Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-02-22
IFor the Journal.l

in last few months, and have honestly endeavor,
ne to find out the true causes OF complaint viii,
J.. the South have against the North. I'll
to leading men of the secession say it is not Il
Is election of Lincoln, and believe them: (;
j. every intelligent man knows that Mr.. Lincol,
le as well as the whole Republican party, is yer
! conservative. 1t is either ignorance or will,
e Misrepresentation that induces any one
J. denominate him, or the party, abolitionists
It They say it is not the non-execution of tn
= = Fugitive Slave Law, and cannot but be!iey
j them. They seem to keep back the real cause
But Mr.. Clay, of Alabama, and some others
have lately divulged the secret. 1t is kta
the slaoshoIders, under tile name ef Democ
racy, can no longer control the Government
They must "rule or ruin" This is doubles,
the principal reason; but there is anothe,
and powerful one, which not only account.
for the treason of the South, but is also an
index to tho numerous petitions to Congress
to accept any compromise, even Crittenden's,
rather than have a conflict with the South.
1t is estimated, by those having an opportu-
nifty Of knowing, that the South Is now
indebted to the North to the enormous amount
of siSty millions of dollars. Now, there are
sixty millions Of reasons for secession, and
sixty millions of reasons why the North are
willing to make compromises. 1t is the
"Almighty Dollar" Freedom must be sacri
feed by the North to secure the Indebtedness
Of the South. This indebtedness accounts
for the act of the South Carolina Legislature
in declaring all debts due by citizens of South
Carolina to citizens of the non-slaveholding
States null and void. This amount of money
is mostly due to merchants in New York,
Philadelphia, and Boston; and from those
cities are coming those enormous petitions to
Congress. If the South can accomplish
secession, they will find excuses enough to !
delay the payment of their debts, and perhaps |
repudiate them forever. But is this any
reason why the honest millions of the North
should sacrifice their principles, their love of
freedom and justice? No, take our money,
but leave us Liberty-the right to vote for
whom we please, without asking any Southern
master; the tight of the majority to rule,
without being threatened with a dissolution
of the Union if we dare to elect any man
President who is obnoxious to the slave
holders.
These two reasons, the determination Of
the South to control the Government Ct the
United States, and the Indebtedness Of the
South to the North, are, when stripped of
their verbiage, the real cause of all the diff.
Guilty. Shall we basely surrender our primo
pies to such men? No. never.
l am much surprised at some persons, who
say they are willing to fight foreign enemy,
out are not willing to go to war with tie
Southern States. Do we ever 90 to war
because of personal enmity to the foe? Do
We kill them to crafty malice? Do We fire
he cannon or raise the glittering blade for
my object other than the defense OF our
country, her constitution, and her laws?
Certainly not. Nowar can be justified in the
sight of God or man but defensive one. III
his be true, then am as much justified, and
t is as much my duty, to fight traitor at |
lome as an enemy abroad. 1t is the enemies d
If the Constitution of my country that am /.
ustiied in fighting, and no others. War is
great calamity, and all honorable means
hould be resorted to to avert it; but if the
so,,&h oort;p,a &bo;r %rooonrcbIo ooal,,.L ..,J
We must either submit to their unrighteous
demands or have war, let us meet them, and
how to the world that wes.are not unworthy
# our ancestors. The consequences Of the {
var will be with them. We are only defending
he Constitution Of our country as our fathers
handed it down to US.
We hear certain persons, in our quiet city,
Who are prating much about Union and F,
Union mon. Their Union means submission {
o the shareholders. You cannot find Re-
publican who is not Union man. The
republicans will make any honorable con.
SESSIONS for the sake of peace and union; but
when they must choose between Union and
Freedom, if they can have but one, they will
lake Freedom. But yon may see, from the
source of this Union talk, that it means a
very different Union from the one which the {
Republicans desire to maintain. You will
find that much Of this Union talk means the +,
union of the Knov-N -Nothings with the Dem
oerats for the purpose of destroying the only ,
Constitutional Union party in the United
Republican party. Notice who
talk so much about compromises. UNo1X.