Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1863-02-03

ton of Jefferson, Penn, Washington and
Lafayette, ineternal and self-evident truths,
and not in painted sophistries designed on
ly to last through a political campaign.
Sand with what execration,n exclaiins JEFF
ferson, "should the statesman be loaded
who permitting one-half of the citizens thus
to trample on the rights of the other,
transforms those into despots and these into
enemies, destroying the morals Of the one
part and the amor patride Of the Other"
have now before me the book out OF
which David Mckee used to read this SEN
| timent. Jefferson thus condemned squat
ter sovereignty in advance. And do the
allies Of slavery imagine that such opinions
from the acknowledged teachers endproph-
cts Of mankind should make no sincere
converts to the side of liberty and truth!
Removing to Lancaster in 1859, and
engaging in the practice of the law, the
impending Presidential election offered the
Indictment Of studying all the questions
which preceded the war. No man under
stood them better than David Mckee.
His patriotism had an earlier date than the
bombardment of Ft. Sumpter. To iso-
late itself in the midst of christendom was
one Of the necessities of the peculiar insti-
| tuition. Railroad cars were already thun-
dering through its pitchy domains. The
spirit of the 9th century mounted on steam
and lightning awakened new ideas in the
south; free soil communities were taking
possession of some of her most important
cities. In her madness and rage, she tore
herself from the commonwealth OF freedom
and established an empire whose corner
stone, as Alexander Stephens says, is hui
man slavery. Slavery is the essence Of
war. 1t feeds no passions friendly to
peace. We had prospered 80 years with
slavery. We had prospered with anti
slavery the same length Of time; in fact,
our highest prosperity was coincident with
the full development of free principles at
the north. Any novice in history could
foresee when the antagonistic forces COLI
ded, slavery would spill the first blood; for
freedom trusting to the justice OF her cause,
desired no weapons but free discussion and
the ballot box And SO it will be if civil
war is inaugurated in the North, the men
demoralized by sympathy with this Insti-
tuition, will shed the first blood.
Actions are the result of conyictions,and
it requires no analysis of the soldiers vote
to prove that men of McKee's principles
would fill the volunteers ranks 10 the pro-
portion of three to one. He saw the
storm was about to break and sprang to
arms on the first call of the President.
He enlisted as private on the 22d Of
April, 1861. AS the spokesman of the
heroic band that gathered around him, he
ADDRESSED large aSsemblage Of bis fellow
citizens on the evening before his depart
ure. IF we ever desert tae flag that floats
over us, if we ever prove recreant to the
glorious cause, then teach your children in
their evening prayers to lisp their curses
upon our Names" Brave, devoted heart.
prepared for the coming sacrifice These
children and their fathers and mothers will
bless thy Lame till freedom and country
and life expire!
His Company &c" Of which he was
elected Captain, fought at Bull Run on the
18th and 21st Of July. Here raw recruits
first heard the roar Of hostile cannon, and
saw the effects OF muskets leveled and fired
at men-anl death in new form visited
the hearth stones Of Old Giant. Young
Thomas Cox and Belnap Fuqua, fell at the
battle Of Bull Run. The famous STAN
pede and route can better be accounted for
on psychological than military principles.
The Information of Mcclellan on the Poto-
mac was intolerable to young officer
burning with desire to wipe off national
disgrace. Gen. Mcclellan went to York
Town to hunt field whereof to fight.
About this time Capt. Mckee received
commission from Gov. Harvey as Lieut.
Col. of the 18th Regiment. Transferred
to the west, be at length found in Rosen-
Grams leader whom be could admire and
love. He wrote to bis friends that he pre-
ferred death under Rosencrans to life un-
der Mcclellan and Buell.. These were
ominous words. He seemed to have
presentiment Of bis end. He wrotesto his
wife, "my life is in the hands OF God; lie
will make it all right. ] am tired OF this
war-I want it ended, but never until it IS
ended right"
The battle Storm is raging furiously at
Murfreesboro', and the old year is expiring
in the terrible strife. In that fierce mass
of "living valor rolling on tue foe, there IS a
proud and gallant form that Wisconsin
points out with pride, that death has
il arked for his own. s'He felP' says Col.
Heg, sson the 31st Of December, polly and
brayely assisting me IN our attempt todrlve
the enemy on that great battle field"
Col. Carlin writes, che was with his
regiment during all the hard fighting on
the afternoon Of the 3Gth and the morning
of the 3lst, and wherever be was, i's
presence gave courage TO our men mo more
daring officer was in this army, no more
earnest patriot has fallen victim to this
rebellion" Neither the insult offered to his
clay by the savage enemy nor the shout
Of victory awoke him from his slumber.
The Presidents proclamation which he
uo,,ll bava raad which millions have read