Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-09-23
The voice Of Democratic Unioni.t.

20. ~, 9TH Iowa infantry which Wecarn
estly hope will be read by every man
and woman in the State. 1t is not often
that We preface letters from the army
with any editorial remarks, but in
this Instance we cannot refrain from
doing so. Capt. DeHeus is too wei.
known with our citizens to need any
ilattery from us. AS man of probity
and honor, he stood second to none OF
our business men, before enIistng in the
army. What he states therefore no
man will call in question. We COM
mend this letter to his Democratic
friends. y Jealous. earnest member OF
their party, who never until now was
suspected of being an "abolitionist.'
they certainly will not turn to him
during his last visit home, by many per
sons Capt. Dc Heus was thought to be
extremely conservative for one who had
so long confronted rebels. We account
ed for it oil the theory that he had al
ways been Democrat of the unchange-
able school and that his personal friends
and associates We're mostly of the DEM
ocyatic persuasion. Capt. DcHeus is
unqucstioaably s,i.i IL Democrat, but
recognizes nothing III that party tina,
should prevent his being true TO his
We want every War Demo.
ccat in Iowa top read this letter to
strengthen their vertcbric. We want
every Peace man to read that they maS
realize iust what they are doing to de-
stroy this government. We want every
Republicans TO read it to make him more
persevering and determined:
MEMPHIS, Sept. 10, 1864.
F4uEAD MAHiN - Having been Il
prisoner three months, cannot he'll
but inform you Of the nSpeakeahle priv
iic;;e OF my release. Again | am under
ti.r tender care OF dear Uncle Sam. How
lew Anow Or appreciate the blessings o.
oar government! Could the disaiiecteu
but ave in Dixie, for Il short time, how
ssua would they return to their allie
glance!
The tyrannical form Of government in
the su-called Contederacy could hardly
most i;espoti@ rule. Were | to give YOU
in detail all | have seen and heard per,
tanning to tiie rule Doth OF our own ana
the rebel government ii would task your
patience t0o much. | Will. therefore,
briefly give you a few items tAul shouiC
open the eyes OF those who are led es-
tray by false impressions. / will not
say that the war Is nearly over, or that
the ret,S.s are in starving condition,
and thUs be coiupeiled TO give up. Such
is not the case. | truly believe that
They are more pientifuliy supplied with
sUci. f,oOli is it is than at the beginning
OF the war. Blu! this much Go posi-
lively know: thQt they have exhausted
al their physical strength. and thai
5ncir only hope is vested IN tie j).'ou.-
;sed ni:{ Of their friends in the North.
1t makes ones heart bleed 20 hear tbs
:Torst o. rebels eulogise and almost wor
5hIp such men us iallandiglam, Long,
y ooril.es. and others Of the same class.
/ VAS told. shortly after Eallanlig-
ham made his speech at D~yton, Ohio,
IL Selma, Ala, that the people of that
town WoGiI carry him in triumph
the streets, should lie happen
10 come ill tlleir n1ii!s,. ;-nch is the es-
teem he is he'd ia by traitors whereas,
this same class woi;ld stab a so-ca!led
Yankee that loves his country and it,
nag. Here, then, is a test of loyalty
1t need not - explained. Every intel
llgeut being cal It,ii2 70 but one con-
ciusio0.
On nsy way t. our lines + met with
two men who had been sent North to
cooperate with their friends, One
Went 10 Illinois, the other TO st. Louis,
"A Of hn t,c ~
tound in either place. But all this will
avail them but little. They know that
their case is hopeless. Unmistakeaule
signs are fast appearing of their decay.
Eile disaiientioi. among the masses can
hardly be restrained, and nothing but
brute force keeps them from openly
breaking the tyrannical yoke. Every
little town has its jail filed with de-
eerters and political Offenders. l met Il
o. the Gospel in prison at Mer-
idan, Miss, whose only offence was that
hi. conscience forbade him 10 shed
bi0.,pi. e,,I he Was loyal tu tue C"nfeder
acy, and yet, uotwii hstanding two pc
titions, one from bis congregation, the
other from the Masonic lpaternity,
voucling for his loyalty-was lodged in
one Of the worst prisons, and shortly
after died Of filth andstarvation. rhous
ands nf casts equally as aggravating
can he found ali over the Cnnfederacy.
Hounds are ever held in readiness to
tpilow the trail OF our, as well as their
men, and often the victim suffers with
dreadful wounds. Two months ago one
Of c1i men made hisescape from Cahaw-
ba, Ala, aud was re-capturcd with
hounds, and when he returned the flesh
was literally torn from his right limb
for AZ least eighteen Inches; but, as l
said before, cannot go i'll detail sSuf
fee II TO say that such and worse cases
are nuluegous, ann vet there are men in
ment-based upon the worst OF a.! prin
e,pies, The infamy of Aaron Burr
should be esteemed a blessing in com
parison with the loathjng men should
be held in, that are abusing the bless
ings of our own, and upioiding the
tveacherOus and Cain-like government
OF the Confederacy.
Another unmistakeabie sign is, that
they are clainOfous for peace. Almost
always the first question asked is :
When do you think peace will be
declared:" or, lin an anxious tOne) do
You think Lincoln has any show as next
President?" Such questions are upper
nioss il. heir minds, and why: Because
they are exhausted, 1t is like two boys
tighting-one gets whipped &Nd cries
cut ''enough! enough ~ Such IS nn-
doubtediy the feeling in the South.
Their last hope was that the influence
of traitors would cause resistance to
the draft-but, alas /. this hope, 100, is
fast dwindling away, and tiiey already
fear that Pierce or Mcclellan via not
be nominated pierce as first cLoice.)
In conclusion, let me say that our
cause is brighter than ever. Let us con-
tinue to show our strength, and their
weakness will soon be seen in all its
crippled forms. Thank God, treason
North rs well as South, is on its last leg
Yours truly, w. w. DEHEUs.
nA- -Vallandigham's betting MGCie!'
Ian is announced in u short sentence ir