Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1861-12-19
,vDnnc aCAIN.OuR DUTY.

WRONG AGAlN..OUR DUTY.
The Gazette labors hard 70 inveigle
itself into the idea that the popular SEN
timent Of the country holds slavery re-
sponsiblc for the present rebellion, and
nretends to be of the opinion that we
are a convert to the same heresy. No.
thing could be more erroneous. There
il no line of reasoning that has yet been
brought to our understanding or to the
sober sense of the people, which war
rants any such belief. Had the nox'ous
spirit Of Aboli,ionism never ar'sen 10
this country, the Union to-day would
have been a. firm as it was upon the
dav Gen. Jackson drove the last hostile
Briton from American soil. II the "a
zette can endorse this belief then, sure'y
we entertain like opinions upon the SUD
ject. Not otherwise.
That was the poison which was IN
,roduced into the national system. And
how it ranked there. How aroused
distrusts, sectional jealousy, and hatred
1t unfastened one by one each sacred
tic, until the entire network had become
weak and exhausted, and then in an
hour of madness, black hearted treason
advanced and struck the fatal blow.
Had the South done a. it should have
done-stood firmly by tho Union not
outstanding the acts Of the enemy OF It's
peculiar institution-stood firm with the
Democracy Of the North and battled on
tor the Constitution, the day OF trouble
which we now behold would never have
been known.
But it is entirely unnecessary and per-
haps Improbable that we should spend
time and breath in discussing the causes
which had to do with producing this
state Of affairs. No desperate disease
was ever cured by discussing or wrang-
ling over the causes which produced It.
The nation is afflicted, and no amount OF
abuse heaped upon the incip'ent causes
will ever effect its restoration to health.
The only remedy which can effect the
desired end the Government is cndcav-
oring to apply. Let no man stand IN Its
way. Let not the mountebanks which
administered the drug stand by and cry
out similia similibus curantes, and still
persist in the work of death but stand
ing firmly under the flag Of our country,
with the constitution for our guide, and
the sword for our weapon,l let US cndeav-
or to restore and MAINTAIN this precious
fabric against the assaults Of all enemies
whether in the South or in the Norlh,ol
in foreign lands. This is our sacred
duty which we owe to our God, to odf'
selves, and to posterity-our highest
privilege-our only hope. That neglect
ed or trittered away in useless wrang
ing. All is lost. Ii we fail-if we fai
in this struggle the days Of our Heavier
given Republic are numbered, and it
doom rs irrev ocahly 6xod no though Tho
angel of wrath had poured upon it tn.
last vial OF his awful indignation.
The came Influences are at work tc
drive Mcclellan into a percipitate adj
vance which sent McDowell's ermy
down to the disaster of Bull Run. The
members of Congress who we're clamor
Gus for an advance then are becoming
clan orous now, and SO of the Republi
can press, and one Of their poisones'
weapons in this respect is rdicule Of the
General-in. Chief, of which here is :
specimen "The army Of the Potomac
has, during the last week, made an ad
vance of, as near as we can 'kalkulate,
two and one-half inches. AT this rate
Of speed, We have ascertained from very
careful computation that it will reach
Ccntreville some time in the month 0
December IN the last year Of the Millen
ninm. The Potomac still continues a
its full flood, which is not supposed t
lead on to fortune" This is the greet
ing of leading Republican paper.
A Foolish IDRA.-Mr. Sumner, il
his eulogy on Col. Baker, in comment
ing upon the unfortunate reconnaissance,
at Balls Bluff, scotfed at the idea of al
Investigating Committee to ascertain
where the blame could justly be charged
and said that the great criminal stoo,
before The country and the world. an,