The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-01-21

ucaVy u6tnAEcS against tDc Stetct WH1Cu udu
been allowed them. and had good reason
TO believe the want Of shop room caused BY
the fire, would be made the bAsik OF another
similar claim. Under these Circumstances,
| requested the Attorney General 10 meet
me at the prison and. aftsr Consultation with
him, the Warden and myself entered iEto b
contract With Messrs. Winterbototn & Jonss
contractors for the prison labor. for the
erection Of new shops at cost Of Sc, ,504 81,
which was paid rs follows Material from
old shops, 5000; cash appropriated at the
last proceeding session for new blacksmith
shop, $4,000; proceeds Of judgment in "a.
vor Of State against con tractors, $945, 80 /;
the balance of 81, .Os to apply on the
amount due, or to become due IS the StatA,, :
from the contractors for prison labor.
1t is matter Of doubt whethor had the
authority to make this contract; but as tn 10
necessity appeared to be imperative. and
~ the contract could be made without
drawing from the Treasury any money nos
appropriated by law, deemed il my duty.
having due regard to the interests of the
State, to make the Contract, and did 80.
The new shops we're completed in accor.
dance with the terms Of the contract, and
have bcen ever since in use. The old shops
were lily arranged. inconvcnient. and uu-
slightly, and situated rs they were, near
the centrs Of the prison yard, interfsrci
materially with The preservation of proper
order and discipline among the conricts.---
The new shops are large. substantial, and
we'll arranged, and much more Av 'rably''
located than the old ones.
A new contract has not as vet been made
under the law passed at the extra session
Of 1862, for 70 letting the convict labor. (
have very serious doubts whether it is ad.
visable, at this time, to se-let the whole Of
the labor. A large amount Of work must,
necessarily soon bo donc in and around the
prison. As our population increases, the
number Of convicts will increase, and Of
course there will he necessary an increase
of cell room. This can now be had. most
economically and advan,agcously, BY build.
ing a Warden's house on the foun laton al.
ready laid for that purpose. and using the
part Of the main pulling now occupied by
the Warden for Cell room; and by raising
the roof and walls Of the main building so
As to receive two additional ticrs Of cells =.
The wall on one side NJ the yard has not
yst been built, and understand some al.
ditional grading is needed before it can be.
Ths convicts can do much Of the labor re-
quired for these improvements a. well a.
hired lahorers, and at much less coat to. the
State. Should this policy be adopted it
may be necessary to employ few addition.
al guards. but the additional expense will ne
much less than the difference between the
cnst Of convict and other labor.
have not been able to give a. much
time as desired to supervising the affairs
Of the prison for the last two years; bat I
an Of opinion everything has been done by
the Warden and his subordinates, care.
fully, economically, and we'll. The War
den's report contains full account Of the
receipts and expenditures, and statement
ofwhat is NH Is judgment. necessary to be
d me within the next two years invite your
attention to this report. and recommend tho
appointment Of special committee to visit
the prison, to examine the condition Of ths
prison buildings, for the purpose Of deter.
mining the policy to be pursued in re-let-
Ting the prison labor.
ORGANIZING AND AnxrHG VOLUNTEERS
COMPANIES.
became satisfied during the early part
Of last summer, that designing men in thI.,
as in other loyal States, were making prep
arations for an armed resistance to the an.
thority Of the General Government. The
law Of Congress, providing for draft to all
the ranks Of the Union army, contained \
provision that was eagerly seized upon TO
array the poorer Of our people against the
upon the specious pretsnce
that the object of tho Law was to discrimin.
Ate between the rich and the poor, te the
injnry Of the poor.
The action Of the Government in freeing
and using the slaves in the rebel States for
the suppression Of the Rebellion, was rep
resented rs q scheme, BY the Government,
to overrun the free States with the freed
slaves, to the prejudice Of the interest Of
the poor white man.
The Government had in some instances,
arrested and temporarily imprisoned or sent
beyond our lines, persons whose restraint
the public safety required; and this was in.
terpreted to mean an intention on the part
Of the Government to break down all the de-
fsnc,s of civil liberty. and to establish des.
potism. The entire policy Of our Govern.
nent, as interpre ted by these men, was that
the war WAS waged. not Tor the pre- servation
Of the Union, but for the abolition of slavery;
that the object of the Government, in seek.
ing to abolish slavery, was to bring the freed
slaves North and force their labor into com.
petition with that of the poor white man =
that by the so called conscription law, the
sought to force only the poor
men Of the country into the ranks of the ar.
ny to effect these objects so preiudic;sl to
we're being effected, the Government inten.
led to overthrow our FREQ institutions and
establish in their stead q despotism!
1t is passing strange that intelligent mon
Gould be found SO wicked as to make
hese statements, and that other men could
be found so ignorant and foolish as to be.
ieve them. But so it was. These state.
nents were made through the press and
rom the stump. in the most violent and
.xci ing language, apparently with oil the
,arnestness Of conviction, and thousands
If honest but deluded men believed them.
md in consequence entertained feelings Of
leer hostility towards tho Government -
10 this excited state Of the pubic mind Sc
ret societies we're organized in many, IL
rot all the loyal States. the members OF
which were, to some extent, secretly arm.
ID for the avowed purpose Of protecting
themselves against what were called "Arbi.
rary Arrests" but a. I am satisfied with
he intent upon the part of the leaders to
,ring their members into armed collision
nth the General Government, in case any
ttempt should be made to enforce the
raft. The natural result of these teachings
nd this action was sean in the bloody riot
hat occurred in the chisi city Of the Union,
nd in similar smaller outbreaks in other
laccs t'i = :;
Under Theses circumstances my duty
poned tn ma In ha nlain ~ cla.r -.