The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-02-06

some of the leaders, who might b tried
and hung, a. hope many q them will be,
Tor their wicked treason. But for the
tgreat mass Of the people an aot Of annes.
|ty would be passed the veil Of. oblivion
|woaid be drawn. All great movements
in rebellion have to be treated in that
way the masses have to be pardoned and
/ forgiven only the leaders and the wick.
ed ones sgeipunished. If the masses 81
the peepl6 6f those States would return
to their allegiance to the Government Of
the United States and act and live ne they
had acted and lived before this wicked re-
bellion commenced, and would come into
the American fold and claim and enjoy
avery liberty, every right, every privilege,
which, the most loyal State has, which the
most loyal man in..the United States has,
our arms would be opened wide to vel
come them. Here are tho conditions Of
peace. Could anything be more just,
more liberal, more bcnefcent than these
conditions
But, sir, these men have resolved and
resolved again that never, nevcp. would
hey submit to any such conditions. They
say, sseur Independence must be aaknowl-
edged our Confederate States must exist
as m independent power Of the earth,
this must be conceded by the Government
Of the United States and until it is con-
ceded, we are for war, and We will wage
| it forever" Have they not lived up to
that position? said last summer when
/ was here, to the President: Mr..
President, here 10 great internal strife
here is large portion Of the States Of
the United States that have reyolted
against the General Government, and that
are now wsging war against it for the cs-
adjustment Of their own Government Il
you will find this, think, to be true. that
both parties will underrnte the power and
energies and strength and spirit Of their
opponents, and both will get more in the
war than they bargain for. The South
ern States certainly have waged this war
with an energy and a resource and an un-
conquered spirit beyond even any imag-
ming that / had formed Of it. They boast
that they have brought five hundred thou
sand men into the field for the purpose Of
fighting for their Independence ; and be-
fore Mr.. Lincoln issued his proclamation
calling out seventy 1--WE Thousand volun-
teers, the Confederate Government had
authorized the President of that pretend
ed Government to call out one hundred
thousand men, and he had issued his proc
lanation.
Whatwas the alternative That had been Of
fersd by the Confederate States-at least
by the Cotton States-at the time that
the gentleman's letter was written in
March It was this : eve want no war
with you; we want to 60 in peace--to
clear out Of the Union forever; we have
declared our own Independence, and that
independence we will maintain ut the cost
az the devastation Of our country and the
alienation Of all our people" Here, then,
the United States Government and Mr..
Lincoln were offered one Of two alterna-
tives: "You must either submit to dis
ruption of the Union, and permit the Sc
ccding States to move off and establish
their separate empire; you must consent
to disruption Of the United States--to the
destruction Of the old nationality; or, If
You do not do that, we give you war to
the knife. and the knife to the hilt, and
forever" That was the issue which was
rendered from the beginning by Jefferson
Davis and his conductors to the United
States.
The Senators from Delaware and Indi-
ana knew then as well as they now know
that this was the alternative proposition
made By the Southern seeding States to
the United States Government, and that
they would have one or the other, and
would submit tonothing else. They have
brought moro forces into the field since;
The var hes spread vide; it has become
savage in some sections Of the United
States to degree disgraceful to the
Christian civilization Of the age, and its
ferocity has been inaugurated principally
By the seeding States and their hosts,
though not altogether 50 admit They
have sent their ambassadors abroad TO
make leagues and treaties with foreign
powers, in order to enlist them against
the Government Of their own country and
the old flag. Yes, Mr.. President, thou
sands and thousands Of them have wished
frem their hearts core, their heart of
hearts, that that imperious and selfish,
and dominating power, our ancient enc
nay, had interposed with her vast armies
and fleets in this contest, and would have
welcomed the subjugation Of their own
country by this enemy with whom We
maintained two struggles for indepen-
dence. These men have become 10 invet-
crate, many Of them. that they would
sooner the Southern States should be in q I
state Of colonial vaasalage again to Great
Britain than that they should return and
live under our common Governments as
theyiived from the days of Washington |
to the commission Of their crime.
Well, Mr.. President, for myself I say