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THE COUNTRYMAN.
TURN WOLD, GA., SEPTEMBER 13, 1864.
Wanted—A Coup d’Etat.
President Davis now has a splendid op
portunity for a grand coup d’etat. If
half we hear from beyond' Mason & Dix
on’s line be true, there is, especially in the
northwestern states, an element of dissat
isfaction, which a bold man—one who
does not mind being an usurper (for good
purposes)—might turn to the account, not
only of the south, but of ail persons who
love constitutional liberty at the north.
There-is no mistaking the fact that the
northern people now all want peace, and
they are every one willing to stop this
side of exterminating the rebels. This is
certainly something gained, even with the
most ultra class, respectable even in num
bers. We leave entirely out of view a
few of the ranting radicals north, who
are more than extreme: and we repeat
that there is something gained: for at
first, nothing*but the death of all the reb
els—at least all the leaders—would satis
fy the northern people, en masse: and they
desired no peace, and would have none,
this side of very extensive, not to say uni
versal killing, at the south. The whole race
of rebels were to be swept from the earth,
and their place to be filled by better, peo
ple—a more loyal race..
But we hear nothing of this, now. Ev
en the baboon, and the baboonites are wil
ling to have peace—nay, anxious to have
peace—on two conditions- -one the ‘ in
tegrity of the union,’ and the other the
abolition of slavery. A second class are
willing to do better than this. A majori
ty, perhaps, of the northern people, are-
desirous of peace, on the basis of 1 the
union as it was.' A third class would go
even beyond this, and would be hap
py to obtain peace on the basis of doing
a better part by us than the old constitu
tion did. They believe that Jefferson Da
vis is fighting the battle of constitutional
liberty. They propose, ‘ if old Abe should
finally be elected, to raise a counter revo
lution, and overthrow the whole cursed
abolition horde.’ They further propose
to ‘ guarantee the protection of all state
rights,’ including secession, and also ‘ to
guarantee us the protection,of slavery up
to the original lines, and throughout all
the territories.’ (The Tribune endeavors
to show that all the McClellan men stand
upon this basis.) A fourth class proposes
to do still better than the third class, and
let the south go in peace.—There is bul
little difference between the last two class
es—it being believed that both might be
brought to acknowledge our independence.
It is evident that the feeling, in some of
the western states, is almost that which
produces ciyil war. So far has this feel
ing extended in Kentucky, that Lincoln
has found it necessary to proclaim mar
tial law, in that state—while in four or
five of the other western states, he is pro
hibiting the importation of arms, in the
teeth of the constitution he swore to sup
port. In Indiana, he, or his minions, are
depriving the people of arms they already
have, in equally plain violation of the U.
S. constitution. The abolition governor,
Morton, in a late speech, alluding approv
ingly to the robbing of the people of In
diana of their arm4, said that ‘ for eight
een months past, immense quantities of
arms, and amunition have been coming in
to the state for the avowed purpose of re
sisting the state and federal authorities.’
The present auditor of that state, who is
a candidate for re-election to the post he
now fills, has *said, 1 Our salvation is m the
success of the southern arms. If they
are crushed down, then woe betide us.’
The Chicago Times recently contained
an article on a northwestern confederacy,
defying any combination to defeat the
purpose of organizing one, should the
people of that section determine to have
such a confederacy. It is alleged that
throughout the west, particularly, a secret
society exists, in good understanding with
the purposes of Pr. Davis.
Now all these things being so, is there
not wanted a grand coup d’etat? Has Pr.
Davis mind and nerve enough to execute
one ? If he was fully up to the mark of
his own interests, those sf his country
men, and of mankind, he certainly would
make good use of the splendid opportu
nity that presents itself to him,
Since we have so many friends at the
north, why not get them to fight for us,
and with us, and Ave with them, and for
them, instead of against each other?
Let Pr. Davis think of this, and execute
a grand coup d’etat. Let him issue a
proclamation to our northern friends, and
invite them to make common cause with
us, in our fight for their, as well as our in
dependence, and freedom, in the triumph
of state rights. Let him say to the north
ern people, by solemn proclamation, what
he lately said to the yankee ambassadors
—that we are not fighting for slavery, but
for freedom—for the right of s elf-govern
ment. Let him, at the same time, having
a large army along the border, or across
the line, proclaim Abraham Lincoln a
traitor to the American union—one who
has either subverted, or intends to sub
vert, every principle upon which republic
can government in America is founded.
Let him invite every friend of freedom to
rally round his standard, and help him to
restore liberty, ,and their rigji’s to the
states of N. America. Let him propose
to throw open the prison doors of the
north, and strike off the fetters from the
limbs of those whom Lincoln has incarcer
ated for opinion’s sake. Let him be pre
pared to furnish the state rights men of
the north with arms. Even hoist the old
United States flag, as the emblem ef lib
erty as it once was, instead of the em
blem of oppression as it now is. Say to
the northern people, here is your flag—
rally around it. It »o longer means tyr
anny and usurpation, but it again means
liberty, and independence to each and alh
the states of Noith America. Follow me
under its folds, inscribed with the em
blems ol the olden time, when you and E
fought together under it. Follow me,
and I will lead you to victory over the
foes who. have dared to prostitute these-
colors to the purposes of tyranny and op
pression. Fellow me, and I swear to
plant them on the battlements of state
rights built up once more to their fair
proportions. And then, .when every
state is restored to the independence, and
sovereignty which r ightfully belong to it—
—then it will be for each one of them —
each for itself, to say what shall be its re
lations to the balance.
With this battle-cry, and this flag, who
doubts that Pr. Davis would be able to
rally to his standard such an army as has
never yet trod the American continent?
And with that army, not only would the
rights of the southern states be secured
to them, but every ottfer section \\ r ould
also have its rights, and the war would
soon be ended. True, it would not be end
ed according to the programme first laid
down by us: -but it would be endedrin
such a way as to secure us substantially
all we ever contended for; And what is
the use of contending for the form, if we
can get the substance
The plan we propose, particularly as Pr
Lincoln has already served out nearly.his
whole term, would end the war in a way
honorable to all parties. The north could
not say she had conquered the south, and
the south could not say she had forced
the north to yield. No state would
be subjugated," and no section con
quered, nor even wounded in its pride.
The states could e\ T ery orte say, here we
stand, independent and sovereign co-
equals. That is the way we stood before
the war, and that is the way we stand
now. We have fought for a maintenance