The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-06-06
CAMP No., /, NEAR CoRINTn,
Nav 25, 1862.

May 25, 1862.
EIrroR GATE Cry Before the war
began the question was asked 1'what will
you do with the South, when you have
conquered - And now. as our victorious
columns arc extending to the iemoted
corners of the rebellious land, the in
terrogatory resounds in every valley and
is echoed from every hill top, what will
you do with the conquered foe?
Presidents and Cabinets, have thus
far, sought in vain fora satisfactory solu-
ton OF this vexed question. But the
time is close ut hand when the solution
must be found. You and your readers
may think it egotism in an humble pri-
waite in the tented field to venture an
opinion, when the wisdom OF Seward and
Lincoln has failed; but as strong Forts
have sometimes been taken by combina-
ton of small guns and large ones, when
Parrott and Columbiads alone. have
failed to break the wall, SO our greatest
Statesmen may receive some light from
the opiniops nj citizens in the humblest
walks of life.
1t is not enough that the rebels be sub
dued? We must keep them down or
the work of crushing them is in vain.
How shall this be doneg Your readers
will answer, eradicate the cause of this
rebellion, and the rebellion will not be
repeated. But not SO exactly. The skill
full Surgeon extracts the ball which
caused the gaping wound, and yet the
patient fingers, suffers and dies.
Slavery is the cause of this rebellion,
it has bred spirit Of aristocracy and des-
potism in the rich, who have been reared
to govern arbitrarily from the time their
infant tongues could lisp their first CON-
mands. That spirit of tyranny is anita
gonisuc to, and hates liberty among the
masses, they despise our very form o:
Government. Slavery has degraded the
poor classes to the level of the slave,
wrapt them up in impenetrable mental
darkness, and trained them in idlsness
and vice. The rich are our hereditary
foe the poor their plant tools for carry
ing out the nefarious schemes which
their villainy coneocts. You may remove
slavery from the land yet the despotism
of the one, and the ignorance and vice
of the other will remain the fruitful
source OF contentious, strife and insurrec-
tions.
Conhscation will not do the work
N'ne-tenths of the property holders of
the States now out of the Union, are in
state Of open rebellion or giving aid and
comfort 70 those who are, and hence their
property is liable to con6scation. But
when you eonfseate the property of the
father, you turn the helpless wife and
children from their homes without bread,
without shelter, and the mother will talk to
her prattling infants Of the wrongs inAict.
ed upon them for the transgressions Of
their father. They will learn and love
to hate you, and what can the father do !:
reaEed up in idleness, uneducated in the
useful pursuits of life, how can he hope
10 feed and cloth--much less educate his
children? A miserable present and dark
future stare him in the face-he becomes
a desperate and gathers his living from
the highways. Every man who is worthy
70 i've. IS worthy home in which to live
and raise and educate his children.
Con6scate' the lordly estates Of the
reservinc to the wives ard
children sufficient to secure them against
woes OF poverty and want, and appropri-
ate The proceeds of the contested proper
" to the use Of the poor. Mete out such
punishment to the ring-lsaders Of this
rebellion, as justice guided by mercy
would demand, but ever bear IN mind
mat vengeance is mine saith the Losd
and will repay" Feed the wives x,1om
oar arms have made widows. And oloths