The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1861-01-04

They are srek~n OF with hatred and con.
tempt. These orators labor to convince the
people that property ID slaves is 10 danger |;
that the North 10 sending emissaries through
the land to promote emancipation; that the
snccess OF the Republicans would be+he trl-
umph Of Abolitionism; and, IL not resisted,
the death blow to slavery. Who hear those
speeshes? The slaves hear them and be-
lieve them, though nobody else may. South
ern planters also do not hesitate TO discuss
oil these questions around their dinner ia
bles, while their slaves are standing at their
elbows. We have heard and seen this with
our own ears and eyes. Southern men say
they arc living in powder magazine, and
resent the show Of combustibes a thousand
miles of, and yet daily disport themselves
with FIRE works.
The following are sensible and striking
views in answer TO the claim Of equality, Of
which wc hear so much. This claim of the
equality OF the slaveholding interest in the
Union, ssSupposes that the interest OF the
Shareholders is antagonistic to all others, and
is so important that it may rightfully be
dominant, or Mt least 90 ordinate and limit
ing. 1t assumes that three hundred and fifty
thousand shall equal twenty millions. A.
this is . physical and moral impossibility
under our present. Constitution, II is proposed
to alter it, or, failing that, to dissolve the
Union. This is the light in which the claim
to equality, rs interpreted and urged by the
disunionists, presents itself to the people of
the North. Ii 10 an unrighteous and unrea-
enable demand. 1t is demanding far more
than the Constitution, which xa-haye all
sworn to support, ever contemplated. Equal
ity OF all GLASSES iu the eye OF the law, equal
ity OF the States as to rights and privileges,
equal protection, equal liberty, equal faclli-
ties OF advancement, equal access TO oil pla.
ces of honor and power--in short, constltu
tional equality in its fullest extent, is what
all are willing to concede. But that one par
ticular interest, one special class OF the com.
munity, should have equal weight and influ-
ence with oil the others combined-that
three hundred thousand should equal twenty
milliops--is, at least under our present Con-
stitution, an impossbility. And If this 10
the ultmatum Of the extreme South, disunion
10 inevitable. Our present system gives ev-
ery security and advantage to the slavehold-
ing class which can DO reasonably demanded.
The Constitution permits the representation
Of slave property, while no other species Of
property is allowed q representation in the
national Legislature. Florida, with its forty
seven thousand Of white inhabitants and it's
twenty-three millions Of property. has as
much influence in the Senate Of the United
States az New York, with its three millions
of inhabitants and one thousand millions OF
property. Is not this enoueh2 There are
only twenty Ave thousand Shareholders 10
South Carolina, and yet they have really as
much control Of the Government as the two
million FIVE hundred thousand people OF
Pennsylvania. OF the eighteen Presidential
elections which have been held since the
adoption OF the Constitution, twelve resulted
in the choice of stockholders, and six in the
choice Of non Stockholders. OF three hun.
dred and seven principal appointments under
the Constitution, two hundred and four have
been held by shareholders. Surely, the oom-
plant Of want of equality on the part OF the
Shareholders, is Of all others the most un-
founded.