Macomb Weekly Journal

Another Law and Order Advocate. —
An Interested Person Turned Judge.

            In the last Eagle, a contributor under the assumed garb of a mere looker on, says several wise things, and preaches a homily on government.  He adopts the signature X, and heads his piece in allusion to our last, “an apologist for lawless violence.”  We are quite disposed to guess from the wincing of this jade that the saddle fitted somebody’s back quite closely.  He is still anxious to perpetuate the falsehood of the resolutions he assumes to defend, for he says still that the “resolutions were passed by a large and respectable number of our most worthy citizens.”  Now we never doubted that there were a number of respectable men at the meeting, and there may have been a majority of the votes of that class; but what we before denounced, and now denounce is the getting up of a secret conclave and then publishing the proceedings as having been held by citizens without distinction of party. – Why not say at a meeting called by the leading copperheads of McDonough county, attended by as many honest men as could be deluded into the meeting – such and such things were done.

We called the array insulting because it studiously spoke for the public when not one-fifth of the public was represented.  And assumed to hold out implied threats which they would enforce.

But we again say, what this commentator, “X,” well knows, that but for the copperhead breast pins and Jeff. Davis and Vallandigham sympathies foolishly paraded by many of his party leaders if not by himself, and defended by most of them, the boys would not have acted so, nor the prompters had the means of instigating them.  If saying this much is sympathy, then we must be guilty.  We repeatedly condemned the actions of some of the soldiers, but we remarked that people who lived in glass houses must not throw stones.

He talks learnedly of publishing on suspicion, and makes quite a far fetched allusion to the official prosecution of Judge Jeffries in the times of one of the Charleses or Jameses of Great Britain.  Unfortunately for the analogy, Jeffries was an old royalist beast who brought to a nominal judicial trial under forms of law, those suspected of [obscured] King, their master.  But the suspicions complained of against the young soldiers were suspicions of sympathizing with the enemy in time of war; and the evidence was pretty clear that some at least of these so-called persecuted men had worn the insignia very much akin to the genuine rebel.  Nor did the young soldiers array the courts and officers nor bodies of men against their victims; on the contrary, they seemed willing to settle their spite with their personal prowess.

But “X” galvanizes again an old thrice dead argument derived from the party claim that they had “raised our county to the highest pinnacle of greatness.”  This correspondent certainly quotes from the ancient classics.  He is talking about a thing of the past.  All the democracy that had anything to do with national glory is dead and plucked up by the roots years ago.  The present party has assumed the lion’s skin, but the master beast has long since left it, and the hideous braying of the present tenant discloses too plainly for deception the nature of the inhabitant.  Democracy lied when James Buchanan, the rotten leader, and Floyd, the prince of thieves, and Cobb, the polished scoundrel, and Toucey, the northern Judas, and a whole administrative phalanx, as the standard bearers of the party, fore-swore themselves, and publicly sold their country.  It died still more effectually when instead of heeding the advice of Dix and Davidson, of Douglas, Logan and Butler, in supporting the existing governm’t, i tfollowed the councils of such jacobins as Vallandigham, Wood, Richardson and H. Clay Dean.  The Illinois democracy, held to Douglas just so long as he had a prospect of distributing the spoils.  When his power in that line was gone they repudiated his counsels, made new creeds and hang like Cossacks on the administration that succeeded, holding to the motto – rule or ruin.  This writer says the democratic party is a law and order party, they hate blood.  Where were the voices when Free State men were slaughtered by the hundred in Kansas, and when appeals to law in Congress were met by the democracy with scorn.  This extraordinary fondness for law and order is too rediculous to deserve a moment’s notice.

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ARMY CORRESPONDENCE

From the 78th Regiment.

Tiner’s Station, Feb. 17th, 1864.

