In the spring of 1863 the issue of conscription
drew the line fairly sharply between the two political
coalitions, though each continued to fluctuate, more or less, to
the end of the war.
* The term arose, it has been said, from the use of the copper
cent with its head of Liberty as a peace button. But a more
plausible explanation associates the peace advocates with the
deadly copperhead snake.
The peace party of 1863 has been denounced hastily rather than
carefully studied. Its precise machinations are not fully known,
but the ugly fact stands forth that a portion of the foreign
population of the North was roused in 1863 to rebellion. The
occasion was the beginning of the first draft under the new law,
in July, 1863, and the scene of the rebellion was the City of New
York. The opponents of conscription had already made
inflammatory attacks on the Government. Conspicuous among them
was Horatio Seymour, who had been elected Governor of New York in
that wave of reaction in the autumn of 1862. Several New York
papers joined the crusade. In Congress, the Government had
already been threatened with civil war if the act was enforced.
Nevertheless, the public drawing by lot began on the days
announced. In New York the first drawing took place on Saturday,
July 12th, and the lists were published in the Sunday papers.
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