Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-05-15
For the Journal.

EDITOR JOURNAL: have Just finished
reading the speech of "Hon." E. H. Thayer
delivered in Grandvew, Iowa, April 18th, ant
| must give the Judge credit for his bold as
sertions. l suppose he would be styled {
| Copperhead with you, but understand thu
snake that rattles boldly to be the rattlesnake
If understand him correctly in his speech
under the head of "Who are the agitators, "
he says the North is the sole cause of the
rebellion. Under his next head he says, twas
not the South justifiable in demanding some
pledge that Mr.. Lincoln and his party would
not blot out slavery?' Is it possible that the
bold editor never read Mr.. Lincoln's Inau ~.
raj Address? If so, he undoubtedly is not
trying to keep truth on his side.
In speaking of compromises, he lays the
blame on the Abolitionists. If he will refel
to the Globe, he will find who voted for OF
against the Crittenden Compromise. Hewil
there find, If the Southern members had voted
they could have carried the Crittenden Com
promise.
If understand the phraseology of the
Judges sentiments, it sounds much like the
talk and frOth of prominent secessionists.
am convinced that such sentiments furnish
the connecting link between the conspirators
in the South and their allies in the North,
against the Government Such sentiments
are only treason in the bud. All they lack is
little Of the sunshine of jeff Davis despot.
ism to bring them to full bloom They are
but the little Copporheads in the egg; all they
need is the incubation of the old serpent to
make them full grown snakes. Such senti-
ments as the Judges are the food upon which
treason lives and gloats itself in the South
Such sentiments are eagerly sought for by
the Southern press, and triumphantly pub
lished as an evidence of the speedy downfall
of the Washington Government. Men, like
the Judge, who, presume, never raised an
arm to defend the Constitution, should talk
less about it being violated. 'r
ask the Judge, where would the Consti-
tuition and Government be now had all the
loyal patriots of the North done as he has
done? jeff. Davis might have given such a
man as the Judge an Office by this time in
Muscatine '
1t is to be regretted that Thayer, Mahony
and other leading Democrats are resisting the
execution of the laws, discouraging enlist
ments, encouraging assertions and mutiny in
the army, and resisting arrests. say such
deserve no better treatment than the Consti-
tuition and the laws of their country demand
u. e. hanging and yet they claim to be
Democrats, and talk about popular sover-
eighty. If the lamented Douglas could stand
up in his grave, to-day, he would rebuke into
shame these cowardly disciples, who are en-
deavoring to betray his party and his fair
fame into the hands Of the rebels.
Democrats, be not deceived by the senti-
ments and resolutions which are sugar coated
with just enough loyalty to make them pala-
table. Within they are the blue mass oftreason.
II these men were patriots, they would hate
traitors; they would talk against them; they
would resolve against them, and they would
act against them. Do these men know that
the Mississippi river is lined with rebel bat
'teries - that every day witnesses the destruc-
ton of Government transports and the lives
of loyal men And yet, is this not uncon-
stitutional? Or, did you ever know Cop
perhead convention pass resolutions declaring
the great Mississippfto be open to the COM
merce of the West? Would it not be bet
ter evidence of loyalty for these men to
denounce the rebel government, at least once
where they denounce their own twice? BY
their fruits ye shall know them"
- ~ T. J. GossErT.
Abingdon, Knox CO., ILL.,, May 8, 1868.