Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1860-12-18

terday was duh day In our city. A geners
,tagnation seemed to perva!e all kinds Of bust
meas. aud blue Monday" was apparent every
whe-e. The deepest solicitation seemed to De
felt among all regarding the price OF
grain, pork or groceries but the movement ot
the southern branch Of our Confederacy. The
minds OF many are made up that to-day is the
| last day Of the Union that with the going
down of the sun On thi4 sth day Of December,
! 1860. goes down the star Of this glorious Re-
rub lic-set- forever in gloom that bright orb
which in their national pride the noble sons
aud d. lighters Of our land have gazed upon
with patriotic pleasure. Here in Davenport
the cling is fact taking hold on the p bile
mind--the awful reality il coming home 10 our
hearts AMI heerth-stones that the altar of Free
dom erected less than a century ago, and
around which we have ell SO ferventy knelt
and worshipped, is to be assaied, defaced and
torn to the ground, and made the scorn and
reproach Of other nations-a by word in the
mouths Of those who have often predicted
that his day would come. We have only a
last lingering hope left and that il that il viii
not come to-day; that it may be put oiI-tem.
porize lard that the cup nay not yet be
placed at our lip, but even that hope our bet.
ter Judgment tells Us Is scarce worth preserv
ing-ecaree worth the poor moment of time in
which 1t fits through our brain.
/ And suppose this il the last day in which the
z a., ~ l.
tethoo1 Of states-what il the noble statue OF
our Union il this day to lie hurled from its pc
destall " nat then 2 War must ensae. There
is such thing a. peaceable secession in this
a lecaradc o war a. tho Oh the government
/ itself through its Chief Executive had declared
it, And u nat then? We would gladly blind
our eyes and snut out the light which reveals
the further consequence.
War once inaugurated-the first gun fired
the first drop Of American blood spilled by
American sabre bullet on American soil
will open the tlood-gate Of war-of revolution
the war waged by Napoleon the war Of the
which for bitterness persstency and blood
Revolution oi the thirteen Colonies. VIII be but
d mere preface What thenl Who is going
to do this tighling2 Whose hands are to be
imhued in this sanguinary movement Who
i. TO stand on the one side and who will take
their places over against them :? There is a
question which involves much and vet il is
| agitat edit IS talk ed OF on even our streets
even here in Davenport far away from the
actual battle ground is it talked of, an. .men
here as well a- in the South--as well as in the
East, make up their m inds and firmly resolve
where they vii. stand-where they will be
found when circumstances actually demand
Their resenee face to face with the enemy. II
is grave subject to treat upon-grave indeed
to think Of. even; but men will make up their
minds and Upon their conclusions will they act
l. the entire South to be drawn up in the bat.
tie array against the South Never, believe it,
Are Northern men going down upon their
Southern brethren, aud with one fell swoop
clear them from the lace OF the earth Believe
it not Are there no sympathes-no sympa
thetic bonds which make tie cause of one the
cause of the other I These gu cries have their
meaning, and they re already in the minds Of
the thinking. moving, acting people OF the
North and the South as well. Nor would we
counsel indifference or stoicism regarding
them. Dark days and trying times loom up in
our pathway-it is but fitting that they be re-
garded and contemplated in advance Let the
Wide Awakes prepare their uniformsx~ tn cir
arms-they will need them. Aye, and tb cir
torches. too, unless some miracle is performed
for greater campaign than the one through
which they have just passed, is, we fear, abou,
to be announced. They will be wanted
their best energies will be called for-all tn cir
parading will not come amiss. Their CAPTAINS
and lieutenants have no time to lay off in Ga
tigue,' for there is work ahead