The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1863-02-26
JAMES Il. LANE
Chm State Executive Com


Well! The Great Peace Meeting has
been held 1t duly came off at this city
on Saturday the 21st, and indeed, it was a
grand affair, all things considered, little
ahead of anything Of the kind yet heard Of
1t was splendid illustration of the very
short distance interposing oftimes between
the sublime and ridiculous. 1t was, in short
a failure, and most miserable. enc. Its
chief managers acknowledge as much, as
well they may.
The bills were great and curious to a de.
gree. A peace meeting held while the coun
try is engaged in war, on Washington's birth
day. How appropriate !! And then that
quotation from Paradise Lost That wa.
appropriate. To prove it we quote:
Awake, Arise or be forever fallen -
The programme was interesting and at.
traotive in other particulars, not the least so
in the character of the great orators an
nounced. Charles Francis Train, just ex-
cluded from one of the military Departments
for sedition and disloyaly, announced in
in large caps, as the hero and chief speaker.
Train was coming sure, postponing his visit
to Richmond for that express purpose. There
was the great unwashed, universal, ubiquit.
Gus, sweet-scented Dean, the ambitious scion
OF the house of Ceasar, the trans-Alpine Gaul,
and other luminaries, smaller and too nu-
merous to mention.
Well ! this was the promise of the til ing
but in the realization, what falling off,
Train couldn't get $75 dollars and didn't
come. The Dean came up missing, and
Dodge was non est. So that per force, the
great crowd had to put up with the elo-
quence of Col. Thompson, Dave Steward,
martyr No. l, Claggett, martyr No. Q, and
Joe Street. That they were edifyed is
proved by the remarks we have heard from
several Democrats. that # that was Democ-
racy, they were done with it.
In TACT the character, appearance and de-
pertinent of this "Peace Convention" was
fair illustration of the designs and purposes
OF the fire in the rear, the rebel sympathiz.
ing, the traitorous element, which is trying
70 swallow up the once loyal and patriotic
Democratic party. A person looking upon
them would be strack with the strict appli.
cability Of the name of peace men which
they have assumed, and to hear them talk
was enough to cause hostile armies to throw
down their arms and rush into one an others
fraternal arms. They came, cross and sui
len,wilhcut music and nary Star and Stripe;
while here they talked boistrously, drank
whisky immoderately, and shouted for JEFF.
Davis as often as they thought it safe to do,
and a little oftener than comported with the
leaders, ideas Of prudence
Ofthe speeches brought forth on this oc
casion, they can be well imagined without
special reporter. Singular as it may seem
this peace meeting" said never a word
that could by possibility promote peace, but
on the contrary, all their words came from
hearts manifestly overaowing with malice,
blood .thirstiness, and all evil passion. 1t
was evidently meeting to promote war,
rather than peace; a war upon the govern
ment of their country, and not upon its
enemies, those fiends in human shape, who
are thirsting for the life blood of the nation. |
Not solitary patriotic, loyal or noble word
was heard among all the utterances of this
occasion. No condemnation of treason, no
rebuke Of traitors.
Still, we believe this meeting will do
good, in contrast, at least, with the Union
meeting week before. No fair minded
man can compare the patriotic and noble
utterances Of Wright, Cole and Rorer, all
among the most honored Democrats Of the
country, with the speeches of those recent
Democrats, Tom Claggett and 10 Street,
without being struck with the difference.
Verify ! how is Democracy fallen, Once
synonymous with patriotism and devotion to
The Union, now sectional and in league with
Secession, treason and disunion. Their most
IGNORED leaders, Butler, Cass, Dickinson,
Holt, and Wright, preferring country to
parry, are abused and read out out of their
by such new tangled Democrats
Is Claggett. Dean& Co.
The meeting will.do good also, by opening
heeyes of thinking. honest Democrats, who
lave been deceived by these sell constituted
eaders There Is an element in the Demo-
ratio Party, malignant and hopeless bat
here is a aemDant who are patriotic. and
sin not consent to be sold out to JEFF Davis
f this Peace Meeting has had no .other
fleet, it has developed this fact. Let the
persevere in their revolutionary, ,
iplent and blood thirsty desis ns, and the
|umi or will be increased.