Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-03-27


9th Q. P. sulnAs, Dubuque :.
10th - SAMUEL MERRIII, Clayton L"
11th GO. Moo, IL, Story e"
Davenport, Feb. 19, 1868
Something Better than Fort La.
fnyette.
An exchange suggests that the best method
Of getting rid of the secessionists and traitors
among us who are engaged in the Infamous
work of destroying the Union, would be to
send them within the enemy's lines. There
would be no cruelty in this, no occasion to in
yoke the justice of heaven against their jail
ors. 1t would doubtless be doing them IA
vor. They prefer jeff. Davis, they admire
the southern institutions, they adore the chiv-
airy of treason, its mild treatment Of political
opponents, its generous permission of free
speech, its wonderful resources and its great
unanimity and determination.
This is capital idea Where could Val
landigham, Mahony and Thayer be happier
than in the bosom of their friendsG By all
means then, let the President issue procla-
nation to these gentlemen and their asso-
ciates, that he will forthwith send them un-
der flag Of truce to their friends in Richmond.
This will prevent all further difficulty. No
doubt they would meet with warm recep-
ton, probably hot one.
~ In order to show such OF our readers
as may not have the misfortune of having
the Courier thrust into their faces, that we
do not bear false witness against it when we
condemn it as bitter enemy of the Govern
ment and an abettor of treason, we will coca
sionally transfer an article from its columns.
The following is from its issue of March Oath.
1t is not a garbled extract, but the leading edi-
torial en- ire, just as it appeared in that paper.
Here we find the two most important meas
ures of the Government for the suppression
of the rebellion ridiculed and condemned, and
great sympathy expressed for rebels who are
made to feel the effects of these measures
But no comments are necessary to convict
the writer of such an article of being guilty
of treason:
Commemorative since the coniscation
bill was passed, military officers have enforced
the law whenever occasion offered, and put
the proceeds in their own pockets. Brute
Butler cleared million of dollars in few
weeks time, and then the Government reliev-
ed him Of his arduous duties. Gen. Curtis
planted another million in safe place, and
he too was recalled. Now the Administration
has commenced con6scating on its own hook.
The Administration having abandoned Wig
orous prosecution of the war, has gone to
work in the courts of New Orleans to confis-
cate the property Of rebels.
This is move! plan for inducing men to
respect the old Union. Take all their prop
erty from them, and then coolly inform them
that they ought to return to their allegiance
to the Government. Of course they will
come with rush. We imagine we see them
focking around King Abraham and asking
the privilege of kissing his big toe.
Push ahead your Confiscation act in the
South, and your Consumption act in the
North, and you will soon restore the country
to its former greatness and power. The en-
forcement of these two measures will cause
the hearts of the people to go out in love and
alteration to the hand that smtes them. Of
course it will - looking at the freemen of
America through the spectacles of the original
genius who makes such sorry work of run
ming the Government.
The people, however, are not Sld Noumans
to be metamorphosed into dogs at the beck
of any witch who may happen to preside at
the White House. Neither do they intend to
be driven from their homes and their families
to kill white men and be themselves killed, in
order that black men may be free. They are
willing at all times to maintain the Govern
ment, and for its maintenance to lay down
their lives, but they are unwilling to shed
their blood to aid confiscation in the South
or abolition in the North.
Here are some extracts from its issue Of
the 25th. if possible still more venomous to-
wards the Government.
Speaking of the suspension of the writ of
ha6eas corpus, it thus recommends rebellion
in the North:
We believe the people of America are as
much in need of "Declaration of Independ-
ence" as were our noble revolutionary fathers.
And then on the Conscription act it again
.villi6es the Administration thus:
Congress, thinking that its infamy was not
complete, passed COnScrlpton act winch II
enforced, will drive three fourths of the heads
of families of the North INTO the ranks of the
army, to fight for abolitionism.
The Administration induced the son to en-
list and now it seeks to conscript the father
1t stubbornly refuses to entertain proffers of
peace or to change its abolition policy, but
armed with the sword and the purse, it in
tends to have its own way, though it should
make tenantless every log cabin in the West.
1t SEEMS to have particular spite at the
beautiful prairies Of the North West.
Could an emisss:y Of JeI. Davis, hired for
the purpose of aiding his cause in the North,
do more than is being done by this pretended
itution-as-it-is-and-U nion-as-it-was
organp -4- -sw
81 Yazoo CITY is the capital of Yazoo
county, Mississippi, and is situated on the
Yazoo river, about fifty miles from the mouth
of that stream, and the same distance from
Jackson, the capital of the State. Previous
to the outbreak of the war, Yazoo City had
- n l.