            Just as I closed my last letter, I was called to assist in the construction of our new shanty, and now I have the pleasure of announcing its completion, and here I am seated upon a three-legged stool, (a present made to me last evening, by my friend Karr McClintock) a cheerful fire illuminates our neat little fire place, and with portfolio upon my knee, and pencil in hand, I propose to devote a short time in scribbling a few lines for the columns of the Journal.  About the most gratifying news to the 78th, that I am able to send you at this time is that we have nearly all completed our shanties, and we are expecting every day a visit from the Paymaster.  It appears to have been in former times the practice of the army to dwell in tents, but that practice has become almost obsolete, especially with the 78th.  A few of the officers retain some old mildewed, dilapidated tents, but the men, the rank and file, seek their homes in log huts or shanties, as the most of us call them, which for comfort are far superior to many of the dwellings of the “poor white trash” of this country.  A large smooth straight white oak is selected and peeled to the ground, about twelve feet of the butt cut off.  This is carefully split into rails or slabs of uniform size, and these are laid up, carefully notched or dove-tailed at the corners, log house fashion, with the exception that the front of the cabin is left open.  The sides are carried up about five or six feet high, and then the covering is put on.  A large majority in the regiment have what we call “dorg tents,” which is a piece of heavy muslin about a yard and a half square.  Four persons uniting together can put a very good shelter over their cabin.  Those who have not yet drawn “dorg tents,” or have lost them, split out clap-boards, which are placed in proper position for shelter and secured to their places by heavy logs laid upon them.  Not a nail is used.  The front of the shanty is set apart for a fire place and a door way. – Our fire places are generally built of clay, which is tramped down in frames made of proper shape from our clapboards.  A fire is then built, and the inside frame burned away, leaving the clay nearly as hard as a brick.  Bunks for sleeping purposes are made in the rear part of the cabin.  The finishing touch is to daub every crack and crevice with mud.  The cabins so constructed are much more comfortable and convenient [obscured] A party of four persons with no other tool than axe can complete a shanty in two or three days.

I have said that we were expecting a visit from the Paymaster.  We signed the pay rolls last week, and it was rumored that in a day or two the Paymaster would be on hand.  But if, as some say, there is more pleasure in the anticipation of an object that in the possession of it, the boys ought to be satisfied, for the anticipations are assuming more huge proportions every day.  I have no doubt the realization will come before we are called upon to move from this place.  It is currently rumored and believed in camp that when we move from here we will go to Chattanooga, to do garrison duty at that place.  I can not say how reliable these rumors are, but they come in a shape that gives them an air of probability.

I was much amused the other day, while attending my turn at picket, at the vehement expressions an old lady of secesh proclivities, who had come into our lines to obtain some necessaries of life.  We have what is called a chain picket surrounding the brigade which is camped here, and there are only four places at which persons are permitted to enter or depart.  The old lady was accompanied by her daughter-in-law, and they had been to the commissioner’s, and the large sack of hard tack and bacon which they carried showed that they had not been turned empty away.  It appears that the old lady was obliged to travel about a quarter of a mile out of her way in order to pass out at station No. 1, and this she considered shameful treatment of a poor old woman like her.  But that treatment was nothing to be compared to the scandalous manner in which she had been treated at the depot of the commissary.  She had heard that our officers were issueing rations to the citizens, and she had walked three miles on purpose to get some coffee, sugar and tea, “and would you believe it,” said she addressing me, “not an ounce could I get, and they put me off with these nasty hard crackers, and only five or six pounds of bacon.”  They had sugar for she saw it, and also coffee, but they refused her a grain of it, a poor old woman like her needed tea and coffee, — and so she railed on with a glib tongue about the shameful treatment in refusing her tea, coffee and sugar.  She will probably be back in a day or two for more hard tack and bacon.

A general order has been issued from Department Headquarters, which was read on dress parade last evening respecting the matter of furloughs.  It appears that furloughs may be granted to those having urgent business, not exceeding five per cent. of the effective force present.  The furloughs in this regiment I do not think have reached two per cent. of the number reported for duty.  Mr. L. Mainard, of Industry, one of our principal musicians, has been paroled with a furlough and started home on Monday last.  There are a number of applications in, and I presume the larger portion of them will be granted.

There are no serious cases of sickness with us at present, but still the sick list is intolerably large, the complaints being principally heavy colds, rheumatism, and a few cases of dropsy.  Harry Curnes of Blandinsville, has been on the sick list for a long time, complaining of rheumatism.  Robert Laughlin of Macomb, has been unfit for duty for many weeks, and if he does not get better soon will be discharged.

We have had magnificent weather for two or three weeks past, but last evening it blowed up cold, and before morning it was severely cold, freezing and bursting some of our canteens, and forming ice half an inch thick.  To-day the weather is clear and cold, and too blustering for dull exercise.

We have here a very remarkable spring at which we procure our water.  It is situated at the base of a gently sloping hill, and furnishes enough water to turn a good saw mill.  The water boils up from an aperture about five feet in diameter, which has been sounded to the depth of four hundred feet and no bottom found.

