of the Government by vicious attacks upon the constitutionality of its most important financial legislation. They also denounced the war as an “Abolition Crusade” and missed no occasion to endeavor to create sympathy for the leaders of the Southern Confederacy. These people, were called “Copperheads,” and were for the most part of that class in the North who were not opposed to slavery. Henry Clay Dean was the most prominent leader of this faction in Iowa, and a few extracts from his speeches and writing will give the reader a clear understanding of the views and teaching of the “Copperheads” during the War of the Rebellion.
“The pretext for war was the preservation of the Union—an organized Union fighting against organized States.
“It was a war of States, with all of its attendant evils, in which the Government was guilty of usurpation. Lincoln tore up the constitution and set up his arbitrary will instead. Lincoln selected the weakest, worst and most corrupt men in the country, who served him cheerfully as instruments of usurpation. Lincoln dissolved the Government and left the country in anarchy. Lincoln corrupted one part of the church to engage in warfare with the other part, and burned 1,200 houses of worship; he mutilated graveyards, and left whole cities and churches in ashes; dragged ministers from their knees in the very act of worship; tied them up by their thumbs; had their daughters stripped naked by negro soldiers under command of white officers.”Again, in speaking of the bonds issued by the Government to meet the expenses of the war, Dean says:
