Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1867-08-14

day. Having voluntarily placed yourself
without the pale of gentlemen, by as
saulting me, personally through the news
papers, there is no other resource left me
-~unless you should hereafter change
your mind-but to reply to you through
the same channel [ do live, [ hope by
the grace of God, but not by the mercy
of he government of which you speak,
since [ purchased my personal safety with
a consideration which has long since been
paid to. and enjoyed by the other con-
tracing party, to-wit: the laying down
of my arms and the disbandment of my
troops.
There are, no doubt, plenty of such
creatures as yourself, who would be glad
Of the opportunity to disgrace the govern
ment under which they live, by counsel
ling it to dishonor but have the salts
faction of believing that there are other
men in the United States army besides
tho canai1e, of the Brisbin order, who
'srun" the freedmen's bureau, affiliate
with negroes for sinister purposes, and
strike at every thing gentle in the land,
in compliance with the base instincts
with which an inscrutable Providence has
created them. But [ am wasting words
on such nice fellows as yourself; and so,
if you will permit me, [ will close our
correspondence by telling you that, in my
opinion, no officer Of the United States
army, who entertained the sentiments of
honor which should characterize noble
profession, could have written the coarse
and slanderous attack upon my character
which you have had the distinction of
producing, for the qualification Of a GER
tain class of blackguards, with whom,
probably, you associate.
RAPHAEL SEMMEs.
BRIsBIN's REJoINDER.
LEXINGTON, KY, July 81, 1867.
Raphael Senanses, Editor, Pirate, Trait
or, &C.:
Your dirty little billet deuu, without
date or place, Gust as your miserable car
cass will be when the radicals rule came
duly to hand through the editor of the
Commercial, who publishes everything
for everybody, and thereby turns an hon
est penny for himself
You think the straps on my shoulders
are not in good place, and that the army
is not what it used to be- Abraham Lin
coin, whom you rebels m urdered, pu my
straps on, and hope to wear them until
you are all properly punished for your
enormous crimes. AS to the army, you are
quite right, sir. We had lot of scoun-
drels who were educated in the art of war
at the national expense; trained to arms
that they might successfully defend the
country-nay, sworn to defend it against
all enemies whomsoever, but who, in the
hour of necessity, deserted their flag, and
forgetting alike honor, duty, home, friends,
gra atitude, and the sanctity of their oaths,
with peridy unparalleled in the history
of the world, turned their swords against
their government, and sought to destroy
what they had sworn to protect. By the
war we got rid of these infamous traitors,
and presume you were one of those on
whose shoulders the time-honored straps
were disgraced by perjury, treachery and
treason.
You hold that as one gentleman deal
ing with another, [ should have sent you
a private note. Semmes, you are the
greatest joker of this age.
What, take you for gentleman and
send you note as such? Oh, Semmes,
Semmes, for pity sake do not crack anoth-
er such huge joke this year, or the North
American republic will break it's snspen-
ders, fracture its breeches, and laugh it.
self SO weak you can march in and take
it with single gunboat. Now, my dear
Semmes, be reasonable, own up honestly
that you are nothing but mean, low
lived pirate rebel, living by the mercy of
a too humane government, that you
ought to be hung, and [ will forgive you.
Remember, putting on airs won't strength
en- your neck, and if you don't drop your
peacock feathers and doff your lions skin
soon, rope reconstruction will be absolute
y necessary in your case.
Who whipped in the last war? Per
haps you think Grant surrendered to Lee
ana | am your vassal. My recollection
is just the reverse; but if you are not
satisfied, gather up your plunder, get out
your grey backs, and we will try it over,
You say officers Of the old service when
aggrieved demanded satisfaction of the
party offending them, and - I believe
they do yet, providing the offending party
is gentleman, but you not being in the
category note such as your r,,warhke heart
craved was an impossibility. You GER
tainly could not expect me to challenge
perjured traitor. Why, sir, l should as
soon have thought of sending note to
the proprietor of a bawdy house, the in
mate OF penitentiary, or highway rob-
ber as to yourself, BY the way, can you