The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-07-29
For Short Memories.

The people and the soldiers of Iowa cannot
the Democratic party in this State and county
during the war. They must remember their
constant opposition to the war and their bit
ter hostility to President LINCOLN on account
of his war measures. All will remember that
MAHoSY and JoSEs, who were arrested by the
Government and imprisoned on charges Of
reasonable utterances and reasonable prac-
tices, were, with BYINGToN. CLAY DEAN, Sun
NERs. and that stripe, the chiefs of the party.
The platforms, National and State, were
hostile to the war, and the local platforms
were in favor of armistice and peace.
Upon this point let US recall to the soldiers
especially, certain circumstances that they
ought never to forget, for it constitutes one of
the most brilliant pages in the glorious record
of their gallant and patriotic devotion to the
cause of the Union. In the latter part of the
winter and in the early spring of 1868, the
Copperheads of the North became ferocious
and rampant. They were having a tremen-
dous revival under the manipulations of their
Golden Circles. They adopted fierce resolu-
tions against the war. and threatened open
and armed opposition in some localities.
A printed form of peace platforms was got
up and circulated all over the State. 1t was
adopted in county and township and school
district meetings. 1t was adopted by the
Democratic club of this township, and con-
tanned, amongst others, the following reso-
lutiop:
sRcsclred, That the ,chole country desires a
speedy and honorable peace, aud necessary pre-
fiiHG,y, 'ee beIierc that ormistife Of month,
shoud be cstublshca bcttceea the conenfiag parties
and tine qreu for sober reflection and TIE cooling
Of passioa ercited by ciri1 ear.''
The Union men at home were disheartened
and depressed, and for time it seemed
probable that we would be involved in civil
war in the North by the efforts of Copper
heads to render effective aid to their Southern
brethren. Then it was that the soldiers in
the field paused in the face of the enemy in
their front and threw a few bombshells into
the ranks of the enemy in their rear. Sol
diers remember those days of darkness when
they met and adopted resolutions Of fierce
denunciation against the Copperheads OF
home, aud we shall never forget how those
resolutions inspired the Union men of the
North with fresh courage and renewed zeal,
and how the Copperheads were cowed and
began to seek their holes. The Copperhead
newspapers published none of the proceedings
of the Union regiments, but if some sneak
wrote home grurnbling private letter abu-
sing his officers or the Administration, the
editors published it in capitals, with editorial
hurrahs.
But the Copperheads took heart again, and
finally adopted at their National Convention
in Chicago their four years of war failure and
armistice and peace platform, which they SUBJ
sequently approved and endorsed in their
County Conventions.
When our soldiers were in the army they
threatened to come home and clean these fel.
lows out, and now that they have come home
it is not possible that they should prove 80
false TO themselves and to the country as to
tgrn in and help the Copperhead leaders
sselean OUT their Union friends.