State of Affairs in Michigan--Bibles and Bullets
--At Calamet, a town of some five hundred inhabitants, situated on the
Michigan Southern Railroad, in Perter county,
Rev. Captain William Copp was announced to speak on the 18th ult. --The evening came, and with it the speaker.
The audience gathered.
The speaker took the stand opened the
Bible before him; unbuttoned his cost; took from his side-pocket a navy revolver, which he deliberately placed by the side of the
Sacred Book, announced that his subject would be "The
Bible and Bullets." A letter to the
Chicago Time says:
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The audience was a large one for that place, and composed of Democrats and Republicans, expecting, when they came together, to hear the truth from a divide who had been in the service.
They expected that he, at least, would deal justly to amended "nothing extenuate, or aught set down in malice;" but what was their astonishment when, after a brief introductory, to hear him propose to take a vote of the meeting to see how many of those present would "assist in hanging the Copper-heads of that county." At this juncture the Democrats present withdrew to the street, where the Abolitionists followed them, assaulting them with pistols, knives, bludgeons, and, in short, with everything available — instantly killing
Robt,
Lake, and seriously wounding — Malhill and
Thomas Mooney.
In that immediate vicinity the most intense excitement prevails, and more bloodshed is anticipated before the affair is ended.
The Democracy of that vicinity are not the attacking party; they stand on the defensive, and the consequences of inaugurating civil war at home rest upon the
Republican or
Aboildor party, hired on by one who has professed to be a teacher of the precepts of "the meek and lowly Jesus" The responsibility of what follows is with them, and the blood of Robert Lake is upon the skirts of this clerical hypocrite.
But this is not all. A few days previous to this affray this same demon,
Copp, spoke at
Valparaiso, in the same county announcing the same subject, and bluntly asking how many of those present were ready and willing to assist in hanging "
Buell Starr,
Samuel J. Anthony,
F. Y. J. Merrifield,
Judge Woodruff and David Oaks""five of the most prominent and wealthy citizens of
Valparaiso, whose only crime it that of sustaining the
Constitution.
Upon the vote being put about two-thirds of the audience arose to their feet.
It is only the love of law and order entertained by the people of
Valparaiso that saved this white-created miscreant from dangling from a limb of one of the trees that adorn that beautiful court house square.
How long must these things be tolerated ? How long will the people be compelled to tolerate the coming of such belle hypocrites and demagogues?
Upon what evil times have we fallen when men, under the garb of religion, walk to and fro through the earth, stirring up strife and inciting bloodshed, instead of counselling love and mercy?
Are our rights as freemen, guaranteed by the
Constitution, to be basely trampled beneath the feet of Abolition crusaders, the laws of our country desecrated, and the pulpit and the
Bible made subservient to the ends and aims of despots and tyrants ? Is there no more protection to the rights of freemen in this country?
And must we tamely submit to be shot down, in cold blood for daring to choose car own political fairs ?
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