J. K. M.

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 Re-Union.

For the Macomb Journal.

            There being a number of returned soldiers in the town of Eldorado in this county, the Union people thought it proper to give these defenders of the Union and of our homes, some testimonial of their esteem, and under an appointment of the Union League, they met at the residence of Mr. Joseph Smith on the 9th of February, each bearing their burthen of good things which in due season were arranged upon the tables, and the company to the number of at least two hundred with twenty-five of the brave defenders of the Union, with the families of our brave volunteers, sat down to a sumptuous feast, to which all seemed to do ample justice.  After thus nourishing the inner man we had a feast of reason, in the shape of a patriotic address from Col. Hamar, and then a flow of soul in patriotic song, all passed off in the most harmonious manner, and after giving three cheers for Old Abe, and the Union, and for the Stars and Stripes, which during the occasion were floating over the house.  The company mostly dispersed, feeling that those who defend our goodly heritage are worthy recipients of the honor and esteem of their fellow citizens.

CITIZEN.

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            Coming West. – The farmers of Washington county, Maryland, owing to the apprehension of rebel invasion early in the spring, are selling their farms and stock, preparatory to moving west.  Washington county is one of the largest and best wheat growing counties in the State of Maryland, but since the breaking out of the rebellion, the farmers have been such heavy loosers by having their crops destroyed by the rebel army, that many of them put out an unusually small crop of wheat last fall.

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            State Items. – From the Carlyle Union Banner, we learn that one hundred and twenty bales of Illinois cotton, the product of last year will be shipped from Carbondale, this season.  All that has yet reached market brought eighty cents per pound.  The lint is fine, silky and white, though somewhat shorter than Mississippi cotton.

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Tribute of Respect.

            At a Meeting of Blandinville Lodge No. 233, A. F. and A. M., Feburary 23, 1864, A. L. 5864.  The following preamble and resolutions were adopted:

WHEREAS, It has pleased the Almighty Ruler of heaven and earth to remove from our midst our beloved brother, Thomas J. Davis, Co. C, 78th Illinois Infantry, Volunteers.

Resolved, That in this our sad bereavement while we recognixe the hand of the Supreme Architect of the universe, that we are convinced that our brother has gone from his labors on earth to an everlasting refreshment in the paradise above,

Resolved, That we sympathize with the afflicted family and friends of the deceased and offer them our condolence in their affliction, whereby they have lost a devoted husband and affectionate father, and our country a self-sacrifice patriot.

Resolved, That in token of our respect to our departed brother, we will drape our hall in mourning and wear the usual badge for thirty days.

Resolved, That a copy of the foregoing resolutions be presented to the family of the deceased, and also for publication to the Macomb Journal, Macomb Eagle and the Masonic Trowel.

W. W. GILLIHAN,
Secretary.

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            Increasing. – Our subscription list is rapidly increasing, but we have room on our books for a few more names, and we would advise our friends, if they want to take the Journal during the campaign at the present rates to hurry up their names, for if paper keeps raising in price we will have to raise our subscription correspondingly high.  So bring them along.

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            Now is the Time. – Lieut. Geo. Naylor, of Co. H., 2nd Ill. Cav., is stopping at the Randolph House, and has opened a recruiting office there, where he will be happy to wait on all who wish to enlist in a good regiment – one that has seen service and will see more.  Lieut. Naylor is well and favorably known here, and as the company is the one that was raised in this county by the late Dr. Jas. D. Walker, recruits will know that they cannot do better than enlist under him.  He will remain here until the 16th – so, “now is the time.”

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            Elocutionary. – Our citizens were favored on Monday evening by a lecture on elocution, by Prof. H. H. Belding.  We have seldom seen an audience more unanimously pleased than the one that listened to Mr. Belding that evening.  Mr. B. thoroughly understands the art of elocution, and his recitations and personations are perfect. – The “green boy at the show” was decidedly rich.  As several of our citizens did not get to hear him that evening, we are requested to state that he will be here again in a short time, when another opportunity will be given for all to hear him.

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            Heard From. – J. W. Nichols, Grand Worthy Chief Templar of the Good Templars of this State is now traveling for the good of the order through the south part of this State. – We received a copy of the Winchester Democrat the other day of the 26th ult., in which we saw the announcement that he was to lecture there in the M. E. Church the next evening.

