The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1863-05-07
The Marks OF the Reptile.
Mr.. Editor.


tration, it is the cx' cricncc Of every
friend Of the Government to find the
first class complain that they are called
secessionists without just cause. !
know that all Democrats are not Sou
thcm Sympathiscrs. Had they been
SO, Seymour would have been chosen
Governor of Conn. and three instead Of
one of his class elected to Congress. 1t
is true that the Democrats arc divided
in regard to their duty to their country,
and we should be very careful how we
charge disloyality upon any one of,hem.
We must know them individually to be
such; Yet there are certain marks by
which we can know them without their
admission, as they in this county at
least will not admit their shame. Union
men have their mark by which they
know the species coppcrhead. Some
Of those marks propose TO point out,
for the purpose Of enabling others to
prove the identity Of the reptile.
When you see man with copy OF
the Chicago Times, Dubuque Herald
New York Argus or other kindred
sheets, canvassing his neighbors to sub
scribe for either of them, and he takes
one Of them himself, that is a mark
that cannot be mistaken. You cannot
go wrong in charging this man with
being Southern Sympathiser, I'm
friendly TO his government. When Won
hear man say he was in favor Of the
administration Of Lincoln up to the
issuing Of the Emancipation proclama-
ton that is a true mark Of the reptile.
1t shows that he is more in favor Of
slavery than his country, or he would
lie, slavery 60 and stand by his country.
That man is the true copperhead. When
you hear man say that he is in favor
Of the govcrnme emf, bat opposed to the
administration, mark that man at once
he is the genuine copperhead, there is
no installing tina, reptile. lie is in
favor Of the dead inanimatc carcass,
that cannot interfere with his treason,
and opposed to that living power, that
should hang all such. How can a
government be separated from All adj
ministration The one is the body, the
other the life. a government cannot
90 or without an anministra, ION any
more than a machine without motive
power. As the present administration
holds power until the Alb Of March
1865, the man that witholds his support
from it. IS no friend Of the government
Of the United States but on the con.
trary is a traitor; when civil war comes
into our niest, that man will show it.
When you hear man repeat the story
Of this war, and hear him dwell with
satisfaction upon the defeat Of our for
ccs, defaming our Generals, al! but
Mcclellan praising those Of The rebels,
charging the defeat on the ad,sinis.ra-
ton, telling improbable stories about the
condition Of oar sick and wounded sol.
,licrs. snea,ing at all the ways and
means devised to carry on the wal, dis
couraging enlistmenta, threatening to
resist tho draft, harping upon the OK.
pcnse, whincing about the clause con-
corning the $500 substitution, and poor
man not being able to pay it, refusing
to give anything in aid of our sick and
suffering soldiers, charging wildly that
the nurses and officers take the sanitary
stores fol their own use, complain be
canse Mahony and other traitors was
not hanged instead Of being Liberated,
because Mcclellan was removed and
because a thousand other things was
not done, and ll,at his friends the re-
bells might be victorious and the cause
OF the government lost, that man has
got the true mark Of a comprehend and
should be sent South. When you hear
a man that happens to lie a church
going man and (heaven forgive him) a
church member, find fault with minis
ter because he is faithful to mis- master, /
and to his government, and among other
sins, expose the "Great SIM of our
county, and see him arise and leave the
house and even after absent himself,
you will see mark, tina: ii not an in.
feelible mark Of the reptile to identity.
land here I am sorry to say that a
copperhead never has any occasion to
leave the Methodist meetings on that
account. Her ministers arc sound on
the question Of loyalty individually.
They preach against every sin known
aud unknown except the Great Sin of
American slavery and the enormity OF
the rebellion. Is it because OF the fear