Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-03-27
For the Journal.
--1s1l Euf the JournaI.
What n Private Soldier Says-.His
Condemnation Of COpperheails
and vtnilicatlOn of the 4iOverli-
nGMf.

COmOeUan0tAOm Oh COppcrueAOS
and vindicatlOn of the GOvern-
ment.
CAIRO, ILL.,, March 10, 1868.
Mr.. EDITOR Il blush to record that in a
war so execrable in its origin, purposes and
management as that now ravaging the coun-
try, sympathizers and abettors Of treason and
the rebellion are found in the North in the
free States. Yet why should we wonder !?
Were there not tories during the revolution
airy war? Did they not seek to weaken the
power of the Government and to betray our
cause when we were in the death struggle for
liberty? Liberty triumphed then, in spite of
treason, and it will triumph now. Their
names became by-word of scorn and igno-
miny, and their memory is execrated. So
shall coming generations execrate those who
now are ready to strike hands with the rebels
and become party to rebellion. The issue is
now fairly made; he that is not for the Gov
eminent is against it. No pretexts, or con-
cealment, or false pretenses will answer. He
sustain the rebellion, for there is only two
sides to this question, and there is no middle
ground to take. @ D. ... ... -e... --
Now would say to the good Union people
of the North, do not get discouraged, for the
copperheads would try to make you believe
that the soldiers are all getting tired and are
going to lay down their arms and come home
Now know that to be false, and they know
it to be false, and the soldiers in the field all
know it to be false. But that is nothing to
the copperheads If they can only get up
something to accomplish immediate purposes,
they are going to do it. But you can meet
them on all sides. If you can't one way, you
can another; for they are not only traitors
but towards; for man that is traitor to his
country will not fight, and if they are drafted
and pushed into battle they would be sure to
get shot in the back, and there would be a
good chance to play marbles on their coat
tails.
What! the soldiers lay down their arms in
this the hour Of peril No, never! tell you
that the soldiers are unit on this great ques-
ton. They are not going to give up for one
defeat nor for half dozen defeats, but they
are determined to put the thing through as
long as the Government will uphold their
hands, until every rebel is swept out of our
land; and if We are spared to get back to our
homes we will serve the copperheads of the
North as we served their more honorable
neighbors in the South.
think the war matter is undergoing great
change in the North. Public men are begin
ming to take sides on this question, and that
is the very thing we want to see. If a man
is traitor, let him show it and then we know
who to deal with. The copperheads will get
tired of harping on the niger, and when the
niger question gives out, as it soon will,
they have nothing else under heavens to harp
upon, and they will have to go under, and
that without remedy.
Now there is one thing want to say right
here, and that is, if the negroes were all free
and had the right Of suffrage you would see
the Democrats around among them to get
their votes, for they are the very class of
people that 81 with that party; for we all
know they like whisky pretty well, and they
are ignorant and would not know any better
and the Democrats would be the first to pitch
into them, and so they would get their votes
Their party is made up of just that kind Of
voters, with some few exceptions; for we
have some good Union Democra IS in the field
that is, who were Democrats when they
enlisted. The good Union Democrats you
find in the field are not standing off, barking
like so many dogs. Now there are some few
deserters, we admit, but you show me de-
serter and l will show you Copperhead
Democrat, every time, and traitor to his
country.
The Butternuts make great howl about
the Government feeding so many contra bands
and letting the soldiers go without pay. Now
that is lie made up out of whole CLOTH
While white labor is worth from 81 so to
81, 90 day, the negro only gets $500 per
month, and $4,00 of that is retained out Of
every month by the Government and issued
out in rations to those contrabands that are
not able to work. That is the way the Gov
eminent feeds the negroes All these things
are just hunted up for political effect, but it
don't amount TO row of pins. These dem
agogues are only digging pits for themselves
to fall in. ISAAC r. MCCARTNEY,
Co. G, 18th Regt. Iowa Vol.