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            Agricultural. – We neglected to call the attention of our readers to the advertisement of S. F. Lancey, dealer in Agricultural implements and farmers tools generally.  Mr. Lancey keeps on hand a full supply of every kind of article wanted by a farmer, and he wishes to dispose of them as evidenced by his advertising in our paper.  Give him a call before you purchase elsewhere, and you will be very apt to be sated.

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            Acknowledgements. – We acknowledge the receipt of the Daily Quincy Whig and Republican in exchange for our Weekly, for which we return our sincere thanks to J. J. Langhorn, the accommodating proprietor and publisher.

Also our thanks are due to Hon. Lewis W. Ross, M. C., for continued favors.

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            Suicide. – We learned last week, after we went to press, of a melancholy suicide at Tennessee, in this county. – An old woman, whose name we did not learn, hung herself on the morning of the 24th ult.  We did not learn the particulars.

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            Charitable. – Mr. J. K. Gray of Bushnell, in this county, has been for some time raising money for the destitute widows of Lawrence, Kansas, and will leave for that place in a few weeks to take and distribute the same to them and will faithfully take any sums that may be forwarded to him for said sufferers.  They are worthy objects of our charity and this is a good chance to get any mites to them, would it not be well for our ministers to take collections in their churches, for this object, and forward to Mr. Gray, at Bushnell, Ill.  Benevolent ladies might do good by raising some money among their neighbors, and forwarding the same.  The number to be provided for is about fifty widows and one hundred and fifty orphans.  The following speaks for itself.  And we hope a response will be made to this.  Mr. Gray will publish the amount received by him and to whom given.

WHEREAS, Mr. Jos. K. Gray, of Bushnell, Illinois, proposes to call upon the public in behalf of the Widows and Orphans made so by the recent murders at the sacking of Lawrence, Kansas, and having entire confidence in the integrity of Mr. Gray, and that he will see the money judiciously distributed, we, the undersigned, recommend him and the cause he advocates to a generous public.

D M Wyckoff, Notary Public , Stewart & Clark.  Wm Shreeves, J H Smith, Capt B F Pinckley, Dr Wm T Wright, George F Hendrickson, Elder John Scott, Wm H Oglebee, Beard & kinne, rev G J Cowgill, A Parker, Sidwell & Kelley, Rev B B Kennedy, Cole & Walters, A Hess, Rev B C Swarts, Abingdon; Dr E D Rice, Lewistown; Richard Yates, Governor of Illinois; John W Ingersoll, Hon Wm Kellogg, Hon A C Babcock, Dea John G Piner, Major Jonas Ruwalt Canton; Col Robert G Ingersoll, Rev Richard Haney, Peoria; Rev D H May, Woodhull; Capt Wm H Randolph, D G Tunnicliff, J B Cummings, Circuit Clerk, Alex McLean, J W Nichols, H V Westfall, Macomb; Rev M L Haney, Chaplain 55th Reg Ill Vol; Rev B C Johnson, La Harpe; Rev P J Strong, Princeton; Elder Charles Cain, Buda; Rev T J Addis, Moneka, Kansas.

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More Excitement in Edgar County Illinois.

            Terre haute, Ind., Feb. 29. – Another outbreak occurred to-day at Paris, Edgar county, Ill.  About fifty butternuts from the Big Creek country, went to Paris and took possession of an old stable, and from it fired on passing soldiers.  A soldier who attempted to enter the building was shot and instantly killed.

In retaliation the soldiers killed his assassin, having put thirteen balls through him.

Much excitement prevails, and further serious troubles are apprehended.

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BUSINESS NOTICES.

–        If you want a nice photograph of yourself or your friends, call on Pearson & Thomas, at their rooms, south side of the square, over J. M. Browne & Co’s boot and shoe store.

–        Another lot of Buckwheat flour at 6 cents per pound at WADHAMS.  North west corner of the Square.

–        Something New. – Solomon, the wise man, the man who was a great deal married, said once upon a time that there was nothing new under the sun.  Solomon did not live in Macomb.  If he was alive and in this city at the present time he would take that back, for all he, “or any other man” would have to do to see his mistake, would be to go into S. F. Wright’s Boot and Shoe Store, and he would find plenty of new boots, shoes, hats and caps of the very best quality, and at the lowest prices. – Wright has received a choice invoice and will be in receipt of goods in his line for some time to come.