Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-03-06
The Union NIas. Meeting.

Ihe Union Mass Meeting, which met, o
. account of the inclemency of the weather, i
fremont Hall, Saturday last, at one o'clocb
was called to order by VIM. F. Davis, Esq.
Several of the speakers from abroad were nc
present, for reasons unknown. The followin
officers were elected President, Hon. Johr
A. Parvin; Vice Presidents, Edward Stewart
j. D. Walker, Michael Price and Josepl
Crane Secretaries, Daniel Ha,ker, Aarol
Stein and Chas. G. Hayes, Esq.
Mr. Parvin, upon taking the chair, made 8
few brief and appropriate remarks and intro
duced Judge W. G. Woodward as the frs
speaker. The Judge confined his remark:
to some of those points which are urged b,
the opponents of the present Administration
to bring it into discredit, and which on &C
count of their plausibility tend to unsettle ano
perplex the minds Of the loyal masses, review
ing at some length and with great force and
clearness the fallacy Of the argument claiming
the protection of the Constitution for the
States now in rebellion, the objections te
arming the negroes-the alluring suggestions
in favor of an armistice, holding the Govern
ment responsible for irregularities in supply
ing and providing for the army, &c. In re-
lation to the proposed armistice, he showed
that it was measure fraught with immense
mischief to the North and of the utmost ad-
vantage to the South, who, in the interval.
could recruit their wants from abroad, and at
the expiration of the armistice would renew
the struggle under better auspices than be-
fore. The irregularities in the army. he show
ed, were not as great in proportion as those
existing in the army of France now at war
with Mexico, and that of England in the Crl-
mea, although both nations are thoroughly
warlike in character, and have much greater
experience in arranging for all the exigencies
incident to war. The Judge touched lightly
on the slavery question. denying that Ham
or his descendants, as race, ever were
''cursed." That particular malediction was
pronounced upon Canaan, and was applica-
BILE to but fractional part of the race of his
illustrious ancestor. The Judge closed by
strong appeal for the support of this free
Government, in behalf of the downtrodden
throughout the world. IT we go down, the
despots of Europe have treason to triumph
over the cause of freedom, and the experiment
Of free Government will probably never again
be tried.
On motion ofMr. Davis, the following gen.
tlemen were appointed committee on reso-
lutions j. Scott Richman, Jacob Butler and
D. G. Cloud.
The meeting was then addressed by Mr..
Cloussen, of Davenport, first in the English
and then in the German language. He ap-
pealed to his German brethren to spare those
of their countrymen residing in the Border
States, many of whom have taken part with
the Government in this war, from the bitter
persecution to which they would be subjected
by dishonorable peace with the rebels.
Mr.. Cloussen defended the emancipation
proclamation and denounced in severe Ian
guage the system of slavery as inhuman and
atrocious. He alluded to the homestead law
and Pacific railroad measure as some of the
grand and beneficial results of Republican
administration, which for years had been de-
ferred by the inveterate opposition of the
slave interest.
Mr. Richman, from the Committee on Res
ol,,<;ooc oGforoJ fbo fol1ou;pr Hill of ;pd;of
ment and resolutions, which were adopted
with great enthusiasm:
The committee to whom was assigned the
duty ef reporting resolutions to this meeting,
beg leave to report, That in the discharge of
that duty they have thought proper to arraign
the leaders of the opposition to the Admins
tration upon the following charges, asking
every man to read them and answer to his
own conscience whether they are not true in
substance and in fact:
1. The leaders Of the Opposition to the
Administration have organized party, the
intention and first effect of which is to divide
the public sentiment of the North.
2. They have denounced and sought to
measure adopted for the suppression of the
rebellion.
3. They have used every means in their
power to weaken the hands of the Admins
tration, and to bring it into contempt.
4. They have sent words of cheer and
comfort to the rebels, but have no word of
encouragement for our own soldiers.
5. They have appealed to every base pas
sion of human nature, and have sought to
inflame the minds of the ignorant and enlist
them in an unreasoning crusade against the
Government.
6. They have denounced and advised re-
sistance to the tax law, a law necessary to-
the existence of the Government.
7. They have predicted and advised re-
sistance to all measures of the present Con
gress for recruiting the army.
: 8. They have opposed all wholesome and
necessary laws needed in the present emer-
gency.
9. They have counseled, and in some
cases organized resistance to the constituted
authorities.
10. They have usurped the functions of
at least one department Of the Government,
by assuming to decide, in advance, every
measure of the Administration for the sup
preston of the rebellion as unconstitutional.
IL. Their purposes being unho'y, they
have found it necessary and have not scrupled
to denounce the pulpits of the land, and have
asserted that "infdels, lbertines and thieves"
would better grace the sacred desk than the
clergy of the present day.
12. They have attempted, by every means
in their power, to create discord and dissen-
sions among, and to distract the efforts of the
officers and soldiers of the army. sx
13. They have misrepresented every act,
and impugned every motive Of those in au-
thority over US. id
IA. They have proposed the secession of
the West from the East; an act equally as