A Border State Newspaper On The Vallandigham Address

The Baltimore American makes the following flattering notice of the Democratic Address of the Vallandighammers.  As a matter of course, the resurrectionists will tell us that the Baltimore American is an Abolition paper, as they have already told us the Nashville Union is.  This last paper was never mentioned until its Rebel editors were chased out of Tennessee and their places filled by Andy Johnson with a loyal editor when the Northern Secesh journals told their readers that the Nashville Union had been “Abolitionized.”  This is the dialect of the rebellion and well understood by K. G. C.’s in good regular standing.  By “Abolitionist” is meant all who sustain the War for the Union.  By “the Constitution” is meant slavery, and by “the Constitution as it was” is meant slavery just is it was when the secesh inaugurated the rebellion.  That is the statu quo which is intended to be restored.  But to the Baltimore American’s Address:

“We have taken no notice of the ‘Democratic Address,’ recently put forward by an insignificant faction at Washington, because it was enough for us that it bore on its face its own condemnation.  Doomed to public contempt in the sweeping tide of patriotism that now rolls in triumph over the land, and the little knot of broken down and discredited schemers who have concocted this precious manifesto will scarcely be heard of in the splendid vindication of a noble destiny the nation is effecting for itself, and when the adjustment of our difficulties is final – as it will be, we trust, by the power of a noble Government, instead of any ‘intervention’ or ‘compromise’ the heads of the Government at Washington will receive that meed of public approbation due those who have shown a single hearted purpose to vindicate the integrity of a mighty nationality, the  chief hope of suffering humanity.”

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, May 31, 1862, p. 2