The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1862-07-23

War Is OuR DuTY Win We Do IT7
The events of the last seven days have been
fraught with An important lesson to the
people living on the Ohio river.
For year and half we have lived in
peace and quietude, and with almost per-
feet seuse Of security. Shortly after the
war broke out--or rather at the time Buck
ner invaded Kentucky, some apprehensions
were felt that the rebels would attempt to
bring the war upon our borders, or even in
wade our State and burn the border towns.
But soon Federal army was placed be-
tween Us and them, and the preparations we
had commenced for self-defense were aban-
doned, and our people relapsed into their
former state Of security.
The sources of trade were re-opened, and
a spirit of speculation and money-making
took possession of our people. Thus mat
Aers remained, and while we were filling
-euF pockets with pelf, the rebels were filing
their ranks with desperate, bold, bad men,
and were laying their plans to carry the
war across the border. Lodges of the
Knights of the Golden Circle were re- stab-
ished all over Kentucky, and their secret
organizations set on foot in our own and
other States north of the Ohio river, and
suddenly we are startled from our sleep by
the cry that " the guerrillas are upon u.s."
In open daylight, right in the face of the
citizens, tS0eHty- three marsuders crossed the
Ohio river and invaded our State of which
we are all SO proud. Was such thing ever
before known2 Will such disgrace be
allowed to recur
1t was not that the people of Newburg
were towards that this band was not mas
sacred. It was because they were asleep on
their posts. They felt secure, and could not
believe thei1 senses, until they foun the reb-
al nickets at the. cnrneru- of thai-- atraatst
80 reDsT Knives at their throat They were
Surprised and overpowered BY the audacity
of the robbers.
One month ago proportionate number
of men could have done the same thing in
Evansville. They did not do it then because
they had not completed their plans They
cannot do it now, because we are awake to
a sense of our danger.
In view of all these facts, what is our
duty2
1t is to oRGAEIzE-and organize AT ONCE
Let companies be formed, and differed and
drilled. Let arms be distributed and car
tridges be given out, and let that organiza-
ton be perpetual Let it never be said again
that Greensbnrg, Indianapolis, Lafayette,
and Terra Haute had to send their citizens
to defend Evansville, with her $4,000 in
habitants, and her countless wealth against
the depredetions of 200 or 300 banded
thieves and robbers, whose best boast is, say
they have pillaged an undefended hospital.
It is our duty to see that no man disloyal
to orr Government is suffered to live among
us-to make the soil and climate of Indi-
ana unhealty and uncongenial to traitors
Our State is full of secret traitors, men
who have, from the beginning of the war,
been steadily maturing their plans, and aid
ing and abetting the traitors of the South in
their hellish work. They meet at midnight
and plot treason, and by day, under the
profession of being the guardians OF the
Constitution, of the reserved rights of the
people tSat they stand between the taxgath--
erer and the people, endeavor to instill
into the minds of honest, unsupeeting, and
ignorant men, distrust of their Govern
ment and a contempt for that spirit of pa
triotism that has been our greatest boast.
That these organizations exist no honest
man pretends to deny, and the fact that
they are in secret correspondence with the
rebels is evidenced by the fact that about
the time the guerrilla bands commenced
their work of murder, robbery and pillage,
citizens Of Indiana suddenly disappeared
from home, and were next seen leading
band Of these outlaws against their neigh
bors and their friends. Others openly ex-
press and publish their desire that our Gem
erals in the field may fall by the hand Of
the assassin or the poisoner.
No man tainted with treason-no man
who in the slightest degree intentionally
gives aid, comfort or encouragement TO the
enemy, should be suffered 70 iivsson Indi-
ana soil.
These are some of our duties, and Others
will suggest themselves to every man Who
loves bis country.
In a word, our duty is to organize and
be prepared at all hours to defend our
homes and our governmet, to drive back
the invaders Of our soil, and to punish those
who render them aid or comfort Will we
do this duty2 Will we arouse at once to a
full sense of our duty and our danger, and
be fully prepared to do the one and meet