Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-08-06

rights have been intringed, except the
right to be rebel--a right which no man
possesses. The Constitution, and the
laws made under it. are still our sword
and shield; every battle fought, and gap
tired by the army Of the Union, Las been
strictly On constitutional principles, except
in cases where our boys ran, as they have
opce or twice, and that l am in q little
doubt about. Laughter The Constitu-
ton is now our guide and watchword-itis
what we are fighting for; it is our pillar
of cloud by day. and fire by night, to lead
Us through this Red Sea Of war, and this
wilderness of our trials: it is still unim-
paired and our egis, and so it will remain
till not rebel On the broad continent
shall dispute its vitality, or deny that it is
IN full force and effect. And am inclined
to think that one clause-that which con-
ters on the executive the pardoning pow
er, they will be very happy to use for
their own benefit. Applause and laugh
ter.
MORAL CHARACTER OF REBEL sYMPATHIzERs.
No person has been wronged. The
wrong doer alone, has been disturbed in
his evil deeds. 1t is just right and ne.
cessity Of war to conine or Danish the
enemy's friend in our midst, as much as
to kill the enemy himself in battle. And
in this case, under the circumstances of
this war, Oh, q thousand times more so.
For when We contemplate the enormous
wickedness of this rebellion-the ocean of
tears, the rivers Of blood, the hell of suf-
fering that it has caused-what can we
say OF him, who tor loves sake, or for hate,
from party feeling or personal regard, or
spite, or for any cause, ;has sympathy or
excuse for traitors? This say: That not
the slaughter of the Innocents, not the
massacre Of st. Bartholomew, not the con.
centrated crimes which have stained the
history of civilization, and which felons of
all degrees have expiated in prisons and
on scaffolds, equas in black intensity the
unmitigated and deep depEavity of the
smoothest tongued miscreant, who in his
innermost thoushts-in the very secret
recess of his heart of hearts, cherishes
enmity, or disdain, Or GOODNESS or luke
warmness, or aught but the most vivid,
burning and constant enthusiasm for the
success of our arms and the triumph of
our cause. Prolonged applause
THE PEACE MEN.
And other men, doubtless hoping for
the blessing pronounced in the beatitudes,
have turned peace makers. do not think
they fill the bill. One who thinks to re-
store peace between man fighting for
his life and an angry grizzly bear, would
as much deserve to be called one of the
children of God" laughter as does the
vain and impotent Dabbler who now talks
of peace between the defenders of the
Union and its enemies. [Applause. J.
Peace Peace with what Peace with
rebels in arms against the government
Peace with the assassins of your country
men. Peace with a vast butternut rag
bag, [laughterl alive with traitors and
bristhng with arms, as other ragbags
swarm with vermin and are prickly with
their stings. Man of peace, you are e.
couraging, aiding and abetting this war.
Each cry for peace at the North is worth
to the rebels a victory on the battlefield.
What's So" and applause.l Man OF
peace, the continuance of this war is your
work. This blood is shed by you. Your
hands are red-wet with the gore of your
countrymen. Those groans from desc
lated hearths and broken homes, are the
echoes of your stump speeches, your curb
stone harangues, your newspaper arti.
Giles. 0, father, in thy gray haired an
guish, mourning thy first born-thou Sec
ond Abraham, who consigned thy son to
the sacrifice, and no Angel of the Lord
withheld thy hand-lift thy suDken eyes
and ask some bolt red with uncommon
wrath, to strike this man of peace dead !
Mother, the staff of thy widowed age is
no more. This man of peace is guilty Of
his blood. In the pangs of thy mortal
grief, cans't thou not ask the widows
God for vengeance on his murderer p
[Sensation. And thou, fair haired young
bride, whose bridal wreatIs are turned to
widows weeds, this man of peace did kill
thy husband. 0, raise those lilly hands,
and that streaming face to Heaven. and
imprecate some chosen and fated curse on
thy country's foe and thine. Prolonged
applause.
FALSE PRETENCEs.
But these men don't want peace till af-
ter the election. They want the war to
continue SO that they can oppose it.
laughter The peace talk is a politi-
clans trick. They want something to find
fault with. They are like the boy that came
into the house crying: Sonny" said his
mother, "what do you want, do you want
piece of bread and butter 2" ''No,'
was the reply, 81 don't want any bread
and butter, I've got the belly ache, and
that's a0hat I eoant." (Great laug hter. }
| tell you, these men want it. Why, make
a peace, and you destroy their capital
Cure the pain caused by the abnormal ir-
ritatlon of the mucus membrane of the
vlscera, and you rob them of their stock
in trade. Renewed laughter).
PEACE IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT THE ExTERMI-
NATION OF TRAITORS.
No man talks of peace, believing peace
to be possible, while there is q rebel in
arms against the Government. To end,
and to end forever rebellion to the Gov
eminent is the object of this war.
"Like the Pontic sea
whose ICY current and compulsiye course
Meier knows retiring ebb;
it cannot stay nor halt till that end is &C
comrlished. And to accomplish it, if
necessary, the war must be one of exter.
mination. Where there is a rebel who
will not submit, he must be killed. if it
includes them all. Ii necessary, their
cities must be depopulated, and their land
laid waste. Let no mans child live to
become rebel. Let the rebel father die,
and let the rebel mothers quickening
womb be paralyzed, that the seed of trai.
tors may be exterminated from the earth.
w hen, and only when, there are no rebels
lett; when the race is extinguished, and
their principles forgotten, may we have
peace, substantial peace, permanent peace,
honorable peace. Then will this red deluge
of war be to US the fructifyer of more
Astounding harvest of good, in established