The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-08-16
KEOKUk IOWA: SATURDAY,, AUGUsT It's. 1869
succeed against their masters in reason.
able time and in an efeetHai manner.

succeed against their masters in reason
able time and in an efeetaai manner.
/ am not an advocate of Revolutionary
shortcuts out Of difficulty | am not in
favor of violating the Constitution by
way of escaping danger. There might
be immediate advantage, but the prece-
dent is repletc with peril.
Could slavery have been abolished by
northern action. While peace vet existed
between the North and South. without a
violation OF the constitution in other
words, without q revolutionary act3
Clearly not. Can slavery be etndicated
now, In war, without such violation. If
emancipation be necessary to ensure the
permanent peace aud safety Of our gov
ernment, ard il We are willing to pay all
loyal slave owners reasonable price for
their slaves, clearly yes.
For no principle in law is bitter estaf.
lishel than this, tiat when important
public iaietfsts a.iia nj it, private prop.
erty msy be takea, at fair appraisement
for public use. The opening Of street
III Improving a city, the running OF a
railroad, are held in this and other civil
lied countries, to be objects Of sufficient
importance to justify what the French
law calls "dp7rporiataon jorcee pour cause
d'Atilite pHtti4ae.o
Ought We to declare general emancipa-
ton, coupled with provision for the pay
men,, to all loyal Shareholders, of the
fairly appraised value of their slave. 2
This question resolves itself into another:
Have things gone 80 far tbat the Union,
IN its peaceful integrity. and negro kla-
very, within IT'S borders, can no longer
co-existy That is TIE GREAT QUESTION
or THE DAY. | think it must be answer
ed, even now, in the affirmative. Every
month that passes Is converting hundreds
of thousands Of moderate and eonserya-
tive and peace loving men to the same
opinion, They despair OF sectional
friendship or national reace, until tic
leeming cause of mortal hatred and civil
war is rooted out forever
Have we the means of paying loyal
slave owners fair price for their slaves 7
If we act now, before pro,racted con.
test has exhausted our resources, yes
If We wait for the termination Of ! three
or four years war, very certainly no.
In that pilce, deportation must not bees
timatea The S1uth asserts that negro
slaves are Indispensable to her. That ID
only SO far true, that she does absolutely
need hired negro workmcn, and ought
not TO be deprived of them. Her aeri-
culture would, for time be ruined with
out them. But no good man desires
~ ttleu,ent under which any section Of cur
country would be even temporarily ruined.
Nor can il be doubted lhal Il ! South
however strong her preiudtces and tr.-
ditions in favor of owning h.r lapu,ers.
has herself been broug hl, bs The perils Of
the hour, to think seriously of change
of system as the only means left her to
obtain aid and comfort from Europe. Nor
can all her leaders be wholly blind to the
lac; that such change Of system would
advance, in the end, beyond calculation,
her material prosperity.
Suppose declaration, to the effect
that the government, urged b, the ne
cessity OF selt-preservation, takes at fair
valuation, the slave property Of the South.
Will such declaration cause negro in-
and indiscrilninate assassina-
tion Of whites throughout the slave States?
The result, SO far, has clearly shown that
the negro, mild and long suffering, and
often attached 70 his owner, is little dis
posed TO resist, nnder IN organization Of
his own. Once assured Of freedom, he
will gradually join our cause-that is oil. /
He can then be hired as laborer or soldier,
as may seem ft-payment being made for
him II his master proves to be loyal and
his services being con6scated if these are
due to rebel. In all this we are clear
ly in the right.
Lock now at the question in its foreign
aspect, under the chances of European
intervention. BE those chances great or
small, Intervention may occur. and that
ere hong. sN
III occur, its character viii chiefly de-
pend upon what shah have been the ante
cedeDt action of our Government in re-
gard to slavery. t- a0
If, previously to such Intervention, We
Shall have issued general declaration Of
emancipation, then we shall rtapd before
Europe as the champions Of human
liberty, while our enemies viii be regard
ed as the advocates Of human seryitude,
Public opinion in England, in Prince, and
throughout Europe generally, will then
prevent the respective Governments IRON
Intervening, except il be in our favor
Ne European Government dare place
itself in the attitude Of a slavery pro
teetor.
II, on the contrary, We shall have left
the issue as il now stands, our policy in
dicated only hy the confisaatian act mn.