing.

Eden is an original copperhead. The Emancipation Proclamation and Confiscation Act appeared more than a year after the attack on Fort Sumter, but still were the cause of the rebellion! We advise the Louisville Journal to secure the services of this snake as soon as possible in its editorial department.

Some one in the crowd now called for three cheers for Abe Lincoln, which were given by the crowd on the right of the stand with a perfect hurrah.

Mr. Voorhees remarked: "These men do not belong to our party." Mr. Voorhees said he had received letters from a number of friends whom he had expected to be present with them to-day, which he would read. The first was from Hon. Geo. H. Pendleton, dated at Cincinnati, regretting his inability to attend and address the meeting. [Mr. Pendleton was here and in consultation with the Committee on Resolutions, but deemed it prudent neither to speak nor to present himself.]

Gov. Seymour, of New York, telegraphs that official business detains him, and S. S. Cox that important matters prevent his attending.

Judge Jos. E. McDonald was next introduced by the Chairman. The question we had now to ask ourselves was, not whether the rebellion would be crushed, but whether we were to be deprived of our liberties. Those who charged the Democrats with being traitors and disunionists were themselves the greatest traitors. Never was the right of the people to come together and discuss the affairs of the country denied until now. We are not permitted to discuss the policy of the Administration.

The Government had changed its policy, and its efforts were now exerted to emancipate the slaves, and not to the restoration of the Union.

The chairman now introduced Thos. A. Hendricks, who commenced by glorifying the Democratic party, asserting that it had always been right, and was right now. Some one in the crowd shouted: "That is a hell of a way to support the Government." Some friend of Hendricks attempted to strike the party who had spoken, when a muss ensued. A squad of infantry came forward to quell the disturbance, and the assailing party was quickly handed out of the park to a cavalryman who hurried him off to a place of confinement. This little incident rather scared the speaker, and he suggested that the resolutions had better be read at once. He then commenced to speak of the question of Slavery, saying that it was left to each State to settle that matter in its own way. Mr. Hendricks kept one eye on the right of the stand, expecting to see a rush made for the platform, and his speech was therefore disconnected.

There was a good deal of excitement in the crowd, and some one rushed on the platform and said they were coming to arrest Mr. Voorhees. Several of Mr. Voorhees' friends stepped forward and remarked, "Let them come, we are ready for them; and now is as good a time as any." Mr. V. assured them there was no danger. They would not attempt to arrest him in so conspicuous a place.

Quiet was again restored, and Mr. Hendricks again suggested that the resolutions had better be read and the meeting dismissed. Just then the chairman of the Committee appeared with the resolutions, much to the relief of Mr. H. But as he was about to conclude his speech, he was informed that one page of the resolutions was lost, and he must continue to speak until it was found. He turned in dismay and begged they would hurry, for it would not do to keep the crowd much longer.

Some one in the crowd now proposed three cheers for the adjournment, and three cheers for Abraham Lincoln, and three for the Conscript law, all of which were given with spirit from a thousand voices.

When the meeting adjourned, the speakers skulked off one at a time, in different directions so as not to attract attention.

About one o'clock, Samuel Hamill, who had been upon the stand, and saw there was no opportunity for him to speak, determined to organize a meeting in another part of the park. He accordingly mounted a box, and commenced by saying that he was a genuine Butternut, and proceeded to speak of the condition of the country, saying that we have a revolutionary Government at Richmond, and a revolutionary Government at Washington; that there was as much oppression of the people by the Washington as the Richmond Government.

The New Albany Ledger, a Democratic paper, says:

Mr. Merrick's speech was radical in the extreme, and in its ultraism, we are satisfied, will find no response in the hearts of the larger portion of the Indiana Democracy. We are convinced that the masses of the party in this State are anxious that the rebellion be speedily put down, and thousands of them are now in the ranks fighting for that purpose. Mr. Merrick's speech was not a fit one to be made before so large a concourse of the Democratic citizens of Indiana as was assembled at Indianapolis Wednesday—it was violent in tone, imprudent and bitter in language, and we fear will have the effect to work mischief. It should be a source of regret that such a speech was made in the Convention.

"Other speakers attempted to follow Mr. Merrick, but with poor success, for during the delivery of his speech several arrests were made by the soldiery of persons in the crowd, and from this time until the final adjournment of the Convention the greatest confusion prevailed."

We are glad that the convention has been held, and that the leaders of the K. G. C. Lodges have showed their hands. It will certainly make the unconditional war party much stronger, and prove fatal to the "Conservative" faction. The Indianapolis Gazette says there were not over 5000 persons in attendance, and a large portion of these were Republicans. The Grand Council, Chapter and Encampment, of Masons, Encampment and Lodge of Odd Fellows, State Medical Convention, and United States Circuit Court, were all in session at the time of the Convention in Indianapolis, so that the demonstration is far from being formidable. "Conservatism" is played out, more effectually.

At the close of the copperhead convention the Union men had good speech-making and war demonstration.