The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1861-01-19

! tnoir own ultimate freedom. | imagine nou
. inc same noble vessel again entering the
9 Same haven. The flag Of thirty three stars
= AND thirteen stripes has been hauled dawn.
and 10 IT. place signal IL run up, which
tnuntB the device Of lone star or a nalmetta
> tree. Mon ask, "Who 10 the stranger th II
thus steals into our waters?v The answer
> consenptuousiy given r., "She comes from
, one Of the obscure republics Of North Amer
, lea. Let her pass on.'
Lastly, public liberty, our own reeul;ar
liberty, must anguish for a time. and then
cease TO live. And such liberty! free move
ment everywhere through our own land, and
throughout the world; free speech, free
press, free suffrage; the freedom of eyery
subJeot to vote on every law, and for or
againt every agent who expounds, adminis
ters or executes. Unstable and "a ous con.
fedaracies constantly apprehending assaults
without and trenson within, formidable only
TO each other and contemplate to all beside
how long will it be before, on the plea OF
public safety. they will surrender oil this in
estlmable and unequaled liberty, and ncccpt
the hateful and intoIerable espionage OF mil
itAry despotisml
And now, Mr.. President, what il the c.usa
Tor this sudden and eDserDa1 sacrlIce OF 40
much safety, greatness, happiness, and freq
I
are they coming IN rage upon US J? No. So
far from being enemies, there is mt ma
ton on earth that is not an interested, ad-
mring friend. Even tho London Times.
winch 10 BY no means partial to US, saws:
1T 10 quite possible that the problem or q
democratic republic may be solved by its
| overthrow in few days in \ spirit OF folly.
selhsbness, and short si ghtedness.o
las the federal government become tv-
rnnnlcai or oppressive, or even rigorous or
unsound? Has the Constitution los. it's
spirit and all ut once collapsed INTO lifeless
letter2 No (; the federal government smiles
more benignly, and WORKS TO day more ben.
| ehcai than ever. The Constitution is even
the chosen modsi for The organisation Of tho
newly rising confederacies.
The occasion is the election or n President
OF the United States who is unacceptable 10
portion Of the people. state the case ac-
enratelo. There was no movement Of dis
union before the hallots which expressed that
choice were cast. Dlsunion began as soon
rs the result Was announced. The justifca-
tion it assigns was that MIR. Lincoln ha. been
elected, while the success OF either one OF
The other candidates. would have been atoui-
esced 10.
Was tho election illegal? No; ii is un-
impcachable. IL the candidate personally
ofensivef No; he 10 a man Of unhcmshed
virtue and amIable manners. Is an election
OF President an unfrequent or extraordinary
trnnsacticA No; We never had a chief
magistrate otherwise designated than BY
snch election, ard that fern VI choice is re-.
nexcd every four ynars. Does any one even
propose 10 change the mode ~ appointing
the chief magistrate? No; election by UNI
versal suffrage, AZ modified by the Cons,itu.
a ia
American people. TO save il they woula defv
The world. IL j! apprehenjed that The nav
President will usurp despotic power? No:
while he IL oil all men The most unambitious
he -, BY the partial success Of those who
opposed bis election, subjected to such re.
strslnts that he cannot, without their con-
sent, appoint minister or even police agent,
negotiate treaty, or procure the passage of
law, and can hardly draw a musk oil from
the government arsenaIs to defend his own
person.
What, then, IL the ground OF discomfort
IL - that the dieunions's did not accept az
ccnclusive tho arguments which were urged
IN behalf OF the successful candidate in the
canvass This Is all. Were their own ar
gumeuts against him more satisfactory TO
his supporters2 OF course thew we're not
they could not be. Does the Constitution.
arguments OF one party shall be satisfactory
TO the other? No; that in imp ossibe. Nba,
~ the constitutional remedy for this inevisa-
BILE dissatisfaction Renewed debate and
ultimate rehearing in a subsequent election.
Have the now successful majority perverted
power to purposes Ut oppression No.
they have never before held power.
Alas! how prone we are 10 undcrvaluo
privileges and blessings. How gladly, how
proudly would the people OF any nation in
Europe accept, on such terms as we enjoy IL,
the boon OF elccting chief magistrate every
Tour years by free, equal, and universal euf-
frage How thankfully would they cast
aside their own systems OF government aud
accept this republic Of ours, with oil it's
and its aisappoinsments, main
tain 1t with their arms, and cherish il in their
hearts. l. il not the very boon for which
they duplicate God without ceasing, and
even wage war, with intermis sions. only re-
kusing from exhaustion?
How strange are the times in which we
live? The coming spring season, on one side
~ the Atlantic, Will open on general con-
d'ct, wagej 60 obtain, through wbatsvea IN
direction. Just soc5 system rs ours; and on
his side OF the Atlantic, within tho satne
parallels Of latitude, il viii open on fra
ternal war, uagei in a moment OF frenzied
iiecontent, to overthrow and annihiiate the
same institutions. DO men, indeed. i've
Dnlgtor Themselves, 20 ayenge their own
wrongs, or to crafty their own ambition p
Rather DO not men live least Of nil for them
selves, and chiefly for posteriiy and for their
lellow-me Have the American people,
then, become all OF nsndden unnatural. az
we'll ~ Dnpatrsotic2 and will they dninherit
their children OF tho precious estate held
only in trust for them, and deprive the world
81 the best hopes it has enjoyed since tho
human race began its slow and painful, vet
aeedful and wisely appointed progress?
Here might close my plea for the Ameri-
'an Union; but it is necessary, III not to ex.
'nust the argument, Mt least to exhibit the