Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-09-18
WHAT We ATE FIGHTING FOR

Of Maquoketa.
WHAT We ATE FIGHTING FOR
We are now engaged in war for
the suppression of the Rebellion, and t
vindicate and enforce the supreme Law
of the laod. The Rebellious statcs
claim to have seeded from the Union,
and that the Constitution and the laws
Of the United States have no longe,
any binding torco upon them-in tact
that they arc no longer in the Union.
We, on the contrary insist that thei'
movements are insnfrectionary. Tha,
the Constitution IS the Supreme law OF
the land that no act of theirs can
take them from the union /; and We arc
waging this war to punish the offenders,
to restore the Union, and to viodicate
and enforce obedience to the supreme
law OF the land, and to perpetuate the
unity Of the National Government.
The issue is, our n+tional existence,
and whether Republican Government,
and Democratic Institutions are fail.
ure.
We should not pause now to inquire
how much the North is to blame -
What if Northern Statesmen and Poll
ticians did teach that the hatred OF
slavery gave the people the right to
disregard the fundamental law what
if some Of the northern people d;a :
lieve and argue tho : !. No.
worth
preservation and that the Con
stitution was q league with He'll wha
if open resistance to law was encour-
aged at the North what if State afte
State virtually repudiated Constitutions
enactments! what if a Northern sec
tional party based upon hostility to tn
institution Of slavery did elect its Pre-
sident ? The great majority of tb
Northern peoples portion carrie
away for the moment-was still loya
they still loved the Union The fu
ture historian when he comes to writ
the true history Of this war may pei
haps find many excuses and palliatinI
circumstances for the conduct of th
South. The experience of the pas
should have taught them that thes
wrongs would be righted, and that
brave and generous people-strong il
their might-would hasten soon to re
pair every wrong.
As we have already said, we are nov
fighting to enforce obedience to lag
II the South will not willingly recogniz
the national existence they must b
forced to do so-the Union must b
PRESCRIBED"
There are fanatics, even now, at th
north, who oppose the restoration {
the Union who believe, or pretend t
believe that slavery must be sbolshe
in order to hasten the termination Of tn
war, and others who would only wage
for the purpose of abolishiny SLAYER,
Whe her knowing it or not, the forme
are really more dangerous than the la
ter. We can fight an open enemy I
advantage, but an insiduous Toe, wh
claims to love the Uuion, and yet stal
it at every opportunity. is most DANCE
Gus. These men have strengthens
the rebellion they have solidified publ
sent ment in the South, and nearly
stroyed the Union feeling, until, no,
upon reading our Republican journals,
whom our neighbor is type.the Peep
of the South might have great reason
believe the war was not wagei to pc
petuate the Union, but to destr,
slavery.
We must protest against illegal {
rests. imprisoning without q trial
jury when the courts are open, and G
pecially against removing beyond Il
State,parties charged with treason.
Let Us remember also that We sre q
fighting to crush slavery, but to enfor
the constitution and the laws, and tn
before We can fairly make our Overs,
les believe We are terribly in earnest,
must ourselves obey the laws, which
ore trying with million Of armed M
to make them fear, if not respect.
A TRuE PoRrRAIr.-WeudeIl Ph
lips, restless, turbulent, impractical
il truthfolIy portrayed in this sesten
from Macauley:
- An itellect in the most unhappy of !
i.st1te., that is to say, too much disorde
ed for liberty. and not sufficiently di