The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1863-05-28
Two OhiOans.

"In 1916 under Mr.. Folks Administration
and during the Mexican War, Tom. Corwin
a Senator from Ohio and leader in the
Senate, said,"l hope the enemy aciU aoelcome
our army NTH bloody hands to hospita5le
graoes. He is rewarded by Mr.. Lincoln with
the office of Minister to Mexico.
"In 1863, under Mr.. Lincoln's admins
traton, Hon. c. l.. Vallandigham, private
citizen OF Ohio. procams in public speech
to thousands Of his fellow citizens, 81 am a
Democrat, opposed to despotism. for tho
Constitution, for Lam, for the Union. for
liberty ;;.Ihaoe no word sign or gesture of
sympathg aoith the men Of the South aoho are
for disunion and Southern Independence"
For this only crime, he has been sentenc-
ed to Imprisonment for two years. Com
meut is unnecessary Ottunawa Mercury.
The above editorial, taken from the last
weeks issue of the Ottumwa Mercury, is
nothing but blunders and falsehoods from
beginning to end, and is another evidence
of the straits to which that pompous con.
Germ is driven, in its efforts to perfect the
coppery masses of this county in their ha-
tired of the U. s. Government. But we
think they had best let Mr. Clark continue
to do up the SANDER articles for that estab-
lishmeut,as be seems to possess more ability
in that line than they.
In the first place there was no Mexican
war in 1915, it did not commence until
April or May 1916, Second, Tom Corwin,
did not make the speech, from which we
suppose the above clause pretends to be an
extract, until the winter OF 40 ~. Third
he never uttered such thought in the IT..
8. Senate, nor anything of similar meaning.
And fourth, we would venture the opinion
if it is not too presumptuous in us to ques-
ton tie acquisitions of gentlemen of such
overpowering dignity, that the writer of the
above, never read the speech from which he
pretends to quote.
Now compare the following. which Tom.
Corwin dill say, with the above garbled
stuff of the Mercury and see if there is any
similarity in the sense of the two:
"IfI were a Mexican, and the graves of
my fathers were lying around me, would
greet them 1.-THE invading army, with bloody
hands and welcome them to hospitabIe
graves" 60 au
That is certainly no more than any pat
riot should do, be he Mexican, African, or
even Copperhead, in case his native land
was invaded bys foreign foe. And we
think the treatment with which Tom Cor
win met from large majority Of tho peo-
pie of Ohio, and the whole country, on ac-
count Of his opposition to the administration
while actually engaged in prosecuting war
should be q warning to copperhsads of the
present time, who are doing all that lies in
their power, to cripple the administration
in its efforts to suppress rebellion that
aims at nothing short of the overthrow of
our own Government, while that war which
Corwin opposed was war to extend the
area of human slavery, planned and carried
cut at the behest of the very same oligar-
chy which is now taxing its utmost ener-
gies for the overthrow of the Federal govern
ment and which is receiving aid and CON-
fort, in its efforts. from the teachings of
such demagogues as haze control of the
Mercury.
As to the quotation given. as the cause
of Vallandigbam's arrest and conviction, the
Mercury knows, or at least ought to, that
the statemement is positive falsehood, that
no such language was included in the charge
against him, or ever imputed to him
as crime worthy Of punishment.