The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1862-01-28

nau Tue power UH 10 mUfEOW W euu WIS
terrible strife and preserve our Union by
the extinction of slavery, while to pres
erve both would require a months or a
weeks or a days or an hours further
war, the spending of a single additional
dollar or the loss Of single additional
life, SO surely as the Lord lives, this war
would close tomorrow. No wife should
mourn her husband, no mother her son,
no maiden her lover, slain in a war pro.
tracted BY me single hour to preserve
10 rebels that which enables them to
maintain rebellion. would not believe
that had, nor do believe that others
have tie right, although they may have
the power to protract this war in order to
preserve that which has caused the war.
My deliberate convictions are that TO
prosecute this war successfully, we must
strike directly at slavery, and that the
time must soon come when every man
must determine for himself which he
loves most, the Union or Slavery, and
must act accordingly
In the meantime, and at all times, it is
our duty to rally around and support the
Government. We are not of those whose
loyalty is doubtful or condtionally. We
do not say we will support the Govern
ment il it adopts our views and carries
out our plans, and if not, We will become
neutral or help the enemy. We support
it with hearts and hands and means, al
though we may doubt its policy, trusting
time will demonstrate the correctness OF
our views, and bring about their adopt
ion if found correct. The giving of hon
est counsel and the rendering of faithful
service make up the duty of all true men.
The war has brought on us severe
trials. and others are yet 10 come, Many
of our best and bravest men have died
upon the battle field or in the Hospital,
and many more must die. Our business
operations have been interrupted, our
markets have been closed, the prices OF
the products of our industry have been
lessened, we have been compelled To
wholly forego or materially to curtail the
use OF some luxuries which. by use, had
become TO US comforts of life, and these
things must continne to be. They are
the inevitable attendants of wal, and must
be borne AS they have been borne, brave
ly, unflinchlngly, and cheerlully. Life
is valuable, but it is intended TO be use
full and how can any one make his life
more useful than by giving it for his
country Could our own brave men
who died at Wilson's Greek, Blue Mills,
and Belmont have used their lives in any
other way to better purpose than by
losing them on those bloody but glorious
battle fields Their names will live after
them, embamed in the hearts of our
children and our childreu's children. rs
the name of men who die for their
country, and their example will fire the
hearts OF generations vet TO come TO deeds
Of equal aud as noble daring.
We are eminently peaceful and peace
loving people, and the interruption OF
our peaceful avocations by War and its
incidents bears hardly upon us but We
must remember that the only way to
Bring back aud make permanently secure
to us thai peace we love SO well, is to
convince those who have thrust this
War upon us, and 10 convince all other i,
that although we love peace much, we
love our country's honor aud the perpet.
uity of our Union more. But do we not
exaggerate the evils of our condition :?
| am we'll convinced there is not in the
world a people of equal numbers, all of
whom enjoy to-day so many of the nee
essaries and of the comforts of life as are
enjoyed by our people. In our own
State our cause of complaint is not that
we have not enough of the necessaries of
life, but that we canpot get high enough
prices for what we can spare of our
superabundance not, that we have not
food but that we can not sell TO advant-
age food We do not need
But we will have to pay heavy taxes.
True, we will and il is equally true we
can. We have TO do but one thing, and
that thing we must do. We must give
up the idea of money making to great
extent until this war is over. We must
be content TO devote 10 the preservation
of the country portion or all of the sur
plus We have been accustomed 10 lay up
in years gone by. We may be required
to return to customs and expedienls for
many years abandoned. We may be
compelled TO do as our fathers aud
mothers did, clothe ourselves as they
did with the products of their own farms
aud their own hands. Wha, then ? Our
men will be none tie less brave, loyal,
and loving our women none the less
true hearted, lovely, and beloved We
may be required to do and may do all
these things aud yet suffering aud want
still be far from US. We may be requr.
ed to do and may do all these things and
yet will not have done nearly so much as
eur fathers did TO hand down 10 us the
rich inheritance we are nov striving TO
transmit unimpaired to our children
And if required. will We not do il prompt
ly aud cheerfully?
There may be amongst us a few men
who know no impulse OF patriotism, have
no love of country. and can see nothing
but sordid gain There may be anon Z
us a few others who, blinded by preiu-
dice, engendered by former political
strife. cannot forget that the Government
is guided in this struggle for lis lie by
the hands OF political opponents and who