The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1860-12-28


long have as vet committed no act Of which
anybody can complain. II they have fear.
as to tho course W. may hereafter pursue,
hey are mere apprehsnslans-a bare suapi-
con, arising, fear, out OF thor unwarrant.
able prejudices, and nothing else.
wish to ascertain at the outset whether
We are right; for tell gentlemen, that il
they can convince me that am holding 20
ltical principles not warranted by the Con-
etitr ton und which We live, or that trench.
cs on their rights, they need not ask me to
compromise il. ! will be ever ready to
grant redress, and to right myself whenever
am wrong. No man need ever approach
me With the threat that the Government un :
der which live is 30 he destroyed; because
bore have now, and ever shall have, such
q sci eli Of justice, that when any man shows
me that am wrong, shall be ready to right
ii without rriccaor compromise.
Now, sir, what is it of which gentlemen
complain? When | left my home in the
West, 10 come to this place, all was calm,
/ cheef ul, and contented. heard of no dis
content. | appreheuded that there was
nothing to interrupt the harmonious course
| OF CIR legislation. | did not learn that
since We adjourned from this place at the
close Of the last session, there had been any
new fact intervening that should at all dis
turb he public mind. do not know that
there has been any encroachment upon the
| rights Of any section Of the country since
that time; and therefore expected to have
a bar monious session. 1t is very true, sir,
/ that the great Republican parry which has
/ been organized ever since you repealed the
| Misso mi Compromise, and who gave you,
| four years ngo, full warning that their
| growing strength would probably result az
it has resulted, have carried the late cleo
ton; but Gid not suppose that would dis.
| turb he equanimity Of this body. l did
suppu 10 that every man who was observant
OF tho signs OF tie times might we'll see that
things would result as they have resulted
| Nor ID | understand that anything growing
oat of that election 10 the cause of the excite.
ment ha. at present pervades the country
| WIZ, Mr., Precedent, this q most singular
state Ct things. Who is it that is complain
ing !? They that have been in a minority !?
They that have been the subject OF an op.
preserve and aggressive government No,
sir. Let us suppose that when the leaders
of the old glorious Revolution met at Phila.
deiphia eiahty-four years 40 to draw up
bill of indictmen. against wicked King and
his ministers, they bad been 1T loss what
they ehoula set forth AS the causes Of their
I them forth so that the great article Of i'm
peach ment will 60 down TO posterity as a
| full justification Of oil the acts they did,
/ but let us suppose that, instead Of it's being
| these old patriots who had met there to dis
solve shelr connection with the British Gov
! eminent, TO trampls their flag under foot, it
| had been tho ministers OF the Crown, the
I Leading members or the British Parliament
! Of tho dominant party that bad ruled Great
Britain for thirty years previous: who would
not have branded every man Of them as q
/ traitor? Ii would be said: lyon who have
| had the government IN your hands; you who
have been the ministers OF the Crown, ad-
/ yising everything that has been done, set up
here that you have been oppressed and az
| grieved by the acton Of that Government
which YOU have directed yoarselves.o In
stead Of sublime revolution, the uprising
i oil all oppressed people, ready to battle
against unequal power for their rights, it
| would have been al act OF treason.
How is 1t with tic LEADERS of this modern
res collation.? Are they in u position to com
plain Of The actuD VI this Government for
years past? Why, sir, they have bad more
than twotthifdsslt tho Senate for many years
past, and until vely recently, and have al.
most that now. You--who complain
4
one fourth OF the free people OF these Uni
ted States, and yel your counsels prevail,
and have prevailed all along for the lat ten
years past. 10 the Cabinet, in tho Senate Of
the United States, III the Supreme Court in
every department. If the Government, your
officers, or those devoted to you have been 10
the IN ,jority, and have dictated oil the poll
ores OF the Government. liz is not strange,
sir, ttat they who now occupy these posi-
ttons should come heTe and complain tina.
their rights are str eken down by the action
of the Government
But what has caused this great excitemen,
that undoubtedly prevails IN portion OF
our country II the newspapers are to be
credited, there is II reign Of .error in oil tbs
cities and large towns in tho Southern Dor
ton OF this community that looks very much
like tho reign of terror in Paris, during the
French revolution. There are acts of VIC
lence that we read Of almost every day
wherein the rights of Northern men are
stricken dowp: where they are cent back
with ndignties; where they are seourged
tarred, feathersi AID mardered, and no in.
quiry made as TO the cause. do not sup.
|, pose that the reguir Government, 10 time,
OF excitement like these il really responsible
for such acte. know that these outbreak,
VI passion, these terrible excitemcnts tina,
sometimes pervnde n community, are entire
ly irrepressble by the law of the country
| suppose that il the case now; because, il
these outrages ny linst Northern citizen.
were really authorized by tho State author.
tiles there, were they foreign Government
everybody knows, il it were the stronges
Govcrnment on earth, We should declare wal
upon her in one day.
Ru, what has c,uaed this great exotic
ment2 Sir, will tell you what | suppose i
is. do not, (snd say it frankly 80 muct
blame the people OF the South; because they
, believe, anl are led to believe, by all the in.
J formation that ever comes before them, thai
we, the dominant party Ut to-day, who have