Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-04-17
A Democratic Soldier to the Cop.
DerheallS. -
CAMP U. S. SIGNAL CoRPs, -


II
MEMPHIS, Tenn, April 4, 1858.
ED. JoURNAL-Sir: / am in receipt of
Muscatine Courier, of the date of March Goth
from member of the Democratic party
Charity requires that | should deem tn
sending of the. same an act Of courtesy, il
which. light choose to view it. But | hop
you will not deny me the columns of you
paper to, make some comments and stat
some facts. -..,-.s,.,5 s,,,.,,l l.-s.,. i.
Such papers as the Courier and Chicago
| Times arc regarded in the army as disloya
and traitorous, and are spurned with the con
tempt their sentiments merit. Without at
tributing unworthy motives to the sender o
the Courier, win state that such papers art
sent to Democrats in the army for the purpose
! Of fomenting discord and INSTRUMENTATION. =
There is systematic attempt on the part o.
disloyal persons to corrupt the army, and the
Democrats in, the army are in constant re-
ceipt Of these reasonable productions Of
northern poltroons, who have the will but
lack the nerve to take up arms against the
Government. It is insulting to Democrats in
the field. We are here in direct contact with
the rebellion, and should certainly know as
much about its features as those at q distance;
and the only construction can put upon the
circulation of such documents is that they
take us to be either fools or knaves. I have
been Democrat ever since | attained my
majority. Twas member Of the State Con
vention that assembled at Davenport in 1860,
and occupied place on. the ticket it put be-
fore the people; but if opposition to the Con-
st,tutional Government, placed in power by
the unbiased vote of the people, is Democra-
cy, am no longer Democrat I love my
country better than do my party, and now
in her time of need think it is the duty of
every loyal man to stand unequivocally in
support Of the Government l, for one, will
denounce any men or party that will not give
the Government a cordial and hearty sup
port. There is no middle ground to occupy
in this struggle. Every citizen must be for
or against, and every man that is making an
,outcry about the measures the Government
has been compelled to adopt for it's f-pres-
ervation is at heart traitor. ., .-..
l have been participant in this struggle
from the commencement, and been so unfor-
tunate as to be prisoner in the South for
over eleven months. l have seen my COM
rades bayoneted when manned and asking
for quarter on the field of battle. IL have
seen prisoners shot down in cold blood when
not violating any order, rule or regulation of
their captors, and the authors of these mur-
ders not punished, and in one instance pro-
noted. have seen our flag, that was brave
ly borne over bloody field-a flag round
which brave hearts had rallied that are now
still in death-a flag that was stained with
the life blood of its defenders -trampled in
the dust and subjected to every indignity. l
have been spit upon by females calling them
selves ladies', when marched prisoner
through the streets of Memphis. have been
fed on horse beef; have been starved for
three days; have been loaded down with
chains for no offense but trying to regain my
liberty. have seen prisoners beat with a
club and permanently disabled. I have seen
rebel officers cast stones and brickbats into a
crowd of prisoners, careless of who was hurt.
l have been answered, when applying for
medicine for sick comrade, that they would
rather furnish cofins than medicine. I have
seen men knocked down, beat and starved,
until they would swear into the Confederate
service. - ,,..s.. .as;.,g ls..:e, .a
My experience in Southern dungeons,is but
the experience of thousands who have been
unfortunate enough to fall into their hands,
yet when the Government undertakes to pun
ish these fends in human shape, there is a
party in our midst that will make an outcry
about the violation of their constitutional
rights! Who first trampled the Constitution
under foot? Who has deluged the land with
blood? Who has caused widows and orphans
to mourn throughout the Union? Is it con-
Capital and boast that jeff Davis will issue
L. Il
must be-, for l never hear these Constitution
sticklers denounce it. But when the Govern
ment which exists by the voice of the major
ity, is beset by armed rebels in front and cow
ardly ours in the rear, puts forth its energies
to maintain its existence, it must be bound
by an instrument that is not recognized by
the opposing force and was not found to meet
the exigencies of an intestine war, it is as
sailed with vituperation and abuse. / deny
that the administration has violated the Con-
stitution, but in law and equity party violat-
ing a contract forfeits its benefits, and it
looks fanciful for traitors and their sympa-
thizers to be making an ado about the VIOLA
ton of an instrument they have done their
utmost to destroy s2
A nation, the same as an individual, has
the right of selfpreservation, and history
teaches us that in the maintenance of that
right the law of necessity for the time being
is paramount to the organic law, or, in other
words, war measures supcrcede the organic
code when the life of nation is threatened
We find that the Roman Republic invested
one man with Dictatorial powers and with
the return of peace their civil code resumed
its vitality. t9
But it is useless to refute the sophisms of
these men, Their course from the beginning
has shown them to be traitors at heart, and
that their proper places are in our military
prisons. They pronounced the calling out of
troops for the protection Of the Capital uncon-
stitutional, because it lacked the sanction of
Congress. They now pronounce the raising
of troops under the act of Congress uncon-
stitutional They have been the fomenters
of discord and dissension. They have op-
posed every measure looking to the subjuga-
ton Of the rebels. They have abused and
traduced every man, no matter what his polit-
ical opinions are, who has shown any dispo-
sition to strengthen the hands of the Admin
istration They have magnifed the success
es of the enemy and colored and distorted
the facts in relation to the blunders and mis-
fortunes Of our army. They have abused the
Governor Of our State for his zeal and energy
in placing Iowa troops at the disposal of the
Federal Government troops that have been
an honor to the State which they represent
and the man whose energy and prudence
made their organization effective on the field
and haye shed lustcr on the Union arms in
many a bloody strife. No man, either civil
or military, who has shown devotion to the
Union cause has escaped their condemnation.
Now, as last resort, when our armies are
everywhere pressing the enemy to terrible
straits, they are trying to undermine its in
tegrity by indammatory and reasonable ap-
peals to the troops. ......--..e.
Now word to the Courier mans Vicks.
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