The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1864-03-24
A DILEMMA.

anguish and sorrow upon
many Of its citizens" The reason of
thispuzzled condition of the editor was,
that he knew he could not, without
lying, make any political capital out
OF the transactions Of tho previous few
weeks in our city. He knew that q
truthful, unvarnishcd recital of the
facts, would make out black looking
case against himself and his political
set, the rcvilers and insultcrs of the
Union soldiers and their cause, and
the carriers Of rev divers with which
to "shoot them down like dogs" when
ever they presumed to be "saucy."-
But the editors dilemma was speedily
obviatcd. No sooner had the sentence
above quoted slipped from his pen,
than he was "himsclfagain." All Of
Il sudden lie "knows how to speak, /"
and accordingly launches into a lying
tissue of stuff like this: .t
Ever since the return of furlough
ed soldiers, the ficndish spirit Of abo
litionism, has been at work to poison
their minds against Democrats, and
incite them 10 dc6ds of violence and
harm, until complete reign of terror
existed in this county. Democrats
have been hunted as ifthcy were jack,
ais - their persons maltrcatcd and
their property destroyed Democrats
from the country have been knocked
down in our streets and cruelty beat.
en- without cause or provocation; 9TH
ers have been set upon by excited
soldiers at the instigation of Republic
ans, and abused, kicked, and Their
lives threatened, and some literally
driven out of town, soldiers and Re
publicans following them with stones
and clubs''--and so On for the space
Of nearly column.
Too cowardly TO charge these acts
directly upon tho soldiers, (who them
selves loudly and boldly in our streets
declared their own sole responsibility
for what they did) tho conscience
stricken coppcrhcads seek to involve
the Union citizens in tho chief blame
Of the acts complained Of They would
try to make the soldiers believe they
had been but tools in the hands of alb
olitionism. 1t is our opinion that tho
soldiers generally know what they are
about in their dealings with copper
hcads-and that it is only an addition
al insult TO those heretofore piled up
on them from tho same source, to rcp
resent them as having been used lik'
machines by the "abolitionists" (moan
ing Union mon) to in0ct wrong ant
outrage upon that innocent, peaccabl
unoifonding class of people. Thcs
poor, prosecuted reptiles are blGmolcs
Of all provocation against the soldiers
lorsooth And tho latter would, n,
doubt, hug and aifcctionately cmbrac
thcm at every opportunity, werc i
not for tho instigations of tho infcrna
abolitionists! But no sooner, accord
ing to the accounts oftbo injured lamb
Of tho Eagle editors class, docs an NIB
olitionist say to soldior-"Go now
kick mo that coppcrhcad !" than tn
obedicnt soldier straightway "gocs 70
him" Notwithstanding ho has not th
slightest grudgc against him person
ally This is representing the sold
iers as both idiots and brutal rufllant
but il sjust what tho coppOrhca
Commentators on "outragcs by sold
icrs' arc habitually doing.
Now, the soldiers, as body, ar
equally as intelligent as any othc
class of citizens, AS to their patriot
ism, they have cvincod it in such
manner as to allow no dispute or gain
saying of it. These soldiers too, nc
unircqucntly get n glimpse at tho Co
umns Of Coppcrhcad newspaper
which label themselves democratic.
Possessed of intelligence and patrio
ism, the soldiers of course regard tn
contest now raging in this country Q
u just one on the part of the Govern
mcnt, and..that it is her right, and he
, boundcn duty to crush rebellion wit
the rcd right hand of War. Impoacl
) nlents oftho righteousness Of tho wa
therefore, arc impcachments of ii
honesty and patriotism Of the soldier
voluntarily engaged it, and not OIL
1 ly that, but by thus extending "ai
aRd comfort to tho enemy" are I
many covert stabs at the safety an
', life itSejf Of the soldier, Does it nee
|, therefore, tho ''instigations ofabolitiol
lists" to inspire tae soldier with roson
mcnt against those who are constan
ly invcighiug against the Governmel