The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-08-25

forming all interested thal q ooLpiEnS "HEi
,xo would be held OF the Academy building
on the 10th, at which soldiers, and citizens
who were friends of soldiers, were invited to
he present. The announcement that the
meeting would be addressed by ~ Aoab
Ward at once revealed its character. This
man ,cas soldier, but is now the tool of Ne
gus & Co., of Fairfield, being employed by
them to do the dirty work ofthe Copperheads
in trying to gull the soldiers into the support
of the new tangled party. He is also the
ostensibe editor of the ''Sosdier's Friend y
published at Fairfield and for which Dave
Steward, the Copperhead martyr, furnishes
the type and material.
While in the service, he was an applicant
for Second Lieutenancy in negro regiment.
The Examining Board declared him ineom-
petent and refused TO recommend him for tho
position. This fact will satisfactorily account
for the deadly hatred he now exhibits toward
the negro, and the keen perceptive faculties
that enable him to find negro in every wood
pile.
! The soldiers attended the meeting in large
numbers, the hall of the Academy building
being completely filled. Mr.. Reese Hay
worth. a true and loyal soldier, was called to
the Chair, and Ward commenced reading
his piece. The piece consisted in part
of Ballinger's call (which was read almost
verbatim,) the remainder was from the ''Soi-
dier's Friend, piece of silly twaddle of
about the character of school boy first
composition.
Ward having finished his reading, on mo-
were appointed to draft resolutions expressive
of the sense of the meeting. The following
named soldiers constituted the committee:
Major A. j. Pope, of Sigourney.
| Robert Donnell, of Steady Run.
| Captain NJ. Rhodes, of Riehland.
| D. A. Stockman, do
Thomas A. Wade, do
While the committee were absent, Mr.. John
A. Donnell, Of Sigourney, was introduced to
the audience and in few brief and pertinent
remarks completely demolished Mr.. Ward
and his position. Mr.. Donnell lwho was in
the service over three years. denounced the
action of the Copperheads, and of returned
soldiers who allowed themselves to be used
by these Northern traitors in their efforts to
create a new party and destroy the Union
party, in scathing and whitening terms. Upon
| the conclusion of his remarks, Major Pope.
Chairman of the committee. reported tn fol-
lowing preamble and resolutions;
WHEREAS, it is fresh in our memories vet,
| that while we were fighting our country bat
ties in the South, while the steel of the iniu-
! rated rebels was at our breasts, or their blood
hounds upon our tracks. there was n party at
home who mildly styled them our delnded
Southern brethren = who met on dark nights
| IN old waste houses to form their clubs of
knights of the Golden Circle and Sons
of Liberty to exult over our reverses, or
howl out their vile curses at every new levy of
men to fill our thinned ranks, or new loan to
feed and clothe US, and who kindly told us
our four years of war was a failure We
also remember there was another party who
shouted long and loud over our victories, aud
would weep at our defeats, who prayed the
Government to send us men and maintain us
with all IFS powers; therefore,
Reso{red, |. That we will stand by the men
who stood by us when the storms Of rebel
|
2. That we have no fears in submitting the
question of the amendment of the Constitu-
ton of the State of Iowa. on the elective fran
chise, to vote of the people, believing that
if any of us opposed to such amendm ent,
if our views are correct. we can convince the
great Union party of the fact before the cleo
ton of 1868.
3. That we believe we can discern in the
"sgns of the times" deep-laid scheme be-
tween the opposers of the war in the North
and the white-washed traitors of the South, to
: strike together their blood stained hands, to
obtain control of that Government which q
, few months since they were endeavoring to
! destroy. And we hold it to be the first and
! most sacred duty of the soldiers and their
Union friends TO defeat those plans; and when
!. the men who in our absence were engaged in
assalling the Government with loud mouthed
expletives and assisting the enemy with mild,
honey-tongued arguments, or in consorting
, with the rebel ragamuiiins of the Z" Army of
the Skunk" approach us upon our return with
hypocrtical smiles upon their lips, +" sugar
coated words in their mouths, and arms ex-
tended for tteacherous embrace, thinking
thereby to gain a vote, they will only receive
the contumely and contempt their foul actions
8 so richly deserve
D 4. That the copperhead party in the North
~ ~ io'Hi oHN PcioaseShe SouisC III up
posing enlstments, decrying the draft, har.
, boring deserters, branding the .'boys in blue
1 as "hirelings,'' thieves and .'vandals,
and endeayoring to deprive them of a vote,
calling our wives and daughters "paupers,'
our late lamented Lincoln g monster usur,
per, ''tyrant and "felon,r our Grant "a
: man of blood" and Sherman "crazy,n de.
serves the execration of all good men. and we
9 hereby pledge ourselves as soldiers and lovers
OF our country, that not single member Of
, that party, or known sympathizer with it, shall
ever receive our support, either in roice o,
d rote, for any Office of trust and profit within
/ the gift Of the people-so help US God.
o. That we will stand by the Admins
" tratlon of Andrew johnson, the man who
e first proclaimed that great truth, .sthat mercy
to traitors without justice was crme,n anc
by the great Union party which has supported
h the soldiers in the field during the last foul
/ years.
II Lieut.. Orton moved the adoption of the
resolutions. Mr.. Ward requested that thu
;. matter be determined by standing vote
!. The vote was taken and the resolutions unan
h imously adopted, Mr. Ward voting in tn,
negative and erery other returned soldier pres
Is ent rotiny IN the affirmative.
). The meeting then gave three cheers for th,