The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-04-13

Thursday Evening. .......-APrai ~
THEY DID NOT WANT A UNITED
CELEBRATION,
The organ Of the shoddy party. in this
city, keeps "pegging away Ito use one OF
Lincoln's classic phrases) about the late oeie.
brasion, abusing democrats, after the style OF
one of the shoulder strap gentry, who de-
clared. in Babcock's Hall. that, "every man
who voted tor Mcclellan is traitor" The
Union is actuated by the same spirit and
spurss its filthy abuse At the whole democrat
10 party, and the city council in particular.
II calls all democrats "copperheads, and
says:
Iov.l men can get along without their AID now
the rebellion 10 ended a. well a. tnsy nave Ior .ne
past four years while engaged In nentng ING
armed rsbsl hosts. > :,
We reckon they can, just about as weii'
and no better. Had it not been for the coop
perhead" governors of New York auo NE"
jersey fSsymour and Parker) and the cop
nerhead" volunteers, Lincoln and his whole
shoddy gang would have been fugisives IN
the land, and the capital of our country would
have been in the hands of traitors. We're 1t
no, for the men the Union calls "copper"
heads" who volunteered to fight the battles
of the country and the ''coppsrhead gen.
erals who planned the campaigns and led the
way to victory; and the "copperheads" at
home who encouraged enlistments, and sus-
tanned the war, and loaned money to carry 1t
on, these 'sloyar towards who got up mobs,
and assassinations, and midnight arrests !;
who Islander and villify their neighbors, and
urge the destruction of their property
ssthese apostate saints and Pharisess who
stand aghass crying come not near me for
am better and more loyal than thou"-had it
not been for what the Union calls "copper"
heads" our country would have been utterly
ruined long ago. .~#rs I'd
Loyal men can get along without their
aid" Just as we'll and no better than they
could before. They would have made fail
ure in putting down the rebellion without
democratic aid. They made a failure of the
celebration. even with considerable democrat
ic aid.
They did not want united celebration
they wanted to keep the people divided
They wanted a celebration that they could
make party capital out of, The managers,
the contractors, the Office holders, and the
shoulder straps were sorry Lee had surrend-
cred, and they looked only to some move
which would help them as party and injure
the democrats.
On Wednesday evening, April 9Th, they
published, in the Union, the following anony-
nous notice:
Court House this evening at u O'Clock to make
arrangements to celebrate our late victories and
the taking of Richmond. Let there be general
rally"
No Indication was given as to where this
notice originated, or who was its author
But democrats said "If it is to be a citizens
meeting, why was not the notice published
in both newspapers ?" The consequence
was, general belief that it was party
scheme, originating in Mud Head Block. and
very few persons attended the meeting, those
who did 60 being of the shoddy party.
On Friday, April 7th, the Union publish
ed the official proceedings of the meeting,
held under this call, in which we perceive
that a committee of seven, (under the control
of Mud Head Block iafuence) was appointed
and in which report it was officially announc-
ed that this committee was appointed to
take the whole matter in charge, and achen.
euer the neps is receiced of the success of our
arms ouer the rebels under Gems Lee and
Johnston. they are to make immediate ar
rangements for grand celebration"
1t will thus be perceived that the meeting
changed the object of the celebration. The
meeting was called ''to make arrangements
to celebrate our late victories and the taking
of Richmond, but as that event had al
ready been celebrated, it was thought best to
hold ON bit, and when Lee and Johnston
surrendered, then have a general celebration,
for the whole county.
Democrats were dissatisfied with the man
ner in which the proposed celebration was
gotten up. The secrecy of the call it's pub.
LEGATION in only one newspaper; together with
the composition of the general committee
were evidence that it was to be made part,
and not q peoples celebration. They there.
fore urged the mayor to issue proclamation
for meeting of the people, who, when met,
could manage the affair to suit themselves,
appoint the old committee, or make any addi-
tion to it they saw fit.
The mayor saw, by the official proceedings
of the pretended citizens meeting, that no
time had been fixed for the celebration that
1T was contingent upon a certain event which
might take place in few days, and might
not for weeks. He therefore issued prosla.
nation for citizens meeting, with q view OF