The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1886-10-07

There is something solemnly terrible,
to use such an expression, in the thought
that just beyond present action, there lies
some unseen and unknown agency which
| is to wreak terrible vengeance upon US
| for the sins of the present. We may not
| know the extent of the danger, or the
| speed with which the dreadful agency is
coming. We may be treading, unprepared
| and unprotected, the shores of a mighty
danger. Thus is commingled, in this
world of ours, the joyful and sorrowloA
Certain it is that retribution will over
| take the sinner, and woe come upon them
| that work iniquity. We cannot hope to
escape responsibility for violent acts, and
| in the commission of violent deeds, we
| cannot in the nature of things know just
what is in store for us. Occasionally
timely warning comes sailing along our
| troubled sky, like muttering peal of
thunder before coming blast. In great
| country like ours, where there is such
wide extent of territory, such diversity
of interests, and so many different types
| of character to deal with, one can scarce
| ly be too thoughtful or careful. What
boots it, if we go on in some violent
| scheme, convulsing an entire country
with fear and excitement, yet back of the
enthusiastic shouts, the plucly march, or
the bold battle, turks retribution SO ter
rible that the heart would be appalled, at
| the bare thought of it.
| We all remember how the fire of enthu-
| siasm burned and ragged in the North
when the first rumOrs of prospective
| civil war flew along the wires. Young
| ladies at the North pinned red, white and
blue rosettes upon the lappels of the coats
| of those they loved, old men wished they
were ''as young as they used to be- and
| the youth were eager to take up arms.
| All was excitement and enthusiasm. But
down there in Alabama, in the brave old
| city of Montgomery, a body of states
men" were deliberately and solemnly Or
| ganiZing, yea, inaugurating, the Confed-
crate States Government. Thus while the
Northern boys were eager to get to the
| field to crush out the Rebels, powerful
| government was being organized to crush
them in turn. Still, the Northern boys
went in, fearlessly, to protect the flag and
| teach traitors a lesson they would not
| forget for few generations.
Right here, however, just as the boys
were getting ready to do battle with the
determined enemy in front, pours, like
clarion note from the far distant rear,
from the erstwhile peaceful hills and val
leys of the North, the terrible threats and
warnings, of which the one quoted at the
| beginning of this article is specimen
| AS though it were not enough to brave
the fires of the enemy in front the terri
BILE wrath of an indignant and dangerous
| foe in the rear was aroused. And what
| was the cause of this threat of dire ven
| geance, which was printed in copper
head paper in Jackson County? Simply
| that the "tyrannical Abolition Govern
ment" had arrested three men for treason.
The smouldering fire of patriotism Ito the
Solid South had burst forth in the manly
breasts of the Northern Copperheads, and
a great and terrible danger threatened
the army in the field. What was that
danger? Simply the organization after
ward known in the South as Ku-Klux.
but then known as Knights of the Gold
en- Circle. This organization, which rec
| ogniZed no Government save that of the
| Confederate States of America, was de-
termined that the blue-coated monsters
known as "Y anks,' should never get back
from the field alive, unless they came at
once, and without hurting any Southern
Democrat. The Government, trying to
protect it's life and the lives of its soldiers,
| set it's agents to work, ferreting out trail
| tors at the North, and the result was, a
| number of arrests.
| These arrests the "Abolitionists" made
| boldly, taking upon themselver the fear
| full risk of the Democratic organization
known as the "Knights." Well, no seri-
Gus results followed, we believe, save
few stray shots fired in local rows at the
North, still, the soldiers had a right to ex-
pect the great day of retribution prom
ised. Vallandigham, early in the war,
declared that within six weeks the Dem
ocratic party of the North would be call
ed upon to act in the matter of peaceably
suppressing the Rebellion, and putting
down the Northern Abolitionists at the
same time. The six weeks came and
went, and no retribution. In fact years
came and went, and the storm from the
North failed to storm. But the troublous
times of those dark days proved one
thing, beyond the possibility of doubt or
dispute: That the Democratic party of
the North was the bitter, murderous
enemy of the soldier, and that physical
cowardice was all that kept down the fire
of Copperhead hate. The first shot fired
by Knight would have been answered
by dozen from the other side. This, and |
not loyalty, was what preserved the peace
here. The fire of "retribution" was kept |
burning, until it became evident that |
there would never be hope of inhicting
any punishment upon the lively Yanks
for their treatment of Southern Demo
cratic brethren, then there was a sudden
conversion (?) to the idea that the Union
soldier is a brave fellow, and deserves
well of his country. One great feature of
Democracy has always been its anxiety to
appear as the champion of the most popu-
lar idea. Therefore, all hope of wreaking
vengeance upon the Yanks being gone,
it boldly made the claim that majority
of the soldiers were Democrats taking
advantage of the fact that the Rebel ar
my was solidly Democratic. 1t is as plain
as any fact in history, that the Demo
cratic party of the North was as bitter
an enemy to the Union soldier as was the
fiend of Andersonville. That party, as a
party, has always been his enemy, and
has no greater love for him to-day than
in 1861, when the threat of retribution
was an everyday occurrence But give
that party such chance as it had in the ,
Fitz Porter case, where Rebel traitor
seeks reward for the slaughter of Union