Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1863-04-01
Written for the PRESCOTT JOURNAL.
The CopPeThead Resolutions.

loyal men hold their peace the very stones
would cry out against them.
We are rapidly nearing the crisis Of
our national existence when the question
is to be answ cred whether We are to re-
main mighty and united nation, or are
to be disrupted, broken 30 fragments, at
intelminahle strife and war among our
seives-the prey or football Of tho rest
Of the world-the victims of our own
stupendous folly The question is mar
rcwed down 10 single point !: Shall
the energies of this nation be put forth
IN all their entirety and strength to crash
cut this rebellion, or shall we refuse so TO
DO, and permit the eounseis Of traitors
TO have their full iruition-permit our
strength to BE- dispated by ibietn! dis,
ssnsions-our armies to be unre.nforced
Our executive unsustained in the exc
cution of acts imp iaiiyely necessary for
! the salvation Of our country. until weak
enpd and impo, erished we are compelled
to acknowledge ourselves conquered, de-
! graded, slaves to those who boldly enun-
ciate that this is the only position for
which we sre fit.
! have before me resolutions emenatino
/ from two organizations in tbs county
/ One series replying in strong, manly, pat
! Iotic tones for our Country and our
/ Government; the other rs assuredly Civ
| ing aid and comfort 10 our enemies; for
! contend that not in the darkest con
clave of the Knights of the Golden Cir
Gle does there exist records bearing more
unmistakabIe evidence of the spirit which
/ prompted them. than do the resolutions
Of the so styled Democratic Club, held
/ at Ellsworth last week. Look at them
for p moment, and what do we see 3
/ When this nation is struggling in the
folds of the Internal ?, thon Of rebellion
- when every gale that comes from the
I South bears upon it the sounds of dead
II contlct-when every paper we read
/ and every .etter we receive is Fl led with
! details of the atrocities committed by
/ these worse than incarnate hends, who
! are numbering our brethren, burning
/ their houses, driving men, women and
| children To the forests and mountains Tor
shelter, and there hunting them with
savage bloodhouuds. or still more merci
less Indians all for the lose they bear
our glorious Union, the country that has
/ ever cherished aud protected them. /
/ say when all this is being enacted before
/ our eyes, n portion of the citizens Of this
/ county come together, for what par
I l.. f,ua nf
/ thy and hearty CO operation TO sustain
and strengthen the hands of our Gov
eminent in crushing out this rebellion
! To encourage our brave soldiers Who are
battling rnanfuy for the maintenance of
/ our rights, and our iberties-to say to
thai this nation shall live though you end
/ your Institutions perish in the fraticedsl
contest you have SO wanton'v Inaugural
! ted No, not one word of this; but on
/ the contrary, saying to these traitors
that the history of tbs present nation
q! administration is history of repeated
wrongs and uSurf atoms, tending to en-
slave the people, and inaugurating DIES.
/ po'sm moe intolerable than that of the
most tyran.tal power Of the old world"
/ What more do they need to make their
! cause a Just one? jeff. Davis himself
/ could SAY no more. Look at these reso-
j lntions-a column devoted to bitter de
! uunciaton Of this government. and three
/ lines in holding up secession, for what!
/ In order that it may seem a0htte IN COM
! harrison with those most heniouS wrongs
! that they say are fostering and destroy
/ inc our lilert3cs. And what, forSooth,
are these terrible crimes committed bv
! our executive. beside which this Internal
/ rebellion with nj! its concomitants Of
murder, rapine, fire and torture, dwindes
into such insignificance as to scarcely re-
qure passing notice. Hear it ye
/ Heavens, and give ear, oh earth. He
/ has, when this ,ation was reel ling to its
centre from the blows dealt b. q power
/ full and fully prepared foe-when the
/ vaccinations Of traitors permeated every
/ department Of goyernment-wbe those
/ fl,tered, protected, educated, by our ben
j ficant institutions were everywhere pre-
/ yinv false: he has in the exercise OF an
! almost undoubted RIGHT stretched forth Il
! strong hand and laid it upon a few men
! who were the most actively and openly
conspiring with our count.ys enemies,
and has said II them: 'this must cease"
and has simply placed them where their
/ course could not terminate in positive
/ overt treason. and has kept them there
until the nation had time to recover par
/ tally from the terrible shock into which
| it was first precipitacd. and then their
power for evil having been in measure
/ lost. they have. instead of being brought
to coudign punishment. been released with
/ tie injunction, "go and sin no more
! A Mr.. Carpenter has well said, not
one of them but could, at any time, have
walked forth n free man by taking the
oath of allegiance. Talk oil this as 'yr-
anna: there exists not in history a paral-
ell case of clemeacy. Had these men
been under the dominion of Jeff. Davis,
| (mho is Landed by some in our very
| midst rs a purer patriot than the chef
magistrate of our country,) accused OF q
similar crime, they would have been
hanged higher than Hannah; for there
ere hundreds, aye thousands, in the
South who since this var eommsGcad,