The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1856-04-01

Iowa, called at Charleston in said County on
the 9th day of February, 1856, as candidates
to fiji the Offices Of County Clerk and Soho
Fund Commissioner on the Republican Ticket
for said county Of Lee, to be voted for on the
FIRST Monday in April, 1855, we deem il right
and proper in this way to address our fellow
citizens, and give the reason why we have
consented to app ar before them as the ncmi-
naes Of the Republican party of the Empire
County of Iowa.
The question will naturally arise in your
minds: Why is the Republican party organ
lied to act independently Of other political
parties now existing, and what are its princ-
plies and proposed course of actionP In an
swering the question, part of the history and
present position of other parties will be ex-
amlned, and We will frankly give our reasons
for our separate action, and call upon every
citizen who may approve Of our principles TO
take ground openly for their defence and ex-
tension.
Ever since the formation of the United
States Government there have been two oppo-
site principles engaged contending for the
mastery and to extend their influence in the
nation. The principle Of Freedom and the
4 Rights Of Man was the issue on which the
! Fathers of this nation staked their all and
pledged to each other their lives, their for
tunes and their sacred honor in its defence.
when they drew the sword against the most
powerful nation Of that time. They freely
gave thcir lives and fortunes to establish and
defend the sacred cause of liberty, and came
out OF the great trial triumphantly, with their
honor not only untarnished, but with charac-
ters which entitle them to be held in eyerlast-
4 ing remembrance as great benefactors Of the
/ human race. Before the War of the Revolu-
ton commenced, the slavery Of the African
race Ind existed in the then colonies Of Great
/ Britain in America, as we'll as in other parts
/ of the world. The injustice of the system
was fully seen and acknowledged in l776,
and in some Of the States measures were
immediately taken TO abolish it. In others
measures were adopted to provide for its gra-
dual extinction, while in the more southern
/
see the end Of the system, and as an earnest
Of their sincerity the Congress of the Confed-
GRAFTON passed laws and ordinances to pro-
hibit It's extension outside the then existing
States, in the National Territory.
As we trace the history Of this nation from
1881 to present time, we find that the princi-
pie Of opposition to slavery and aristocracy
that was almost universal in the nation then
has been gradually losing its power in the
slave States, till instead of adopting sys-
tenn OF gradual emancipation, as proposed
by Franklin. Lafayette and others, and en-
couraged by Washington, Jefferson and MANY
, of their contemporaries, the corrunting IN
hucnce Of wealth obtained by those engaged
in slaveholding appears to have SO darkened
their perceptions Of the rights Of their fell
low-men who happened 70 belong to another
family Of the human race, that instead Of
preparing them for freedom, they banded TO-
geiher to devise ways and means 10 pcrpatu-
ate their bondage and also extend the same
unjust and tyrannical system where previous
~ Is had no existence, and by the skill and
adroitness they possess and exercise they
have So frequently obtained possession Of
and controlled the national Government, that
they have been able TO add slave State after
slave State to this Union, in open violation
Of the first principles Of the nation, rs laid
down in the preamble TO the L. $. Constita-
lion and the Declaration Of Independence
During every step that has been taken by
those who go for the principle Of slavery ex-
tension they have met with opposition, to
some extent, from those who favored Free
dom only, and III some instances this oppos-
ton has been steady and protracted, us in
the when the Missouri Compromise bill
was passed in 1920. The slaveholding party
then appeared to give up all claim to extend
their Institution on national territory in which
it did not exist, and drew up and signed the
bond binding themselves to this principle for
all time to come.
Although slavery was thus forever excluded
from certain territories Of the nation by
Southern men, they appear to have often
acted on the principle that their interest in
slaves, although only a local State institu-
tlon, should be fostered and protected BY the
national government and Congress, and we
finally find them succeed in getting a bill
passed By Congress (although no such pow
er il conferred on Congress BY the Constitu-
ton in any express provision) which bill i'm
posesbnes and penalties upon citizens Of
! the States il they refuse to obey the COM
mand, when called upon, to assist in recap
turing fugitive slaves, which are considered
the property Of individuals. in which the
national government has no interest and the
expenses incurred in carrying this law into
force, instead of being paid as they should be-
by the owners Of the property which is lost
for its recovery, as Is right and customary,
are paid out OF the Treasury of the nation,
nearly two-.hirds of which belongs to the
people Of the free States.
4 majority of the old Wing and Demo-
cratic parties passed the aforesaid act, W ich
was signed by Willard Fillmore, the then
President of the United States and although
many leading statesmen and citizens then OPP
posed it, the majority of Congress, com
posed of all the Southern delegation and
! af hn North IL .......-----