The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1861-08-17
TIE .,avsA elders, war.

leave 70 the future ito proper oiiice, and ~
must know and do our own. And, surely, It
belongs to free and thinking people, threa-
tened with the loss Of their Government,
their country, their Independence, and A.
sailed by carnage on their borders and ct
their very doors, 10 ask and understand Who
are compelling them TO this struggle, who
they are that have prepared, inaugursted and
thus far maintained this infamous rebellion?
Nor will the American people DO content to
bear up and carry on the burdens OF this
wearisome, bloody contest, without know
ing full we'll who are their actual ASSISTANTS
tho responsible authors Of this deadly strife.
The minds Of men Of all political creeds are
turning With intense interest to this inquiry,
and will have the truth at length.
That War vas FIRST threatened and rrspar.
cd for, that the frst blow Was struck, and
the conflict Of arms actually inaugurated BY
the seeding States, no man worth reasoning
with win nov deny. Bat the population OF
these seeding States consists OF three ele-
ments--slaves, non alsveholding whites, and
aslaveh olders. Which Of thsss il irresponsible
for this war or, arc they oil responsibiep
The patient slave, oil know, has not struck
at the government, though its strong arm
has 90 long enabled the South to held him 10
bondage. And the Notwithstanding whites,
whatever their vrongs, have suffered no real
or pretended grievances = the hands Of the
Federal Government. Under ground rail
roads, sllsdged violations Of fugitive slave
laws, unoonesitutional limitations Of slavery
extension, or violations Of the right Of pro-
eEty 10 slaves have never wronged them
They we're too poor to own slaves, and
scarce owned themselves. Can it be imsg-
iued that these men spontaneously faneed
themselves segrieved by the Federal Gov
eminent, and moved the whole South TO their
quarrel.
Third element Of Southern society 10 the
slav ehoIdiug. The least numerous of the
three, numbering only three or four hun
dred thousand all told, yet, because owning
the property Of the South, united in sympa-
thy, and will and action, able to overawe or
control she political and religious press, they
are the leaders Of Southern politics; they
shape the ideas Of the ignorant non-sIave-
holding masses Of whitss they control pub
lilo opinion; they dictate in fact the whole
action Of Southern society. Politically,
they are the South, and no great Southern
novsnsmens could rise without their power
ful agency. Here, then, is power capable Of
holding down tho slsves, Of deluding, mad
dening and using the poor whises, OF mussl-
Jog AID impresssne resident friends Of the
Union, and hurting the Ststes OF the South
against the bulwarks OF the Constitution and
the Lave.
And they have had strong temptations to
do this. Between . small, moneyed sristoo-
raey-a caste, Az oligarehy-snd the great
principle Of democratic eovernmsnt--a gov
4 ernment BY oil for oil there wss . natur
al, necessary, eternal hostility Where the
majority ruled. they could nos rule. Their
suprsoass - the Uoion being lost, they had
. strong temptation 10 preserve il by ssoes-
sion, 81 tbs sssri6os Of the Uolon. A great
Southern Uonesdersoy, in which, ~ Vice
President Stepheos proclaimed, slavery
shouid b ssthe chief stone Of the corner,' y
and sA~nselvos feudal lords, With free trade
20 Europe ana - shs slave coasts Of Africa,
and With roeo Tor tho boundless expansion
Of s'she peculiar inssi.ution." This vas .
tempting lars - treason and civil var.
Moreover, ~ slAveholding interest bad
often threatened the destruction of the Union
Southern Congressman, 10 all their mensOes
and defiance, were but lite Representatives
and y Ok Amen. II bad openly asserted the
right OF rebellion, withdrawing tho crime
with she name Of seceseion.
A = matter of. fact, the slaveholdsrs
Of the South are the parties Who hsve insti.
gated, prepared for, and set on foot the pre-
sent rebellion. And they are now the back
bone Of the var, on the part Of the South
They blindfold. tyrsnniSs over, and lead on to-
. South They creste = panic Of . servile in
: surrection, to be instigsted BY the North
4 and make capital out OF that alarm. The
confesss 10 conversation that they are 6xht
|. ing for their slaves. Their Or. Palmer
sni Bishop Folks openly proclaim il. An,
!. the Woe President Of the rebel confederac
, ayoxs slAsery TO be s'the immediate cause
!. Of the present revelation.
Let the millions Who are fighting the bat
tle Of the Constitution and she Union under
. stand who are their real ASSISTANTS. Throug
: the smoke OK the battle Geld, over beyon
r the masked batteries, in spite Of the star
Il and stripes used ~ . decoy, let them see tn
! actual enemy. When, in the first revolution
b England hired msroepsriss to 6ght Der bal
4 ties, il Was not the Hessisps, but Englsnt
= that wased the war. And in this SCOOP
!. struggle for national life and liberty, thosg
i slaves may work on the trenches, and poo
: whites rush to the battle, and foreign lsbol
ers snd impressed Union men may be 10 Il
Geld, lot 10 be understood that the men wh
aim the cannon, and raise tho CRY Of bassl
:. and hire these armies. and hurl them aeain
ID the foundations OF she Governments and Oel
stitusion are thu slAveh0iders OF TIL, Seatl
III these are she mes uho choose slasesy tath
OF than the Union. 21AyerY lAHnilx naofootl