Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1864-07-21
poIhtal.
Old Virginia /!

The Rebel Legislature of Virginia
has just issued an address to tho sol.
diers of that State in the Rebel armies,
whereinto nearly every male capable
Of bearing arms has been ruthlessly
conscripted and compelled to serve in
definitely, under penalty of being in
stantly shot. Many Of them, very
naturally, demur to this wherefore
the Legislature seek to persuade them
that it is all right. They talk after
this fashion ....
1t was at this critical juncture of our histo-
ry, in November, 1859, that Abraham Lincoln
was chosen President of the United States
llo was an obscure man, but little known at
the South, whose life was a checkered book
from which texts OF various and conflicting
significance could be drawn, to puzzle public
expectation But there was one text craven
on the pages of this book that admitted of but
one reading. Mr.. Lincoln Was the author of
that hideous sentiment that the States of the
Union could not remain part Free and part
Slave States-thdt they mast Be Erhokiy Free or
9holig Stare. And as the Southern States had
never eyinced . desire or design to impose
their institutions on the Free States, it follow
thought the FREQ States were bound, 10y a
manifest destiny, to crush out the Slavery in
stitution in the South. This shocking senti-
ment, which could only be made practical
through seas of blood, endeared Mr.. Lincoln
to people already educated TO that cruel issue.
Mr.. Lincoln was designated by the
People for President in ls60-not 80
hut this blunder Of the Solons is q
trihc in view Of their deliberate false
hoods. Not only did Mr.. Lincoln for
mally and solemnly disclaim and repel.
in the very outset of his Inaugural,
any such purpose as is here reputed
TO him but the Republicans in Con-
gress offered to amend the Constitu-
tion so as to render it impossible that
the Free States should "crush out
Slavery and this amendment actual
ly passed either House by atwo-thirds
vote. Simultaneously, in the "Peace
Conference or Congress presided
over by John Tyler, Mr. Amos Tuck
Of New Hampshire moved q PROPOSE
tion importing that neither Congress
nor any other branch Of the Federal
Government has any power to inter
fere in any manner with Slavery in
any of the States" and that no party
contemplates violation of the Consti
tuition in this regard-which was vo
ted down by IL States to 9-erer,
Slare State represented being in the ma
jority, against all the thoroughly Re
publican States. The testimony te
this effect is so varied and abundant
that those Virginians must know thai
their charge is false.
! They proceed to assert that
We shall not delay to expose the shallow
artifice by which no wantonly drae from h.
South the first fire at Sumpter, and thus covered
. over his purposes with the descriptive sem
blancs Of defensive war. We desire to trac
this flood Of wickedness to its truthful source
and to present its real authors in unvailed dc
formity to the eXecration Of mankind. Thi
Proclamation Of President Lincoln was tn
!. declaration of war by the Executive Of tn
Federal Government, without the sanction Q
, Congress, 4 ~
These gentlemen have short meme
! rics. A Southern History of tn
WAR" by their eminent fellow Virgin