Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1858-05-15
From the Desmoines Citizen.
Bank Law O..

Bank Laws.
The people generally Of the State have
had an opportunity, before this time, Of
examining the two banking laws, passed by
the recent Legislature. These laws will be
submitted to the popular vote on the FOURTH
MONDAY in JUNE, at which time it will be |
decided whether Iowa shall remain under
the dominant rule of shnplasterism, and be
overrun by II spurious foreign currency, or
whether We shall have currency of our
own, free from the corruptions of pild cat
ism, and entitled to universal confidence.
The want of sound and healthy home cur
rency has been the fundamental want of the
State In every respect, this want has vitality
retarded the development of our natural
resources, chilled our energies, contracted
all our commercial operations, impoverished
our farmers and business men, kept back for
years those internalimprovement that are
inseparable from great prosperity, and sub
Jected us to every inconvenience that must
inevitably arise from the explosion of ire
sponsible banking companies, and from the
circulation among us of an equivocal foreign
currency. The evils to which we have been
reduced by this great want prompted origi-
nall y the call for Constitutional Conven-
ton. A heavy expense was incurred in set
ting the machinery of this Convention in
notion; and the Constitution which it
framed, ratified by the people, gave to the
Legislature power to enact banking laws
which would subserve, in the best possible
manner, the interests of the State.
These banking laws are before the people
the State and Free Bank bills. The Leg
islature which framed them and passed them
was eminently worthy of the trust confded
to its hands. 1t brought to this great respon-
sibility men of practical experience, ability
and integrity; and we are assured that their
earnest iabors for the common veal, in the
careful and judicious construction of laws
giving banking facilities, have already met
the warm approval of the people.
One thing is certain: These laws are
most vigilantly guarded. The Constitution
to which they conform is especially careful
and guarded in the article on interpretations;
and these laws 60 before the voters of Iowa
with the highest claims upon general conf
dence. They secure the bill holder with the
most faithful precaution and if they meet
with popular approval on the Fourth Mon
DAY of JUNE, us they auiA, the benefcent
results that must flow from their practical
operation, will be felt in every department
of trade and business in the State.
THE DEsERTERs RErURNING.-It is an~
nounced that now, as the English bill has
passed, Douglas has expressed his acquies-
cence, and has determined to cooperate
with the President upon every other matter
simultaneously with the passage of that bill,
many of the Presidents opponents in his
own party We're affected with weakness of
the spinal column, and now they are ready
to fall into his arms and ask forgiveness. Tie
breach has been healed so far as the leaders
of the party are concerned. But we shall
see whether the people can be reconciled to
the iniquity. The disaffected wing of the
Democratic party having been deserted by
its leaders, has no other way to carry out its
views of justice and right than to contribute
to the support of the great Republican party,
which is now the onl y power that can bring
back the government of the nation to its
primitive purity and simplicity. Who can lon
ger doubt that the Democratic party is joined
to its idol-slavery? No man opposed to
the further extension of the curse of slavery
can consistently give it his support. How
ever much we deprecate sectional agitation,
it is clearly the duty of the North to stand
up as one man and defend itself agai lst the
aggressions of the South. aided by hireling
demagngues Of the North.
TIE MISSISSIPPI PInArEs-JUDGE LYNCH
IN TIE FIELD.-We learn from the McGre-
gor Times that two Of the river thieves or
"pirates" captured there few days since,
named Scovile and Howell, waived an ex-
animation and were committed to jail Mrs.
Bell, the wife OF the wounded robber who
managed to escape, is also held as witness.
At Prairie du CHEN, six or seven Of the
suspected party were taken care Of bya Wig
ilance Committee. The prisoners heads
were shaved, they were severely whipped
with leather thongs, and then turned ad:ilt.
On Friday last four of the gang were cap
tured at Dunleith by a Vigilance Committee,
who decreed that their heads should be shaw
ed and their persons ornamented with tar.
The hal" of one was cut short and his coof
smeared with tar, when "Commodore Bogy"
interfered. and they were finally sent down
the river in skitf.
Gov. WISE TALKING.-Gov. Wise, of Vir-
ginia, expresses his opposition to the English
Kansas bill, and the Richmond Enquirer
gives it particular thunder. In a late number
it says: "Congress now offers Kansas $780,,
600 acres of land, if the State ciH accept
Lecompton and refuses to give any lands
unless Kansas does accept Lecompton! This
is bride, it is a subterfuge, by which the
Lecompton party in Congress seek to retire
from their platform and position of refusing
to submit Lecompton to the popular vote.
1t is a cheat, by which the right, the inalien-
able right, If forming their own Constitution,
is sought to be bought from the people of
Kansas, and as such, will, if it passes Con-
gress, be blot and a stain upon legslation.'
Such is the language of sound Southern
Democrat. Would any Northern toady
speak out like that2
A SOUTHERN OPINIoN.-The Richmond
South describes the beauties of the English
Kansas bill as follows. st achieves a Con-
gressional recognition of the Lecompton
Constitution. 1t afhrms .he principles for
which the South has contended throughout
the struggle. 1t admits Kansas into the
Union as a slave State, and thus copsolidates
the victory of 1854. In practice as well as
principle, it is now established that no fede-
raj prohibition will avail to restrict the ex-
pansion of pro-slavery power"
60" The st. Louis, No, Gazette says
that the Utah "Peace Commissioners" Gov.
Powell and Maj. Mccullough, are travelling
across tie ulaus in great snlendor They