Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1863-08-20
Communications. .
For The Charles City 1nteIigenc
A WORD TO COPPERHEADS,

Edtor of me IRtetlSencer:
1t has been said that Republicans
are too unguarded in their express
sions in denouncing the Mahony sham
Democracy. Were this so, itwould be
better to be more on our guard as to
how, when and where we utter anu
sentiments derogatory to the charac-
ter of sham, or copperhead Democracy.
A pure and patriotic Democracy is one
of the leading features of our Govern
ment. Ifimpure, it ceases to be what
it purports to be. A true and upright
Democrat is one in whom confidence
can be reposed one who, though sore
ly smitten in his political aspirations,
still adheres with tenacity to the doc.
trine, that the voice of the people is
the voice of God an individual
who has patriotism enough to lay
aside political prejudices in time
when his country is passing through
the trying scenes of war, and stand up
and nerve the arms of the Administra-
ton in its efforts to subdue the foe,
no matter whether it is the Admins
tration of his choice or not and if not
of his choice it proves more clearly
the genuineness of his political faith.
There are many such. ..
But do we not find in our midst a
class of persons who assume to be
Democrats and claim the right of citi-
zenship, and are using every means
within their power, to unnerve the
power Of the Government in its efforts
to suppress this Rebellion? The weap-
ons they make use of are the weap-
ons which were intended as safeguards
to our national existence. Freedom
to act, freedom of speech, and freedom
of the press, are their bullwarks for
treason. They treat the terms as of
general and unlimited Specification,
and endeavor to force upon us the
idea that in this free country man
may act and write and speak as to him
seemeth best, without any reasonable
consequences attaching to the same in
other words, unless they have the
right to act, speak and write as they
please, they declare this is not a free
country, and all our boasted free insti.
tutions are a farce therefore, they
say we toiU act, write and speak as we
please, and SO say the rebels in arms
against this Government. The rebels
claim the right to act, and they have
acted by using one of the means provi.
ded to protect Fort Sumpter to ac-
complish its destruction. They claim
the right of freedom of the press, and
are now publishing incendiary and
reasonable doctrines calculated tc
overthrow this Government and they
claim freedom of speech, and are his
sing forth venom on this country, by
making mock of our national emblem
and are endeavoring to barter and sci
us to foreign nations.
The day of retribution is coming
punishment for the abuse of tn,
right above mentioned, will surely fol
low. If the doctrine Of the copper
heads is right, then it is right they
should aid and assist their brethren il
arms north as well as south of MasoI
and Dixon's line, give to treason in al
its forms all the assistance in thei
power. If they are deprived of thi,
assumed right, according to their def
milton of the terms, they fly in rag,
and declare that this is no more fire,
country. They seem to forget th'
fact that man has no right to d,
wrong, neither has he political righ
to commit treason, any more than al
individual has right to murder be
cause he can pay the penalty by sur
rendering his life therefor.
Copperheads declare that the sus
pension Of the writ of habeas corpus by
the Chief Executive of this nation, is al