The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1861-02-04

lion . compromise 10 presented TO n
for adoption, by which IL ia proposed
not to punish the rebelions States, bu
10 entice them back into the Union.--
| Who does not see that by adopting thss
compromise propositions We tactly recog
Mise the right OF those States TO seoede?--
| Their adoption at this time would complete.
fy demorAtise the Government and leave il il
the power Of any State to destroy. If Flo.
rida and South Carolina can secede becaus.
OF the Slavery question, what shall prevent
Pennsylvania from seeding because ths
Government declines TO adequately proteo,
her iron and coal interests, or New England
because her manufactures, or New York be-
cause her cUmmBrUB IL not sufficiently pro-
tected? | coald agree TO no compromise
until the right 50 seoede Was fully renowned,
because II would be . recognition OF the
right OF one or moro States to break ND the
Government at their will.
Iowa has peculiar interest in this cues.
ton. II this right OF State revolution be
conceded, her geographical position 10 such
as to place her completely in the power OF
revolutionary States. Will she agree that
one State can seoede and take from her the
mouth Of tho Mississippi river, that another
can take from her the mouth OF the Nilsson.
ri, and that others shall be permitted 10 de-.
prive her OF the right OF passage to tho At
lantic ocean? Ii she will not agree to this.
it becomes her people to insist that the Con-
stitution OF the country shall be upheld, that
this pretended right of State to destroy
our national existence shall be sternly and
empbaticaliy rebukcd. know the people
ef Iowa wcii enough to believe that appea %
to their magnanimity, il not successful, will
DO kindly received and considered, whilst
appeals to their fears will pass by them a.
the idle wind, and that they Will risk all
things in maintaining the honor OF the n i.
tionai flag and in preserving the national
Union.
One more word and close this letter, al
ready too long. At tho commencement of
the session, before revolution had assumed
its present gigantic proportions, before any
State had pretended to secedo except South
Carolina, before the Forts and Arsenals
OF the United States had been captured, the
flag Of our country fred upon, and the Ca
pitol OF the nation threatened, l assented az
one Of the Senatorial Committee Of thirteen,
TO three propositions, which we're to the fol-
lowing effect, viz:
lst.-That Congress should never be per-
mi.ted to interfere with the domestic insti-
tutlons OF any State, or 30 abolish slavery
therein.
2d.-That the several States should be ad J.
vised to renew their legislation in regard to
persons Of color and repeal or modify all
such laws as might conflict with the Consti.
tuition Of the United States, or With anv OF
the laws Of Congress made in pursuance
thereof.
3d.-To admit Kansas into the Union
under the Wysndot.e Constitution, and then
50 admit the remaining territory, belonging
to the United States, ~ two States, one
North and one South Of the parallel Of SO
deg. 30 min., with the provision that tbess
States might be subdivided and new ones
erected therefrom whenever there should be
sufficient population for one Representative
in Congress upon sixty thousand square
miles.
These propositions, il adopted, would have
Quoted the apprehensions Of the Southern
people - to the intention OF the free States
70 interfere with slavery 10 tho States, and
would have fnally disposed Of oil tho terri
tory belonging to the Government. They
would have made two very inconvenient
States, but they would have settled very
ah@VbVDhbsos YucStIOu. lucy CDuiu uhg0
been adopted without any surrender Of prin-
cple by any body or any section, and there
fore without any party aud personal bumili-
alton. But they were spurned by the Disu.
nionsss. They preferred to plunge the
country into revolution, and they have done
it. IL only remains for us now to obey and
enforce the laws, and show to the world tina,
this Government is strong enough to prosec.
itself from rebellion within as we'll as from
assault without.
The issue DOW made up for the decision
OF the people Of this country, 10 between
law, order the Union and the Constitution,
on the one hand, and revolution, anarchy
dissolution and bloodshed on the other.
90 not doubt AZ to the side you and the PEG
pie OF Iowa will occury in this contest.
am, very truly,
Your obsdiens servant,
JAMES w. GRIMES.
Hon. SAMUEL j. KRKwooD,