The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1863-06-10
From the p. 7. Evening Post, tAsrsbiiesu.,
The Way to Subduo Opposition
10 Che Administrator - tbs
North.

From the =. 7. Evsu,ng Post, tRsrsbiiesu,
The WAY to Suhdue Opp2Sit!oI1
North.
We have suggestion to make which
may have been made before, but which,
because Of it's obvious truth and import.
ance, cannot be too often impressed upon
the minds Of our authorities. It relates to
the proper method of suppessing the dis.
contents and grumblings, which, for the
want Of better phrase, are called copper
headis,n in the slang Of the day. Every.
vent, as far as possible, these expressions
of discord, to maintain as gr,at 4 unanim.
ity as possible in public sentiment, and
to proceed in the war against rebellion
with the same unbroken front in which
it was begun. Factions, coteries, parties,
only embarrass our efforts and give en-
courage,ncnt to that hope of division at the
North which was one Of the original mo-
tives Of the ringleaders of the revolt. Our
suggestion is . very simple one it is this
That the best, if not the only, way Of put
ting down the copperheads IL to defeat,
capture, scattsr and destroy the rebel
armies If the government will assume
that to be its principal duty just now, and
and will set to work doing it with direct
ness, energy and unninching determine
ton, it will have no further trouble with
enemies at home. Let it concentrate it's
entire vigor upon the military problem
which has the capture of Lees army for
its solution, and it will not only have
enough to do, but Of the right sort. The
whole loyal community will applaud and
sustain its efforts, and when they shals
have proved successful, everybody will he
loyal, and a microscope Of the highest mag.
nifying power will fail to discover an op-
ponent outside Of the insane asylums north
Of Mason & Dixon's line. ... ....
This object is, indeed, so necessary in
itself, and so likely to be universally salu.
tary, that no means should be spared to
accomplish it, nor any side issues he per.
mittcd to distract the attention OF the nd.
ministration for single moment. 1t is the
end to which it should bend all its energies,
and devote all the genius and talent it can
command. Our armies are large enough';
our soldiers are veterans; it needs now
only little more sagacious and energetic
generalship; and if the commanders who
have now the management Of the war in
their hands are not able to beat the enemy,
let them BE- removed, and others put in.
their places.
If the government will attend closely to-
the war, and If military gentlemen acill go
and fight the enemy, we shall hear less Of
arrests and other abuses at home. Or, If
it be necessary that arrests should be made,
let us begin, as writer in one Of the morn.
ing papers the other day advised, by arrest.
ing Jet. Davis and his Cabinet, condemning
Lee and Bragg to Fort Lafayette, and
hanging 7oonsbs, Wise, Floyd and Others,
without benefit Of the writ Of habeas
eorpn, Or even of the clergy. These are
arrests which may be made in the most
arbitrary manner, and nobody will COM
plain; no court will insist upon reviewing
the proceedings; and meeting could
scarcely be mustered at the Five Points
to listen to speeches in vituperation Of the
authors.
Gen. Grant, we take leave to say, is doing
great deal just now in illustration Of our
method. By his gallant passage of the
Vicksburg batteries; by his intrepid assault
upon Port Gibson; by his rapid movement
upon Jackson, and capture Of that town
after several hours hard fighting; by his
instant evacuation Of the place to advance
upon the enemy's works; and, in short, by
his four or five severe battles in about as
many days, he has done more to stop the
mouths Of gainsayers than q thousand
''arrests" and ten thousand prisons teern-
ing with State captives. The bitterest op-
poncnt of the government is compelled
either to fling mp his cap in the presence Of
such facts, or to remain in stupid and obsti-
nate silence.
Could the other officers Of the army be
mace to initiate this activity Of Gen. Grant,,
and the half dozen little armies that We
have scattered about the coast doing moth
ing, be brought together; could General
Hooker make second attack upon Lee
from the rear, supported, however, by .
strong reserve; could burnside, instead Of
interfering ,oith political assemblages, march
with thirty or forty thousand men through
Cumberland Gap into East Tennessee, to
interrupt the communications Of beth Lee
and Bragg, and menace both their armies,
there would never be another copperhead
heard of. The majority of them would be-
come suddenly loyal, and the others, in the
bitterness of their resentment, would sting
themselves to death.
No duty Of the government, then, we re.
peat, is so imperative and ,nomentous as
that Of overwhelming and crushing the
rebel armies. To capture Richmond, or
any other place in the South, will not put
an end to the rebellion; to try political
offenders by military courts will not put
down the rebellion to arrest women for
tapping their crinolines at the star span.
ged banner will not put down the rebellion !;
but to so mass our armies and so plan our
summer campaign as to defeat and rout and
destroy the rebel armies that will put an
end not only to the rebellion, but to all the
mischievous ard silly manifestations of
sympathy with it which appear in the free
| States. 1t is Of no use to hack away
half inches Of the tail Of the copperhcad
serpent; but crush his head, and then you
| will be rid of the creature without further
trouble.