The Highland Weekly News

The Copperhead papers have had a chance to bring out their roosters once more, and they keep up a tremendous crowing, because they have reduced the Union majority in Maine, and carried the Governor and one or two Congressmen in California. They claim that these are signs of a "great reaction," which is going to sweep them into power again in Ohio and other Union States. But what are the facts of the case? Simply these: In Maine, the Republican Legislature made the Liquor Law more stringent, and this caused many of the party to remain at home, and a few to vote the Copperhead ticket. Our great loss is in the stay-at-home vote, our whole vote in the State being some 10,000 less than last year, while the Copperhead vote is some 4,000 larger. Our majority for Governor this year is about 11,000; the State Senate stands 24 Republicans to 7 Democrats, and the House has a two-thirds Republican majority. This shows that Maine is a long way yet from turning over to Copperheadism.

In California, our loss is due to a split in the Union party, caused by the nomination of two Union candidates for Governor. Haight, the Democratic candidate, is elected by 9,000 majority, and the Democrats claim 2 of the 3 Congressmen, and have the Legislature, giving them a U. S. Senator. Their candidate for Governor is a "War Democrat," who supported the war throughout, or he could not have been elected. Had he been a Thurman or Vallandigham "Peace" sneak, he would have been defeated. So we don't think our Ohio Democrats have much cause to rejoice in his success, achieved as it was by the Union party being divided.

The Union men of other States will learn a wholesome lesson from this California defeat. They must not rely too much on their own strength, and allow divisions to weaken their organization. We have a wily and sleepless foe, who is ever on the alert to take advantage of any supineness or dissension in our ranks. Let us keep them closed up and united, and all the assaults of Copperheadism cannot prevail against us.