Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-12-16
The UniOn.Savers' Meeting.

The UniOn.Savers' Meeting.
This meeting turned out precisely as we
predicted it would-a regular electioneering,
political, Locofoco blowout 1t was called
by Locofoco, elected a Locofoco President,
q Lecofoco Secretary, put three Locofocos on
the Committee on Resolutions, who retired
and pretended to concoct string Of rabid,
ultra, fanatical, senseless resolutions, which
had already been made to order, and carried
to the meeting in the breeches- pocket of a
Locofoco. The whole meeting was farce Of
the most ridiculous kind The object, in the
first place, vas senseless--the call was more
senseless, and the meeting was most senseless.
We wish this was the harshest term which
should be applied to the conduct of the men
who conducted last nights meeting. But we
cannot, in justice, let the chief actors off so
easily. We now have some charity for the
moon stricken fanatics of the South, for we
saw, last night, an exhibition of the most
downright fanaticism and the sheerest non
sense that day or night ever witnessed in a
body of men supposed to be possessed Of
ordinary good sense.
Our readers will recollect that, few years
since, North Carolinian--a Southron by
birth and education-Mr. H. R. Helper--pub.
lished a volume of facts and figures about the
institution of slavery, entitled 1.-The Impend-
ing Crisis of the South" which took the
anti-slavery side, and so exposed the weakness
and the vileness of that ''sum of all vilanies'
that it aroused the deepest hatred on the part
of the Southern fanatics, one Of whom, Mr.
Clark, of Missouri, introduced resolution, a
few days since, in the House, to the effect
that no man pho subscribed for this 6ook aoas
tit for Speaker Of tie House; and this fanat
ical, foolish resolution has delayed the organ
ization Of the House up to this time--how
much longer it will no one knows. This book
has been recommended by all the Republican
press, and especially by the N. Y. Tribune,
as an admirable, clear and forcible work, and
Republicans everywhere are subscribing for
and distributing it. The Chairman of the
Committee on Resolutions, at last nights
meeting, Mr.. John G. Slime, introduced a
resolution denouncing this book as treason
able, and commencing the fanatic Mr. Clark.
Upon the discussion, it leaked out that neither
he nor either Of the two men beside him, who
advocated that resolution, Judge Thayer, or
Rob't Williams, Esq, had read or seen the
book they were denouncing, nor had single
man in the meeting but one read or seen it,
and that one approved the book.
One man, Judge Thayer, had the effron.ery
to state to the meeting two things which he
should have known were not true: that Mr..
Helper was not Southerner, and that Mr.
Sherman, Of Ohio, the Republican candidate
for Speaker, had acknowledged that the book
contained reasonable sentiments, and ex-
pressed his regret for having put his name to
the subscription for it. Both of which state
ments are untrue Mr.. Helper is Southerner
by birth and breeding, and Mr.. Sherman
never made the acknowledgement Judge
Thayer charged him with making.
Under the influence of these statements,
this meeting passed a resolution condemning
a book which they had never read or seen,
and most of them had never heard of until
last night One of the speakers, Rob't Will
liams, ESQ.,, a little holder than the rest, came
out openly and acknowledged that he had
never read or seen the book, but that he
condemned it by faith. .rF.
We hazard nothing in saying that such an
act of political 1unkeyism and lick spittle as
the passage of this resolution never before
disgraced public meeting in Muscatine.
Such conduct will only increase the circulation
of Mr.. Helpers able and patriotic book, and
aid the Republican cause. 1t therefore does
not injure us or our cause. But we cannot
help being moved with disgust at seeing set
of men protesting to be par excellence THE
patriots and Union savers of the community
commit such an act of toadyism as to condemn
a book of which they know nothing because
some Southern fanatic has disturbed the peace
of Congress by denouncing it there.
We heartily concur in the recommendation
of the Republican press to circulate Mr.
Helpers book, and we suggest that meeting
of those interested in the diffusion of reliable
information on Southern institutions be called
to meet at fremont Hall, next week, to take
steps for rebutting the slanderous statements
Of the Locofocos, and circulating Mr.. Helpers
book Daily, l4th.