St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1856-09-11
The Duty Of Freemen.


The present state of our country
calls upon all good citizens to make
most earnest enquiry as to what is
the position of duty in the present cri-
sis. And in view of the exigencies
of the times, the question seems to
to narrow itself down to this-shall l
60 to an extreme on either side, or
shall l avoid both extremes as alike
dangerous, and take middle ground
between the two? The wisdom of a
Washington, the counsels of Madi-
son, a Marshall and Jay, would
point to the latter course. The wise
patriotism of our fathers would seem
to counsel us to pursue an honorable
conservative course, stunning the ex.
tremes that would deny equal rights
to all, and pursuing that impartial
course which would protect the
rights of every section and every
man alike. We do not now need ad.
vocates so much as we need impair.
tial judges. We do not need parti.
zans but umpires. And it is the duty
of every good man to lay aside his
partizan feelings, and to endeavor, in
good faith, and in view of his duty as
a citizen of this great and glorious
confederacy, to look calmly at all the
aspects Of the case, and to act up
rightly, with full regard to all the
rights and all the duties of all parties.
The extreme South are united in
their endeavors to force their ultra
measures upon the country and to
perpetuatc their ultra policy in the
government of the nation. Actuated
by evil passions and a selfish desire
for power, they proceed regardless Of
the law and constitutional right to Co
cree, by lawless violence, the fulfil
ment Of their unrighteous designs.
They occupy the position Of belliger-
ants, who claim all the right to be on
their own side, and all the wrong up
on the other. Dangerous men are
they to follow. Disruption, disunion,
destruction, attend their councils,
and gross wrong the courses of their
footsteps. " a a. Ela
The extreme North are united in
their efforts not to bring back the
people to the wise counsels Of Wash
ington and Marshall, but to punish
the South,-merely topunish the South,
not to restrain bloodshed, but to re-
sist bloodshed by bloodshed ITO meet
wrong by wrong,-simply to oppose
force and violence to force and vio-
lence. They forget that they have du-
ties to fulfil, in blindly clamoring
against the wrongs committed by
others. a-. 1853 g..s"
With both these extremists dis
.uption and disunion stalk at the
lead Of their columns, and the swollen
torrent Of prejudice and passion, per-
laps insensibly, carries upon it's front
he elements of dire destruction.
Between these two there is a mid
lie course, the course of Liberty un-
der Law +; Of the Constitution with all
its guarantees of the Federal COM
pact with it's broad banner of protec-
ton alike to all. Between the con-
hosts, embittered by passion
and passionate appeals, ready to fall
on and fight each other in the heart
and madness Of partizan and deadly
conflict, stand the conservative band
Of patriots who remember that while
they are men and freemen, they are
citizens of a common country, where
auty stands side by side with right,
where no man deserves to enjoy a
right unless he will fulfil a duty,
where the guarantees of the law and
the sanction of the Constitution belong
alike to all.
These are the men who in obedience
to the counsels of past patriotism, and
to the dictates of sound wisdom, would
stand upon the broad basis of the Con-
stitution, and with the majesty and
he power of an impartial selfsacrific-
ng judgment, compel these extremes,
however unwillingly, to become
friends, to lay aside their animosities,
. yield obedience to the demands of
N even justice, and to make mutual
acrifces and mutual pledges to the
and the perpetuity of
heir common birthright. Yielding
lothing to sectional prejudice or pas
sion /: but sternly opposing sectional
wrong and violence ;-striying to re-
pair wanton breaches of public faith
and to protect the rights of territory