Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-05-28
For Ehc Reporter.
"The War and Politics."

MIR. EDITOR 1T IS not often OF late
years that ] venture to write an article
for the press. When I DO, it is be-
cause something exceedingly whimsi-
cal, or absurd or fallacious has appear
ed, and where a benefit may possibly
arise from the effort s'E. H." has re-
Gently afflicted your readers with an
immense, wordy effort, got off in a
style of gravity equal to Don Quixote,
untrue in its premises, fallacious in
reasoning, and most feeble failure in
its conclusion,-
aye Gods! It's like shallow river,
Which running roars, and roars forever"
What, indeed, are we to think Of
writer whose moral perceptions are
sufficiently bluntcd not to perceive a
cause for agitating the slavery question,
when its advocates were yearly clam
oring for its extension-were claiming
for it an equality with freedom-were
demanding national laws for its protec-
ton and for the right to come undis-
turbed into free States, and bring slaves,
either on business or pleasure as if a
man could own a slave for an hour in
Wisconsin and not have the right to
hold him for life? And what kind Of
a man is that who can see no difference
between the inalienable rights of four
million human beings in slavery, and
the tight to hold dogs in Wisconsin?
| confess | don't want a controversy
with such writer. There is not
enough Of him to dart a truth at. His
conscience is too unctous for it to
stick. An overwhelming self sufficien-
cy-a magnificent eve told you So"
covers all that could pass for argument.
Who are these men, pray, who are
IN arms against the government? Has
any one ever heard Of Republican in
the traitor ranks? Are not the late
leaders Of the Democratic party, the
leaders Of this ebellion-Davis, Breck-
inridge, Floyd, &c, &C.? How long
since "E. H.'' was swearing by those
party leaders? And who now, at the
North, are their sympathizers the
Nailandighams, the Seymours, the
Woods, Sc, &c? Why, Democratic
leaders, Of course. And still we are
coolly told we must restore such char
acters to power again, if we want
peace. 1t is only those Democratic
leaders who are trying to cruelty the
liberties Of the people between treason
and slavery, who can give US final re-
pose!. The Democrats are guiltless
of the slavery agitation they did not
strike down the Missouri Compromise,
did they, and pass a Kansas-N ehraska
bill opening half a continent to the in
crease Of human chattelage? And
Republicans resisted the crime against
the integrity Of human nature, ana by
such as E'E. H." get the credit Of cdus-
ing the agitation. Strange that hu-
man being can fail to see that the Dem
ocratic party is the sole author of the
"agitation" which they now set up as
an apology, if not excuse, for treason.
Republicans should not "anitate n'-
Then what did Democrats give cause
Of agitation for? Or was the advance
of slavery, which threatened to call its
roll on Bunker Hill, so very triding a
circumstance in Democratic estimation
as not to be worth "agitating ?"
But 'EE. H. has plan. He wants
a Convention called to guarantee the
"rights" Of these traitors, "lnder the
Constitution''W About what guaran-
tees is he willing to give? The trait
ors have told us that they wont come
back-that they would not come if fur
nished sheet Of paper to write their
own terms upon-that they propose a
grand confederacy Of their own, the
chief cornerstone Of which should be
human slavery. This is the least they
will accept. What stuff, then, to talk
about a convention and E'rights - II
is unmitigated shallowness to talk about
the "rights'' of traitors fighting against
the Constitution. That instrument was
made to protect those who live under
it, and not those who fight against it
What an idea! Men claiming right:
under government they are trying t.
overthrow The use Of this wore
''rights'' seems to utterly confount
: weak heads. Pray tell Us how trait
or can have rights-what they are, O.
can be, except submission or DEATH
Yet this cant about the rights Of trait
ors is the capital stock of the presen
so-called Democracy-the silly tallac,
that runs through all their diatribe
against the government. Once for all
let 'E. H." comprehend the plain sen
tence, traitors neither have nor cal
: have rights without unconditional sub