Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-02-27
What has been Done and What
ought to be Done.


= inst. proceeds, according to its usual custom
to falsify history, misrepresent facts and de-
in denunciations of the Administration.
quotes for text from President Lincoln
message Of July 4th, 1861, and alleges tina
according to this high authority, majorit
Of the qualified voters of the seeded State
were opposed to disunion. Everybody know
that the Union sentiment in those States ha
. entirely disappeared" The Editor is eithe
fool or knave. Within the past thre
weeks we have had intelligence of the raising
of several Union regiments in Texas-of en-
thusiastic Unicn meetings at New Orlean.
and the election Of Union Congressmen-o
revolts among the troops of North Carolina
of instructions in Georgia, and within 8
week we have been informed, on reliable au
thority, that four -fifths of all the able bodied
Union men of East Tennessee have escaped
and come within our lines, and that Union
refugees from Northern Alabama and Misss.
sippi are in and around Corinth by the thou.
sands, seeking our protection. Nearly fifty
counties Of Virginia have organized loyal
State government. These are only few Of
the facts that we produce in answer to the
unscrupulously false assertions above quoted.
But admitting these things were not so, what
then? The Courier proceeds to say 1.-THE
question very naturally arises, what has
| -ho1o hat
the fruits this nineteen months civil war has
brought to the people of the Northern
States?' We answer: Three hundred thou.
sand graves twelve hundred millions Of
dollars squandered; united South; divi-
ded North, and an abolition party" Who is
to blame for all these sad results?
Thou falsifier of history, we will answer
thee as to the first interrogatory touching the
fruits of this war. We have raised numer-
Gus, powerful and we'll provided army. We
have built navy second to none in the
world. We have effectually blockaded the
rebel sea coast we have recovered Missouri,
Kentucky, Tennessee and Western Virginia;
the great commercial metropolis ofthe South,
New Orleans possession of the coast; we
have saved Maryland we have fought bat
ties and won victories, and have nearly open
ed the Mississippi. Now these are few of
the ripened fruits. 1t is true there have been
casualties and disasters, over which every
heart must feel sad we have the conscious
ness of knowing that Southern Traitors pro-
duced them. You say add 100000 graves.
Yes sir, and who made them? The lead and
iron hail from the bloody hands of treason,
were not the only grave diggers. Go ask
your petted chief Mcclellan, what he achiev-
ed upon forty thousand lives sacrificed in his
Peninsula campaign. Go ask your martyred
Porter, who permitted ,epulse, disaster and
death to overwhelm our army rather than fly
to the relief Of his superior officer. Strike
your balance sheets and charge to Mcclellan
and Porter the loss of over one hundred
thousand lives, without decisive victory to
show for it. The others have fallen in hon
orable battle or by the hand of disease. a
willing sacrifice, and we honor the memory
of all. Regrets will not restore the luster to
their sleeping eyes, nor tears unseal their
marble lips, but their patriotism, their cour
age, heroism and devotion, will be forever
green in our memories. Where have twelve
hundred millions been squandered? ? They
have not gone out of the country. They are
distributed among the soldiers and their
families, among the ship wrights, the gun
smiths, the stock raiser, the grain producer,
and the manufacturer. 1t is all here at home.
The people are being taxed for its expeudi
ture, but they are also receiving its benefits.
"a united South"-we do not believe. We
have shown it to be false. What has pro-
duced it, if it be otherwise Nothing but the
hope of ultimate and immediate success
From whence cometh this hope? Our answer
is, the Courier's next proposition, "a divided
North" Hypocrite, who has caused this d.
vision? Who opposes the war measures of
the Government; whose is the torch for
burning, with no hammer for building; who
proposes resistance to the authority of the
Government; who advises second division
Of the country who defends treason; who
begs for peace? Not us. 1t is your own
treacherous party-a party that tried to ride
into power on the platform Of more vigor-
GUS prosecution of the war, and when elected
commenced its clamor for immediate peace
a party who contended for the Constitution
as it is, and now ask for its amendment, to
conciliate armed traitors-a party that lied to
the people, declaring itself in favor Of the
Union as it was, and now asks that New Eng
land be left out, in the reconstruction pro-
posed. Your hearts are reasonable, your
doctrines are pernicious, and your mouths
sreaketh lies. You have no cause for com.
plant. For sixteen months the administra-
ton tried your war policy to conciliate you,
revoked the Proclamations of Fremont and
Hunter, approved Halleck's Order No. 8; list
ened to and acted upon the wishes of Border
State men at the request Of your party; re-
moved Cameron and appointed Democratic
Secretary of War, at your solicitation; re-
moved Fremont and placed Democratic Hal
leck at the head of the army; appointed two
hundred Generals, one hundred and fifty of
whom were Democrats. Democratic McClel-
Ian led the army Of Virginia, Halleck led the
army at Corinth, and what was done? Had
you and your party been earnest Union men,
had you been true to your Government, the
war would have been at an end. You are re-
sponsible for its existence to-day, and if you
would cease your cackling against the Gov