Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1862-02-07

public could not exist-a widely extended
representative Republic, controlled by uni
versal suffrage. 1t was predicted with the
utmost confidence that this Republic would
be overthrown from internal dissensions, and
a want Of strength in the central power
Eighty years of unexa,hplcd prosperity and
loyalty to the Union seemed to belle these
predictions; but the unhallowcd ambition of
infamous traitors is now concurring with the
wish Of the prophets of despotism to accom-
plish their predictions. Ours is the painful
but glorious task of refuting this argument
OF tyrants, and this attempt of unholy rebels.
If we conquer tins dreadful issue, it will ac-
complish benefits that will compensate for all
our Government has lost. This is not a light
task, nor can it be accomplished without the
loss Of thousands of valuable lives and mill
ions of money The rebels are proud, naughty
and obstinate. They believe that they arc
born to command. They declare that they
will suffer their homes to be laid in ruins be-
fore they submit. That issue must be accept
ed Better lay their whole country waste
than to suffer the nation to be murdered -
Better depopulate them, and plant new race
of frcemen on their dcsolatcd and deserted
fields, than suffer this rebellion to triumph
Such is the voice of the tree people of the
| IL
equal to the task any truce until every rebel
shall have laid down his arms and submitted
10 the Government The people are humane,
and this is humanity Honor manhood, ma
honal and personal pride--to say nothing Of
patriotism--torbid that either party should
yield except under the most overwhelming
necessity. If the Government submits to the
rebels, it loses its character, and ceases to be
| h., ,f h.
How, then, and when, will the war end? In
other words, how can the South be wholly
exhausted? 1t will not end until the Govern
ment shall more fully comprehend the mag
nitudc of the crisis, IN which one party or the
other must be reduced to hopeless feeblcness,
ard the power of future efforts shall be utter
ly annihIated. This is a sad but true alter
native The South can never be reduced TO
that condition so long as this war is prosecu-
ted on its present principles-so long as they
are left the means of cultivating their fields
through forced labor. You may cxpend the
blood of tens of thousands Of free men,
and billions Of money year after year with
out being any nearer the end, unless
you reach it by your own submission
Their domestic institutions give them great
advantages in war. They know that, and
do not withdraw a single hand from the cul-
tivation Of the soil. Their white men can
be spared for the army, old and nfirm can
oversee the slaves, and all their industrial
pursuits can go on uninterrupted Although
the black man never lift weapon, he is
really the mainstay Of the war To end the
war. successfully and promptly, therefore,
the slaves must be made our allies. Univer
sal emancipation must be proclaimed Then
would this war cease in six months It could
not be maintained, even if the liberated slaves
should not lift a hand against their masters.
Their fields would no longer produce the
means by which they sustain the war, and
unconditional submission would be the i'm
, mediate and necessary result Which is
most to be abhorrcd, a rebellion Of slaves
fighting for their liberty, or a rebellion of
freem' fighting to murder the nation But
it will be said that the Constitution does not
authorize Congress to interfere with Slavery
in the State. That is true, so long as the
; Constitution and the laws are supreme, as in
times Of peace. But when the Constitution
is repudiated and set at defiance by rebels
too powerful to Bc put down by peaceful
means, the Constitution grants supplement
!, ary power which it was impossible to define.
The Constitution says that the President
, shall take care that the laws shall be faith
fully executed" and creates him for the time
: of emergency as much a dictator as a de-
cree Of the Roman Senate, whose dictators
exercised all proper power necessary for the
public safety, whether the means were in.
scribed on their tables or not. This power.
of course, ought TO bc limited, and ought 10
exist only until Congress could be convened.
This power | would willingly confer rather
than to see the natioE perish. Rather than
see the nation dishonorcd by compromise,
concession or ubmission-rather than to see
one star stricken from its banner. | wOuId
confer that power now. Oh, for six months
resurrection in the flesh of stern Old Jack.
son He, in this crisis, would abolish Sla-
very, as the tower and support of this insur-
rection He would arm the free people of
color, as he did at New Orleans He would
march into the heart Of slavedom, not to pick
cotton and open the ports for trade, but to
put weapons into every freed N MS hands.
3 He would end the war by wholesome hang
ing of the leaders In three months. with
100000 soldiers, he would put down the re-
beiion. The necessity Of dictatorship is
evident to snatch the nation from the laws of
death. May this necessity never again arise.
for 1t is as fearful as the insurrection OF Jeff
Davis and Beauregard. The one is the great
! est for good, the other for mischief The
power is given to suppress the rebellion,
hence, also the power Of emancipation, even
4 if the Constitution were silent on this power
: and it became necessary for the safety of the
people. The first law of nature would give
it. 1t would be asked, why lberate the
slaves Of all instead Of confining it to those
Of rebels only? There would be great diff
Guilty in executing such law. Perjury,
fraud, and falsehood would screen half tie
guilty. Our object should be, not only to
end this terrible war, but to prevent its rccur.
renee Slavery is the cause of it. Hatch
up a compromise now, and leave this germ
Of evil behind, and it will soon again oyerrun
the whole South. Even if you freed three
fonrths of the slaves, you would have ex-
pended countless treasures and untold lives
in vain. | would do no injustice to loya
men, and though not recognizing the right
of one man to hold another as mere D, opcrty
| would treat loyal Shareholders fairly by
pledging the faith of the nation for their com.
pensation. The war is now costing at the
! rate of five hundred millions year. De-
duct the price Of the slaves in the border
1 States from one years expense Of the war,