Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1863-02-24
In lrishman'. Rply-Beuton Resolutions The Draft
Church Burning.

MIR. OOVERs--lu ~ -
week YOU aliude 10 the Benton meeting
and resolutions. the troubles IT that place
about The draft. the burning OF the Wes-
leyan Methodist church. DC. and speak
Of the Murphy faction of dIsloialists and the
Irish, CHASING them all together as rebel
syinpathisers.
Now Mr.. Cover,I am an Irishnan, a
catholic ard true American citizen, and
have generally voted the democratic ticket.
Though a rowing man. without home and
the social endeafments that bind men fast
to country, next to God most love this
my adopted home aud government. !
owe no allegiance to party above country,
none to church above these free political
Institutions. but would prefer that all
should perish. even life, than that The union
should be surrendered For in its plcser-
walton, life, human rights and church may
be preserved. Without the union, what
must become Of all else? They may In
ger. but must perish.
With YOU course, Mr.. Editor, | have
no faults to allege, inasmuch as you score
it 10 political friends as severely as to po-
iilical enemies. Nor do | see that yoH
aim to injure my countrymen any more
than you 40 your own native countrymen.
| could drink Il glass to your health and
long iifo as freely as to the best liishman
that walks the prairie soil. That you
drive at justice between man and man,
your own cherished principles of regard for
the poor slave is a testimony that dare
not question. With such a man | am
proud TO meet and feel honcred to stand in
his shadow; for, of the msny protested
friends of freedom Of this day. few he the
number that for twenty years have brunted
the SCOTS of The masses while advocating
mau's unity without exception and the
black r.an's claims to u sphere Of liberty.
Such a friend the poor Irishman can trust
though party factions may arise pledged
to disregard his most sscred rights.
confess, MIR. Editor, to the doubts |
entertain toward the man who PROCESSES
friendship for the lrishman, yet denies with
an oath the commonest rights AMI privileg-
es to the black man. OFT COMES the
thought, We're my Irish blood in Afric
chains. you SIR, pro-slave'y man. would
not bose them but fivet the chains 10 all
eternity. Such this day is poor, fettered
Ireland, held 10 chains and the links riyet
Ell 10 all eternity, except loosel by miracle
by just such demons as profess democracy
in America aud bin1 men, women and
children in chains. tell it, though in a
whisper. and mt 10 be repeated aloud, the
man that would hold in chains the Attic
an. the half or quarter breed African. would
not st at ali to throw chains about the
ankle of an Irishman, dutchnan or even
brother Yankee, for inhulnanity respects
not blood or country So When dem a.
gogue comes about me datherin his non
sense about abolition andhe constitution
al rights inpddsa 5y The Proclamatioa
Ire a good mind to Just mcork Atat Lish
hole a. the side Of me head and say az
good Old Saxon, 'talse brother, sell me
not, but turn me away to starve and die !;
yea, come cherished death, rather than let
this my voice or vote enslave Gods man
bv nature fre,." That's the voice of AN
Irishman as true a. ever tired earth's green
or marched teneath Erin's cross and Sham
rock in the gala days of boyhood.
But. Mr.. Editor. il was not nv inten-
ton TO wade so deeply into The burning
fires Of liberty. Your allusion to what
took place at Benton induced me to write
and make corrections Iiishnen, how
ever much misled hy Yankee delnagogues
and traitors. love the country even better
than Americans. This you will see when
The time comes at which the ballot box
must decide whether the enemies or the
friends of the union shall rule. Conld
Buchanan he reelected by Irish votes to
the place no once filIed9 No, never.
Could Vallandigham, or one like Sey-
mour of conditioned union principles No,
not by the holy saints!
| will admit that many of my country
men stand upon bad ground, having been
drawn off by Yankee traitors; at Benton
they are controlled by head leaders. yet
think majority are sound and loyal
The meeting in question was small gath
ering, am thinking held in private, and
composed ola few Americans, some Eng
lishmen and some Irishnen. speak
from information and say that The reso
lutions only represented the rebel sympa-
thizing portion Of Benton, and that but
a feeble minority Of the Irish at that place
indorse the resolutions. Murphy leads
but few OF the Irish at Benton he leads
more American. than Irish, besides a
great many English.
The Shullsburg resolutions show to me
darker than til Sc of Benton, for ] notice
the names Of many al the meeting from
whom | hoped better things. They also
better represent the democratic, opinion Of
Lafayette county,. But am sure they do
not represent The Irish sentiment of the
county. ! think they do fairly represent
the American democratic opinion, which is
disloya.
Much has been said about tho draft at
Benton. Here again the Iiish wsre pas
sive; they were acted upon, rather than
the actors. They wished TO escape the
draft, but as body took no action. They
had nothing to do in not reporting their
names thourh WILLINGLY acouiesced IeaI-