Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1864-04-08
gailg Gmpirr,
The Late Bloody ARRAY In Coles
OO0nty-Tne eDenOCFatIc Press
nlIDOu a.



There are two sides, il is said, to every sto-
~. As yet we have had but one side Of the
late lameutable affair at Charleston, Coles
county, Illinois. Even on that side many YER
sions are ahoat, none Of which seem to give
an altogether ineligible or convincing ac-
count of the origin Of the difficulties Our
readers perhaps, do not need to be told that
partisan spirit rams high in Illinois, where
political divisions have been close for many
years. In no respect, however, do these dvis
ions extend to loyalty or disloyaIty, though
ever since the war commenced certain black
guard politicians have sought to make il ap.
pear SO. The people of the democratic sec
tons OF the State, including Suothern and
Central Illinois. have been most outrageously
slhndered, and insulted with the yiiest epi-
thets. They have been accused of harborinp
deserters and rebel spies, charged with belong.
ing to an organization called "Kniphts of the
Golden Circle, and tainted with such nick.
names as "Copperhead," "Butternuis" cleft
Davisites," 'semitraitors," &c. More reck
less and cruel courses were never reeorted 10
than have been pursued in reference to the
democrats OF our Heighboring State, so far as
false imputRtions are concerned. The last
report of the Adjutant General of Illinois
has been in those counties which have habitu-
ally given the heaviest democratic maiorities
and the record Of battles shows that no more
heroic fighting ia the field in the behalf of the
Union has been done than by the regiments
from EGYPT TIE State has now, il Is re-
ported surplus Of thirty thousand men over
and above all the calls that have thus far been
made, and from Maine to Missouri there is no
section that has furnished more Union sol
diers in proportion to population than this
same Illinois Egypt" so shamefullv malign-
ed az disloyal
A simple Of the bitterness Of the partisans
OF certain class in Illinois was given in the
wording of some of our dispatches in our last
morning issue, evidently made up by radical.
ly loyal hands. The alleged tiotors were
called 'rebels, their force exaggerated to be.
tween 1000 and 1900 and military phraseol-
ogy resorted to, to magnify the affair as much
as possible. The "enemy' was reported
'making a stand" "fortifying," preparing 10
'"sttaek the town of Mattoon," &e,, while il
was "believed by the united efforts of the citi-
zens aud soldiers still here, the place can be
held til the arrival of reinforcements Ref
erence was also made TO the capture Of "spies"
and the sending out of "scouts" We submit
that leDs aage or Jnis kind II very wall eaIou
lated, if it reaches the Confederaies, to create
the impression that war on large scale has
been iHaugurated in Iliihois and that large
portion Of the citizens of that State are ready
10 rise, on have risen, 10 assist the South.
thereby doing a great injury which is by no
means neutralized by our knowledge that the
statement is not true
IFrom the Springfield Ill) Register April IL
Let it be remembered that but for a short
time since, Judge Constable, who was about 10
open his court, and who has been unsparinsly
announced as a "copperhaad," lin abolition
pa. .'lance a synonym Tor TRAITOR was seized
by soldiers, (perhaps these same who figured
in the present difficulty and forced, with re.
volvers pointed at his head, threatening his
d .aih on refusal, 20 take the oath Of alegiance
to the United States, Let il be remem bered,
farther, that since this 5ith Regiment has
been tationed at Mattoon, they have actually
beaten two unoilending citizens to death,
whose only fault was their democratic politics,
besides committing various other outrages,
and indulginy in repeated threats OF violence
and murder n, yainst democratic citizens.
And let the other significant fact be borne
in mind that Ri chard Yates. chief magistrate
of the state OF Illinois, placed in his seat BY
the peoples votes ior whose support the peo.
pie are taxed to pay, publicly proclaimed be-
fore large audience IL Chicago, that "copper".
heads (meaning ,1emocrats) had no rights
lohich eueH negro icds bound 10 respeci -
That by this expression, this infamous govern
or Of ours meant to include the eRtire democ.
raey Of the state is svident from remarks he
made in the same connection The State
Re4isler and the Chicago Times were de-
nounced by him ~ '.eopperhead journals"-
when il is an undonbted fact that these papers
reflect the sentiments of ninety.nine one
hundreths Of the democracy Of Illinois. He
also speaks of Mr. Starne, who wss elected TO
an office paramount in Importance 10 his own,
by the votes OF the democray OF the State, as
the scopperhead Treasurer" These express.
ions leave 10 room to doubt that he intended
10 say that any man whatever would be iustif.
ed in his eyes, and pardOned BY him, for
shooting down democrat wherever be might
be found. f,.
These men, therefore, are directly response
be for the blood split in Charleston the other
day, and Tor all that may ioliow as sequence
TO that bloody tragedy, No right thinking
man will attempt, or has any desire, to apollo
give for the rebslliOHs attitude i is said GER
tain citizens Of the eastern counties have as
anmed Our courts are yet in session, and
all wrongs can be peacefully righted. Until
they are eVerthroWn or annihilaied BY the
strong arm Of arbitrary military power, there
can be no pretext even that OF redressing in-
snferAhle grievances, for defying constituted
authorities But we cannot empress the
thought that had the case been reversed as
il was in Danville and in Paris, Ond the "cop-
perbeadsp killed and beaten by soldiers. the
military would not have been % promptly dis
matched 10 the scene. The two men killed ia