The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1863-03-31
For the Guardian.

you know in the Civitian) TO hear what
Mr. Hedges would have to say on the
issues that slavery sympahizers are ma
king against our government, and thro'
them against our country. For, attempt
TO disguise as they may, there can be but
two parties, one for our country indivisi
bic, the other for slavery first, and our
country afterwards. There was no con
cealment on the part of Mr.. Hedges. He
avowed himself as having been, before
the proclamation Of emancipation. for an
unconditional prosecution of the war un-
I'll the rebels came back TO their rightful
Allegiance 10 the government, but now he
did not seem to know, himself what he
did want. ! went TO the meeting with
the determination not to critcise his
speech. I felt as though my hands were
tied. I" / had ate of his Fathers salt"
and am under life long obligations to his
sisters kindness but as I came out of
the Hall | could hear some Of the less.
er lights Of the party saying, q guess
Free Though WON'T try to answer that"
and further, Mr. Hedges, himself, two or
three times alluded to my structures up
on Mr.. Moore, and pointed right at me,
(as he thought but Z" like the Irishman s
| flea" | was not there-I was in another
part of the Hall. Now could flesh and
blood stand all that and be silent? But
TO the meeting: The Elder was there,
looking liule care worn, whether from
anxiety, or conscience Ill at ease, is not
for me to Judge. The opening music
was .'that same old coon, but such
hurrahs-the 81 five millions that are
coming" might have found ready ingress
into the capacious mouth OF brother He
gee IN double files. The speech AS |
have intimated, Free Thought cannot ex-
press itself in free speech, but some
things he may say, in all kindness, as an
apology for the failure, for it was a per-
feet break down. Mr.. Hedges had a
very bad gun to manage, and he evident.
| ~ was not accustomed to the use of fire.
arms the breech pin was loose to his
gun, in fact he about the same as told
us SO in bis opening he said he should
shoot both ways, and he did but the
troubs was, the charge oftener came out
al the breech than at the muzzle. His
charges were wellrammed down, and he
ought to have known it would have been
SO. He is said to be skillful with books,
but, as | have before remarked, he evil
IDENTIFY did not know how TO use his gun.
His friends in the rear felt every shot.
and why should they not? You see
they soon found they could not tell which
way the charge was coming, and there
fore they would scringe every time they
saw him make a point. | never thought
the Elder would stand fire, but suppos
ell the Judge would be Stanaard bearer
when Mr.. Moore marched up his follow
ers TO the polls, with their ballots on the
point OF their 6oyonets. | could not but
feel that should like to have seen cold
Hickory " in the chair. always love a
scene, in fact, :" | laugh and grow ia; at
| the Iollies | see, and others are welcome
TO latten by laughing at me-" can i'm
agine how lie would have interrupted
him by saying BY the eternal, Mr..
Hedges, we cannot stand this you hit
US great deal harder and oftener than
you do those vile 1Joltionists YOU are
orr witness, we invited you here, and
common courtesy prevents our defend
ing ourselves" Two or three times the
Elder and Judge got their heads logeth-
er, but neither had the nerve to tell The
speaker how they felt, and they stood it
just as long as they could, and then cho.
ked him off, telling him il was late-(il
was little after nine, time when chill.
dren should so home. There was a M
Nc Csackeu, who made a number Of un.
successful efforts 10 get the floor if he
had | think there would have been mu
sic enough without the last song Of Tie
9 five millions that are coming" 1t was
not fault of the speech that its PROPOSE.
tons had no point, they had too many.
Mr.. Hedges thinks he is still "rather ia
favor OF prosecu ing the war vigorously"
But he wants ii done without the help Of
any of these abo,i;ionists, and in a way
that would not injure any of our dear
JeHow citizens down in Dixie" in person
or property-wants it done with the
sword in one hand and the olive branch
in the other He seems to have forgot
ten that his dear friends, as he calls them,
have had from the very outset sword
in one hand and one Of John Bulls re-
volvers in the other, hurting defiance
alike at the abolii1nists and DOUGH. faced