Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-03-13

Southern Estimation Of North.
Western Traitors, and what they
are expected to do.
The extracts below from the Richmond
EaqSirsr, Of February 18th. show the estima.
don in which the people of the northwest
are held by southern traitors. and how the
South expects to receive them after, to use
the language Of the article, they shall ''repudi-
ate the debt they have contracted, and absn,
don the Government they have established,
and recant vows. and break pledges, and eat
dirt" Then, though our Southern lords will
not exactly respect US, they graciously inform
US that they shall not be unwilling to trade
With Us, holding their noses the meanwhile.
Can not the tory organs pledge the North
West to some further concessions to their
Southern masters! They are already willing
to leave New England 'out in the cold" for
the sake ofbeing the tail Of the Southern
Confoderacy. But read the extract:
Now, as to the distinguished citizen" and
bis North w estern canard - one is tempted
to wish that all the reliable gentlemen and
intelligent ladies wore in Castle Thunder. M
moro impudent nonsense has yet appeared
than that which they have sent US from Mo-
bile this time. We all know indeed, and are
happy to know, that some Of the Nerth. West
ern States are very sick Of this war, heartily
disaffected to the Washington Government,
ct, ongly disposed to sneak out Of the debt
they have incurred, and to ask sl'isnce or
union with the Confederacy ''if agreeable"
This is wholesome state Of feeling, and mus,
produce its fruits Of DISCRIMINATION and dis
eouragement in the North Western troops -
But let US not mistake the matter. Not one
Of those States has yet pronounced itself in
that sense, though some stump orators have.
When they do take such action - that is
when their Legislatures and Governors &C,
credit Commissioners to Richmond for any
such purpose no doubt they will be received
and ans~ cred according to the nature Of their
proposal. We presume they will be told that
the first thing they have to do is to call back
their forces to their own country, that then
We will be willing to make treaties with them
but that as to Union with the Confederacy
under the "Old Flag or any other, they
come two years to late. Two years, and an
abyss of horror and hatred, and the blood Of
our slaughtered brothers cry ing aloud from
the ground, all prohibit that impious union.
If they repudiate the debt they have contract
Cd, and abandon the Government they have
established, and recant vows, and break pledg
es, and eat dirt, it is well we shall be charm.
cd the movement will suit US perfectly, and
although We shall not exactly respect the &C.
tors in that affair, yet we shall not be unwill
ing to trade with them-holding our noses q
little-and to sho v Thorn all proper civility-
but at . proper distance.
Before these authorized Commissioners are
dispatched, however, we take the liberty Of
recommending to all our Generals and mill
tsry authorities, that if any distinguished
citizens come prowling about our lines, pur
porting to be North w stern Commissioners
they arrest those persons and send them on
to General Winder. Let them look SHARP
after reliable gentlemen and overhaul intelli-
gent ladies. Otherwise, where is the use Of
Castle Thunder?
The moral Of all this, the lesson we have
to learn from all the rumors, both of French
mediation and North Western revolution 49,
that now, more than ever, our army should
DO kept full, and strong, and ready. Believe
it. soldiers, you are our only friends. 1t i.
on your style of diplomacy we rely. That
was statesmanlike stroke of policy you
made at fredericksburg; you wrote an able
State paper at Murfreesboro, and we defy the
world to produce nobler official memoran
dunn than you edited on the hills Of Vicks
burg.
If Europe make. overtures of friendship
| if the great Northwest comes crawling te
our feet, it is because you stand there, Con
federate soldiers, under your glorious battle
flag, and defy all the ends Of the earth te
haul it down.