Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1863-04-03
Our Prospects and our Duty.


Our Prospects and our Duty.
q. : From the Muscatine Journs
The result Of the last October elections i
Illinois and Indiana gave the rcbellious horde
of the South fresh CLEAN of hone that, /,
those States at least which were foremost i,
their response to the appeals of the Govern
1nent, great re action had taken place-tha
the people were sickening Of the blood,
strife, and had declared in favor of peace
>Confirnatory Of this belief came the election
vi democratic Government for the Empir,
state. The opponents Of the war through
cut the North, the friends of rebels every
where. rejoiced The people having seem
ingiy declared in favor Of concessions with
armed traitors, a National Convention was
aglsated and inperious!y demanded by those
VINO, ~ their bodies were with their hearts
would be in rebellion also. ,..t, f,, s....,ygg
il, 80 confident of success were northern to.
RES, that oysrtures we're made to the rebel
Gosernnent as a sort or feeler to ascertain
Me.r wishes. The rebel government scorn-
fully refused airy terms that did not rccog.
..,l ME 1t free and independent. Yet the South
was vlgilant. 10 secrrethe Northwest, with
ITS great inland waters and cereal produc-
hons, was with them great desideratum,
and there were men protesting loyalty who
gave. the traitors aid and comfort and ad-
hercd to the plans and purposes of our enc.
l!'iss. New York was to be the guiding star
in the reconstruction. Five months have
not passed since the Empire State elected q
man who was supposed to be in favor of
peace and concession,--to-day the guiding
star OF the ieconstructionists leads the van,
and by a mighty uprising Of the masses Of
all parties, surprising if possible the great
uprising following the fall of Sumter, there
goes up ono long, loud pledge of support to
the Gorern,ncnt, without any condition, and
a demand for peace only when the rebel gov
ernncnt surrenders to the luthoritytof the
Federal Constitution. The echoes Of that
cry are caught up by the sleepless picket on
his lonely beat, awakeS the faithful patriot
stretched upon his damp and strawless bed !,
and ininses new life aud energy, zeal and de-
a. yotion, into the ranks of armies fast wasting
away from decentralization. With hearts
81 rfnll OF patriotic Notwithstanding their
), country and hating treason, whether in front
. Or rear--our armies have spoken in unn,is-.
taxable terms. No lies, no misrepresenta-
tlons Vi traitorous demagogues or shcetsat
7 home, can conceal the truth that our soldiers,
from the lowest in rank to the highest, are
/ yet willing and anxious to DIE, if need be,
Glra,her than beg peace at the price Of humil-
a 7lattnn and a sacrifice of national honor
aJ With the Legislatures of nine loyal States
in session since the New Y FORK election, not a
State unless it be New Jersey, has provided
for National Convention, or being repre-.
9 sented therein. Kentucky, upon: whose soil
tho traitorous crew Of Observation-Disclosures pro-
posed 10 assemble, exhibits her contempt by
: refusing to invite them to Louisville or meet
them in convention. Small demagogues,
pot-house politicians, fossilized place hunters,
treason mongers and martyr seeking edit.
ors shall whine for peace, boz IN ~. iii
In The meantime, tho South finds it's fond
3 est hopes crushed, it's brightest dreams van.
shed into thin air. The people of Europe,
9ywhe make Kings and Empcrors, Kingdoms,
and Empires, have become our faithful allies
From meditation the South has nothing to
hope. For q reconstruction Of The Unon
? it has nothingto hope Their people starry.
ing, their currency deprecated to less than
onc-fourth its face, foreign credit gone, their
population exhausted Of active rnilitiamen,
their entire coast bockadedsby formidable
fleets, their principal senports meuaced by
understandable iron. clads, and a we'll disci-
.pined veteran land force; Missouri, Ken
lucky, Arkansas, West Tennessee and Lou
isiana, hopelessly gone, the Mississippi river
open from its source to its mouth save two
distractions, their supplies from west Of that
river cut off, well may the organs Of the rela-
ell government despair. They freely admit
that the events Of the coming three months
will determine their fate. Already they nc.
knowledge Hooker~as the cono,,erer OF the
Richmond base They fear Hooker, where
once they admired Mcclellan. They warn
the South to be prepared for serious reyers-
. es on the Rappahannock. Already the he
roic Rosecrans moves his grand army to the
deadly conflict, from which We may hear ex-
r citing news ere this is pu, in type. Banks
has ere this made a land attack upon Port
Hudson with its terrible batteries ON the
water front A cooperation from the fleet
must reduce that post. BY private intelli-
gnnce we learn that Vicksburg has been
shcllel for sixteen hours; Grants plans for
immediate attack had been submitted to his
fellow officers and approved. Any moment
may bring US stirring, and we believe Joyous
notes Of victory.
While all these movements are taking place
what should We do? BE united as one man
and uphold with strong arms whatever the
Government may do 10 forever crush out
this internal rebellion. Come then, freemen,
all, everywhere, let us strike hands for our
country. Let no divisions continue i'll our
councils until peace be restored by the vic
torious march OF our armies. The blood of
! our sons slain in battle, the manglcd forms
ormaay patriots in our streets, the widows
and orphans weeds, the toiland privations of
our friends in the field. the bloody sacrifices
Of our fathers, the hopes of the oppressed
millions Of the earth, all call upon us, citi-
zens Of the loyal States. to drop everything,
and viewing our prospects by the light Of
final success, resolve that our duty is to stand
by the Government in this her hour Of trial
without condition, and fight for peace. i.
ANOTHER successful cavalry raid has been
accomplished fronm Hooker .army into the
arax.,a Ia&u &c nj,