Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-04-22
Aananias Nowhere.

Annanias Nowhere.
II The Muscatine Courier can certainly bea
the "world, the flesh and the devil" in abso
lutte, downright, unmitigated lying. W.
think that the author Of that old adage " tina
truth is stranger than felton," had thu
Courier in his mind when he brought it forth
In this weeks issue the editor tries hard tc
avoid the effects of our account of his big
scare. He starts out by saying that $50
soon - he learned that the threatened vio-
lence had received the sanction of only now
and then soldier, he let the snatter Drop"
and here he stops, leaving the inference that
nothing was done to meet the emergency.
The editor of that sheet will not deny that
one Of the first steps taken by him was to
consult a prominent lawyer of this city, and
that they two had an interview with the
Mayor as to what should be done. There
may have been others present than the three
indicated We do not know. Neither will he
deny that it was at his instigation that the
Council convened toprovide for the defence
of his Office. Neither will he deny that on
the evening of the 5th that Council voted to
close all the saloons in this city during
Wednssday-nor that large force Of special
police, not less than one hundred in number,
was employed and placed on duty Wednesday
night-nor that the street lights were burn.
ing all of that night by authority; and yet
the Courier says that "he let the matter
drop" Perhaps he did let it drop, but not
until greater terror arose before him in the
shape of thunder storm carly the next
morning.
But again, when that sheet says that this
paper "had for several days been indirectly
urging the soldiers to destroy that Office" it
lies. The account of the Coles county mu7-
ders was published on the morning of the
9th, and was written and in type before the
writer had heard word of the anticipated
raid. So far as the feelings of the soldiers
toward US are concerned, if the Courier IS
satisfied we certainly are. But when the
Courier says that any fear Of danger for any
moment of time existed among the occupants
of this Office, or that articles were moved, or
packed up to move, or that the editor left
town fearful of danger, the editor of that
sheet knows that he beats the very father Of
lies at his business. The editor did 60 away
on Tuesday evening, in accordance with his
intentions known among his employees weeks
before his departure. To the writer of this
he signified his intention of going East to
purchase material for this office, three weeks
before his departure. The simple truth is,
the Courier was immensely annoyed by our
account of his scare, the particulars Of which
he had fondly dreamed would never be made
public.
Its editor knows that his sheet has been
infamous in its political course. 1t has de-
nounced in unmeasured terms everything
connected with the war. He has denounced
it as an abolition crusade against the rights
of the South, because he felt secure. As
soon, however, as the veterans appeared upon
our streets, he put on his serenest smile, and
was 90 glad to see them all. BE simmered
down, as all non-combatant rebels do when
blue coats are around. He was as harmless
as dove, and like serpent, wise enough to
keep his mouth shut at the proper time.
We repeat what we have before said, that
We do not believe any plan has ever existed
to destroy that Office. The people of Musca-
tine never have been mobocrats. They have
believed from the beginning that the course
of the Courier was Infamous and dangerous,
but have felt that if the government could
stand its puny blows they could. The SOL
diers hold that sheet in too great contempt to
undertake its destruction. They would like
to see it die, but will do no violence to law or
the opinions Of others. The Courier should
confne itself to truth, and not lie so outrag-
eously about so simple thing as its recent
fright.