Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-04-10
A COpperhead Insult to the SOls
diers.-vThat one Of them thinlks
CAIRO, ILL.,, March q, 1876:


EDITOR JouRNAL:-I noticed in looking
over the Chicago Times Of the 25th, a speech
the production Of one Judge Morris, delivered
at a meeting of the lnvincible Club o.
Chicago, wherein he charges as the cause oil
our late reverses, that the soldiers are dis
heartened and unwilling to fight, because the
Government officials have acted the rascal in
enlisting them to fight for the preservation Of
the Government and then using them only to
carry out their abolition schemes, to-wit: des.
ecrate the South, free the blacks and cnslave
the North.
9 would BE- very much obliged to the Judg,
or any one else who would tell me to what he
refers. Can it be possible that he refers to
the soldiers who supported Lincoln at the last
Presidential election, and even later, who last
fall, where they were allowed the right of suf
frage, gave such roqsing majorities for the
nominees of the Administration party2 II
he does, he insults them, and is a villain Of
the darkest dye. Neither do see how he
could have the hardiAood to bring SO grave o
charge against the Democratic portion Of the
soldiery, who have always been his friends,
and who have left their wives, their children
and the endearments of home impelled to do
so through pure patriotism, for should not
think one friend could bring against another
the charge of crime so dark without any
cause whatever. If he does he must certain
ly have fallen to the very lowest depth of in
fanny; at least we of the soldiery think so--
| say, therefore, that the charge brought
against the soldiers in the Judges speech be-
fore the Invincible Club Of Chicago, is Ger
tainly libel upon the Republican portion Of
the army, and as far as my observation goes
is equally as false if preferred against the
Democratic portion of the same. -.......
In Chicago he may be allowed thus to in
suit us, but if he was here l doubt if he
would dare to do it. If he did, the insult
would be resented, and the Democratic por-
ton Of the army would not be tie last to
avenge themselves Of the wrong At least
have good reasons for SO believing, from the
fact that we have Democratic Lieutenant in
our company who last summer helped GER
tain young gentleman through corn field
with the toe of his boot, for the simple offense
of prating against the Administration when
asked why he did not enlist and help in the
defense of his country. If such severe pun
ishment is dealt out to one Democrat by an,
other for so small an offense, what might the
Judge expect in giving so fragrant an insult !?
But that there are some diSheartened, must
afmit; but they are few. Neither are they
Republicans nor yet Democrats, but mixed
number from every political Organization
But what disheartens them? Is it the Presi-
dents Emancipation Proclamation No, sir,
for have heard them praise it. Is it the
unholy crusade against the South, carrying
fire and sword into the land of cotton say
no, for have heard them curse their own Of
ficers because they would not allow them to
apply the torch to certain deserted dwellings,
known to be the property of men in the rebel
service. Is it becluse they dislike the late
conscription act? Not by any means, for l
have heard them giving vent to their joy over
its passage, in language of which the follow
ing is a true copy: g am d-n glad the con-
scription act has passed, for now some Of
those vile tories up North who are doing tn il
utmost to prolong the war by their opposition
to the Government will have to come and
fight, and if they refuse we will 60 up there
with our bayonets and prod them to it," But
what Is the cause of their discomfort? Sir, I
answer that it is their utter inability to be
content in but one element Good citizens at
home, unused to the privations and hardships
of war, yet impelled by strong desire to
help preserve those rich blessings of liberty
bequeathed to them by their Revolutionary
sires, have left their homes, their natural
element (the love of home being the strong
est passion of their souls) become dishearten-
ed and sometimes even sicken and die They
are not blamed for their mechanism and
should not be blamed, and he who would re-
proach them, to say the least, should be cen
sured.
To-day James Perry, one of the members
of our company, was taken from US by the
hand of death. This is the fifth member of
our company that has fallen victim to dis.
ease. Surely Fate has selected as its victims
our most respected comrades, and assure
you their loss is deeply felt by us all.
Yours in friendship,
D. G. B., Co. G, 35th Reg. Iowa Vol.