The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-07-01


sense, as we'll - jurtioe, III the maxim
alet those thai dance pay the PIPER
and if this matter was ut our oisPoss''
! we would make the traitor siavenoidera
paw the expenses of this war, II 1t took
their very bottom dollar"
| The gsnssitutfsnn1 Powers 81 the
Goveynmont In civil War.
We wrote and published three editorials
in exposition and support of the PROPOSE
tons
LIST. That the present contest in this
country had assumed the proportions Of
civil war, and that our Government had
in many respects been constrained to
adopt the rules of war between belligerent
powers.
I'd. That in civil war our Government
has the same powers by virtue of the
Constitution Of the United States and the
laws of nations to wage war with dom
este enemy, that it has against foreign
foe.
Sd. That in war We had the right to
confscate the enemy's property, require
contributions for support of the army,
and exact "indemnity for the past and
security for the future"
These propositions we sustained by un-
iversally admitted facts, by the Constitu-
tim of the United States, by the highest
authorities on the law of nations, and by
the practice Of our Government in causing
the enemy "to feel the weight of the
war, " in our Mexican campaigns.
Our contemporary has devoted three ar
ticles of twice the length of ours. in
which he denounces abolitionists, Tugs in
and trundles the negro along, asserts that
We are traitor. and that the abolitionists
must be driven from power or the country
will be ruined, &c.
Such stuff is not argument, whatever
else il may be. We did not allude to the
negro. and we claimed no right to disre-
gard the Constitution, for we were arguing
in favor of constitutional powers.
Now, what our cotemporary is required
to do. to meet our argument, il to demon
strate that ace are not engaged IN ciptl
icar.
Or that if it ia civil war, Vattel and
other writers on the law of nations are
wrong in holding that the same powers
and laws of war prevail in civil. as in
foreign war.
Or, falling in these, to show that the
Supreme Court of the United States was
wrong in its decisions that the Govern
ment has a right to con6scate enemy's
property, and that President Polk and
Secretary Marcy violated both the Con.
stitution of the United States and the laws
Of nations during the war against Mexico
in confscating enemy's property, levyine
supplies for the army, and exacting Gin.
demnity for the past and security for the
future"
When our contemporary shall have made
q respectable attempt in that direction be
will be entitled to response At our hands
In the meantime let him remember thai
the argument We made is simply in sup.
port of the constitutional power Of the
Government. without word as to what
may be polite in the premises and 10,
him remember moreover that we again and
again claimed for the Government MI the
power it constitutionally possesses to sup
press instruction, as we'll n all that an
pertains to it in time Of war. So that Ne
exclude nothing that might riehtfully be
done to crush the rebel forces. and e
pun ish the rebel leaders, and to protect
and reward the loyal friends of the Gov.
eminent.
MRS. LEE This lady. the wife of the
rebel Commander-in-C Chief, was passed
through our lines on the 10th, under q
dag of truce. A correspondent Of the
Newark Advertiser thus describes hel
emotions on being transferred to the care
Of the rebel officers:
Mrs. Lec-than whom l have rarely
met more lady-like and dignifed wo
man-was affected to tears on the an
proach Of the rebel officer. and wept like
child. Alb, who can tell what emotion
filled that woman's breast Is she sat Ia
IN her carriage there, an exile from th<
home OF her happiest days; the home tina,
she, as young and much loved wife
made happy with her smiles, now in The
hands Of those whom love for m outraged
country made bitter enemies to her has-
band, that husband now in arms apsinst