Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-04-19
THE WAR,

Tts6xns, q few days since. on the presen
national difficulty, are we'll worthy of the can
did attention of every man. Read, ponder
and ACT !
Slavery makes open war upon that Unior
which has 90 long been its protection ant
security.
For thirty years, the opponents Of Slavery
have borne the imputation-w which not on.
in hundred of them has deserved - of seek
ing their end through the dissolution of the
Union.
In all this time, not squadron has charg-
ed, not platoon fred, on the National flag
and forces, under the inspiration of Anti.
Slavery. Its advocates have been beaten at
elections, hunted out OF halls which they had
hired and paid for, mobbed and manned in
and stigmatized in the Free, without being
when compelled to chose between resistance
and ann.h,lation, have they been moved to
repcl force by force.
The Slave Power, after enjoying undis-
turbed sway for halt a century, has at length
lost al election. Hereupon, it proceeds to
treat that election as farce and a nullity
and defy those whom it invested with au-
thority.
1t has, while in power, loudly Wanted its
fidelity and devOtedness t. the Federal Con-
stitu ion. Losing power, it deliberately repu-
dates that charter, and adopts one radically
different IN its stead.
"The Union, the Union forever !" has been
the vociferous cry of its survitres. Having
lost an election, they treat taat same Union
as a hateu curse, passing ordinances and
raising armies for its overthrow.
"Let the Laws be enforced !" it was thun-
dcred whenever the consciences of freenen
revolted at the inhuman atr, r,cities Of slave
hunting in Free States. But the moment the
enforce;ne Mt Of the laws has devolved on Re-
publicans, Slavery denounces it as ''coercion,"
and insists that it is inaugurating CIVIL war!
And in fact to very many, North as we'll as
South, Slavery is above the Union, above
the lays, above the Constitution. Rebellion,
in their view, IS opposition to Slavery; Will,
love Of Slavery and love of the Union ar,
synonymous. .. .,.,.,.- ~
They plead for Peace, meaning that there
he no ,urther resistance to Savery. INA
tional Unity" in their vocabulary, means
siniversal agreement that Slavery is eminent
isnxht, and that it ought to be d;Hussd uni
yersa:ly and maintained forever. =
-gAnd what is TO be the attitude of the North
ern opponents Of the Republican party in the
new era now opening before us?
-sfhey have professed to sustain Slavery sc
far as the CONSTITUTION required. and no fur
ther.s Slavery now repudiates the Cocstltu
tion, breaks up the Union, and makes war
with, the Federal Government. If Northern
Damocr acy allows It's sympathies to follow
Slavery into treason, how shall it conceal,
1.yrn fl ON itself, the evidence of its own re-
cresaey
There il not even pretense that the Federal
Government has done or refused to do any
thing, VI hereby this rebellion ia justified. 1t
has i.een pacific forbcaring and most anxious
"a avoid a collision. 1t has allowed its troops
Ia br disarmed, its arsenals to be robbed, it,
tcr,s 10 be seized, its money to be stolen,
and its revenues to be collected and appio-
priated by its open enemies, Through these
hieh.handed viliainies, whole frontier has
been opened to savage incursion and massa-
ere. until even Mexico threatens an invasion
It has seriously lost ground with its friends
by vainly seeking to conciliate its implacabls
foes. At length the great Slave-holding ke
bellion is ready to unmask its batteries ano
open fire on the most exposed and isolated o.
the National deienses The challenge of its
opening cannonade will soon reverberate ovel
the country. The Union flag on Fort sum
ter is to be shot down by the rebel batteries
unless speedily lowered by the devoted gar
rison. The American Republic now enter:
upon the gravest perils it has known sine
the treason Of Arnold. God grant that
pass through them with undoubting relianc
on the omnipitsnce Of Justice, aid emerge
length, however tried and tested, unwaver
ing in its loyalty to Freedom and the Right
Of Mani