The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1860-10-20
KEOKUK, IOWA: SATURDAY. OCTOBER 90 1860

| marks, except myself and he is a very for
tanate speak er who does that. Laag ghter.l
/ was speaking of this nation ai idea-tbas
| it needs no exposition anywhere. 1t 10 one
| OF those propositions that when addressed TO
| thoughtful men needs no exposition or de-
fenee. And Why mot?
| Here we can see for ourselves this mean
and miserable rivulet Of black African slave
~, stealing along snrbid and muddy as IL 10,
drawn from iss stagnaDt source In the slave
States we see that it is pestIlential in the
atmosphere il passes through; we can see
bow inadequate il 10 and unfit 10 irrigate y
whole continent with tbe living waters OF
health and life; We can see bow it is that
everything within its sphere wiEhers and
droops; while, on the other hand, We can
also see this broad food Of free tabor as II
descends the mountain sides in torrents, and
10 gathered in rivulets, increasing in volume
and power, and to spread itself abroad. We
osn we'll see by this work that IL has already
done, how IL irrigates ard must continue to
irrigate this whole continent; how every
good and virtuous plant lives and breashes by
its support. We see the magical fertility
which results from ito ps esehee, because IL Is
around as and before Us.
VI o som etinncs, fellow citizen, hear an ar
gument for former proposition made IN
this form One offers to stake thing 10 be
done by the Job" Let LIZ imagine for mo
meal that there could ba one man bold
enough, great enough, and wise enough 10
stake by the iob'' the work Of establishing
civilization over the bread continent OF North
/ America. lie would, Of course, want 10 DO
| it 10 the shortest time, at the cheapest ex-
pense, rDd 10 the best msnner. Nov. would
such u IN aB ever dream of importing African
bsrbarisns; or Of taking their ehildren or
dtceniants in this country TO build up and
people great free States all over this Land,
from the Allegheny Mountains TO the Pacific
0eeanf Would be not, on the contrary, &C
1 cept, as the righIfsl, natural, heslthful, and
best possible agency which ha could select,
the free labor of free men the minds, the
theughts, the Wills, the purposes, the ambi-
tions OF enlightened freemen, snoh ~e
claim ourselves TO be; would he not receive
all who claimed to aid in such services as
these. shfther they were born on this soil,
or we're Graded in foreign lands?
i | care not, fellow citizens. what reckless
men may say ia the heat of debate, or under
the influence OF interest, passion or prejudice;
ii 10 a matter OF indifference whether Slavery
shall pervsde the whole land, or a part Of
the land, and freedom the resiaus-that
Freedom and Slavery may take their ehauces
who "don't care whether Slavery IL voted
up or voted down. There is no man who has
an enlightened conscience who Is IndiHer.
ent on the subieot OF human bondage. There
IL no man who 10 enlightened and honest,
who would not ahate some considerable part
OF bis worldly wealth If be could thereby
convert this laud from land cursed in whole
or in part with Slavery, into land Of equal
and impartiaI liberty lcheersl; and | will
I salI Ar. 4 kpn 4 IN a
every man demands freedom for himself, and
refuses to be slave. No free man, who is
q man, would consent TO be q slave; no
slave ~ho has any manhood In bim does not
desire TO be free ; no man who has un-
perverted reason does not lament, condemn
and deplore the idea OF commerce IN man !;
the executloner 10 always odious, even
though his task is necessary 20 the admins
trstion Of justice. But we turn with horror
aud disgust from bim who wieds the axe
SO the laveholder turns with disgust from
the auetioneer who sells the men and women
whom he has reared and held in slavery, al
though be receives the profits OF the sale
into bis o~p offers.
) know this national idea OF ours 10 Just
and right for another reason; 10 10, taat in
the whole history Of society, human nature
has never, never honored one man who re.
duced another man 10 bondage. The word
, is full of monuments 10 homer OF men who
have delivered their fellow men from slavery
, Since this idea is elf.evidently just, and
j is of itself, pure, peaceable, easy to be en-.
, treated, and full of good works, will you tel
me why it is that it has not beea accepted By
the common people7 Alas that il should bs
i 80. Perhaps l can throw light on that b,
asking another question 10 not Christiant,
. pare, peaceable, gentle, easy TO be entreated
! and full of good works, and yet 10 not th,
church of Jesus Christ still a church mill
D tant? Alas that il should be so. Chris
0 tianity explains for herself how IL is that sh
is rejected Of men. She says il 10 becaus
: men love darkness rather than light, beeaus
O their deeds are evil. / shall not say this il
d regard to the subject Of freedom; | know
A better; know that my countrymen love igh
9 not darkness. They afe even in the stat
. and disposition of the Roman Governor
: "amost thou pnrsuadest me 30 be Chris
tian," and almost the American people ar
/, persuaded to be Republican. [Cbeers an
q laughter Why, then, are they not alto
Q qefhe err persoaded2 The answer cannot b
given without some reflection. IL invnlve
It an examination OF our national conduct an
- life.
It The reason Why the country is only almos
y and not altogether persuaded TO be Rspubli
To can, is because The national sense Is peryert
7, ed-the national sense and judgment hav
D. been perverted. We Inherited slavery; il
!. orgsrtxca .c.c cc- n..:cc:. !..s@.l.a Sl
,s forms of government. II exists among nj
IA unsuspectcd in it's evils, because We have b
come accustomed, out Of national habit,
10 enduring and toierating slavery, The efFe'
r Of this habit, arising from the presence |
DO slavery, 10 70 produce 0 want OF moral cou
ut ago among the peopls and m indspositc
ID to entertain and examine the subject. II
be not, howaver, the fault OF tbe people. tn
lie lack OF moral courage 10 chiefly the fault
n the political representatives OF the people
b. In every district in the United States, al