The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-10-20

ing the bloody role. Three thousand Of oul
citizens have perishcd because they loved
. good government, and peace and order ir
society. they perish as felons-they hav.
been hung. shot and literally butchered In
many instances, beyond anything known in
savage warfare. On every prairie in western
Texas their bones are bleaching, their frames
are still suspended from the forest trees
where they yieldsd up their lives in devotion
to their love of liberty The thresholds ol
J many homes are still red with the blood ol
husbands and fathers who were shot in the
presence OF their wives and children, because
they loved the fsg under which they were
born, and the government that bad ever
blessed them. Our State has hsen changed
from the home Of peaceful. thriving and
happy people, to an arena of robbery and as
sassination. Uncertainty, gloom and dis.
pair are resting upon Us to.day hike the
frown Of God. We were told by procama.
ton Of our chief executive officer, less than
two years since that 1.-THE vile Hessians are
coming with lust in their eyes, POVERTY in
their pockets and he'll in their hearts, to vio-
late our wives and daughters, despoil us Of
our homes and property, and commit havoc
and desolation throughout the land )" and he
said II advise you upon, their approach to
apply the torch to your homes, commit your
wives and children to the charnel house, and
retire to the woods with your faithful slaves,
and share your last crust with Them" Now
you see that in the estimation of the rcbe!
leaders the existence and sanctity of our
homes, and theaives of those we most hold
dear are not to be put in the balance against
slavery. No! Let every other interest per.
'sh, but preserve slavery. Tear down free
government. destroy society, let murder bare
his arm and revel in the blood Of our best
citizens, until an agoniz,ng vail goes up to
heaven from every valley, and plain and
moahtain'top. Lay the torch with our own
hands to our own homes, let our wives and
children perish from cold and hunger, or. to
prevent this, lay the knife to their throats.
as We do the torch to our homes, and thus
Kidding oarselves Of every encumbrance, de.
vote ourselves to the higher and nobier duty
OF securing the faithful slaves of our wealthy
neighbors. .lN, ess4-.a.e
: When Governor Lubback. the author Of
this advice to the people of Texas, did not
know that in one brief sentence he had pres.
cnfed complete epitome of the rebel policy.
and. a. II were, exposed the world the very {
soul ard secret thoughts of its authors, who !
had determined to make, the dearest ..l
to the accomplishment Of their p,.f. p..,nordinate
that be was m so doing, securing for himself.
beyond any accident or contingency of the
future. immortal infsmv. I, is disingenuous
in but one thing. While il would seem to
be addressed TO the owners of slaves, it was
in fact, rather intended for tn ,se who owned
none. ltwAs never intended that the slave.
owners should, as class imper their pre-.
cous lives in the war which was waged for
their benefit. Ifso, how is itthat tine own
er Of twenty negroes is exempt from military
duty under the laws OF conscription. The
leaders wax exceeding wroth when they hear
the rebellion characterized as 'the rich man IS
war, and the poor mans hght," and say it
is not strange that they should regard with !
horror such expressions. They have cause
for alarm. I'll is the utterance Of solemn
truth. that is awaking an echo in, ard fast
taking possession of the minds and hearts Of
poor men thr0ughoutthcSodth and destined
at no distant day to burst in storm that
win sweep from its path those who now so
atrogantly denouncc it. And the poor Of the
South have been made the victims Of another
class, who have deliberately sought to use
them in the establishment of government
in which they were to be disfranchized, re-
duced from the condition of free and equal
citizens TO become mere slaves to the few
The rebel leaders say that democracy and
slavery cannot exist together. The Rich.
mond and other leading papers Of the rebel
government say, that the only true princi-
pie upon which to organize labor in any gov
ernment is, that it should be owned, whether
white or black. They say that free suffrage
IS destructive to government, that political
power should be in the hands Of the property
holders. who constitute the head Of society,
while the laboring clsss constitute its heels.
I have heard since the rebellion commenced
q great many slave.owners boldly ass serting
that democracy was a failure, as evidenced
by the weakness and inability OF the United
States Government to protect itself from dis.
memberment, and that stronger govern.
ment was necessary and win here say for
the benetito Of my democratic friends in iowa,
that these men all called themselves cool
democrats before the rebellion. We have
been deceived and betrayed until we are
powerless to resist the tyranny Of the rebels |
any lon ger. We have been plandcrcd Of our
property. dragged from our homes and fam. |
lilies, to fght government that gave US free
dom and happiness, without ever calling up
on US for one farthIng. or imposing upon iis
a single burden, We have been compelled
to exchange peace for strife. prosperity for
decay and ruin. happiness as home for the
hardships Of . eonscriRt camp in rebel ar.
my. We are slaves to and compelled to do
the bidding Of men from distant States, who
have neither interest in, nor sympathy for
us. and who use us only to pander to their
own ambition. We have neither govern.