Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-07-26
The Euturc-NO. L.

NOtliu say u WOTu u my lclloW W-ClIlZcI
now, in advance, before we come back
peace. Some may say let party alone now
No, this is the right time to speak Of party i
certain points Of view. 1t is only in a broa
view-a national onc-that l will refer t.
party.
| wish to irvite the people now to reflec
upon this question. Out Of what parties, o
professions, or political creeds have we beel
brought into our present position. OF cours
| have no objection to Democracy in any jus
sense, for in such sense | claim to be Dem
ocrat. That same name will again be used
but let us hereafter look to it and see what el
cments and principles are in fact involved il
it. We know what it is properly and in itself
but other things, qualities and principles have
been brought in under the shadow of thi.
name so acceptable to ALL
Those of us who are Wings and Repubi
cans have not been believed when we told the
people that "all's not gold that glistens -
that all that was made to come under the
name of Democracy was not such. We have
not been believed when we said the Democrat.
ic party was being led away, under that name
by the slave party. We said the South was
using that party for their own purposes, but
our fellow citizens who loved the name would
not believe this. We We're sincere in so say
ing, but they thought we said it for party pur-
poses. But now we see it all ; and the actual
truth and result has gone far beyond the an
ticipations of most of us. We said the South
was bent on slavery, and cared nothing for
Democracy, except so far as it could be made
to serve that their great interest and we said
they were not Democrats in truth, vet we
were not believed, though we did'not tell half
the truth. There are some among us who did
not dare to tell our full belief and anticipa-
tons, for, if we were not believed as far as we
did 90, of course we should not be if we went
further
Il do not say this to show how correct our
prophesy was, nor for any similar reason, but
IN view of all that has occurred, and now is,
| would call upon our fellow citizens to take
heed in the future-to be more willing to see
it when that party which takes the popular
name of Democracy goes astray-to be more
ready to see the tendency of their course, and
to listen even to political opponent when he
points out the shoals and breakers ahead.
We have supposed this Union indissoluble;
that no one would seriously and actually at
tempt its overthrow We have regarded it as
one among the things everlasting. But we
now see men and States striving to overthrow
it. You have sec1 that eperything has had
to yield to slavery, al the view Of those who
cherish it, even to the destruction of this
blessed Union. If a reconciliation of any
kind and upon any terms is made, this same
subject will be a source Of future question and
difficulty, and if we would not be overcome,
we must keep our eyes open to the bearings
of parties and take proper measures in proper
time. G..
NUMBER II.
We know now that slavery is the source of
all our troubles-the foundation of those evil
designs which have resulted in an attempt to
break up the government Now is not this
the time to place thatinterest where it bclon gs
under control-in a subsidiary condition
1t is but an interest, though it be large one.
But its results in the annual production are
not greater than some others-not greater
than sereral others in the North, and yet no
one ever thought of asking so preponderating
an influence for any one Of our equally large
interests. But that is a monstrous e0il be-
sides, and we must not and cannot shut our
eyes to this fact Although it is great prop
erty interest, it still is also an equally great
evil, and in ali points Of view, Social civil, po
litical and moral, and is it not folly and even
to pass by this fact and give it no
weight? If it were any other kind of inter-
est and an evil at the same time, we should
not pass it by.
The rebels will be overcome, and the lead
ers hung, hope, or else driven away. (Jeff
Davis, it is said, is now investing money in
France as his future refugee When this is
done the loyal part Of the people will assume
the reins Of government in those States, and
will 60 on in the good old course. Is it not
our duty then to ourselves, to posterity, and
to the world, Ito speak Of nothing higher,) to
place this curse under control? 1t may seem
hard to some of them, but many even among
themselves, will approve. And then recolect
how small the proportion is that own slaves
The census gives about $50, 900; but even this
is not the true number. In the census there
are two causes that swell the number to near
ly double the truth. Where any one owns
slaves in two or more counties or parishes, he
is put down as many times as there are such
counties. This includes large number
Then again, the census classes as asslave-holders
all who hire slaves. The number of these is
very large; do not know but it approximates
to that of those who own them. Daducting
for these two causes of duplication, and it is
believed that the slave oWners do not exceed
20O, 900 in number!
Now what justice, honor, right, IS there in
requiring us to sacrifice so much that is just
and and good to so small a number persisting
in an evil, even though it be profitable one
to them? 1t has been by their bodness and
constant vigilance that they have acquired the
power over us which they have exercised in
the past thirty years. We have been asleep
we have been quiet, easy, attending to our
BUSINESS, and unsuspicious, while they have
oeen wakeful and shrewd, and have moulded
the government to suit themselves and occtl-
pied the great majority of its offices, high and
low. Down to :, late date the Presidency was
nearly always theirs, and they did not surren-
der it till they found tools more compliant
than their own men. We have permitted
Presidents to be put upon US by fraud and
Misrepresentation. What greater shame
could come upon a people pretending int Iii
gence and sclf-government, than the fraud as
to polk's opinions ON the tariff, by which he
was imposed upon us