The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-01-20

seems to me we do not ask ourselves What
one thing can we do that will most cftec
/ tnaiiy end speedily break the strength o.
our enemies and when that question j.
answered, do that thing. 1t seems to mt
the idea still pervades and controls The
minds of many of us that our duty re-
quies of US not only the preservation and
protection of the Union, but the preser
walton and protection of Slavery; tina,
we have sometimes feared to strike az
earnest blow at Rebellion, lest that blow
should fall on the head of Slavery that
We regard Slavery as IN essential part oil
the Union itself, and that the Union
would not BE- worth preserving. unless
Slavery could be preserved with and re-
main part Of il.
If these things be so. We are yet far
from the path that will lead to success. -
Slavery, the leading cause of this rebel
lion, is an element of strength or Of weak
ness to the rebels, just as We will it shalt
be. If we say to the slaves of rebels,
we arc your enemies. they will remain
with their masters and be to them q
strength and support. If we say to them,
we are your friends, come to US and you
shall be free, they will seek to come by
thousands, and the armies now standing
in battle array against our soldiers, will
be needed at home to restrain them. Take
the case of South Carolina. Our SOL
dicrs are to-day upon her soil She has
population of about 700, 900 souls, more
than one-half Of whom are slaves. Ex-
perience, the best of teachers, has shown
that these slaves want freedom, that they
look upon our soldiers as friends, and
would, If encouraged so to do, flock to
our camps by thousands. As the slaves
of rebel masters, their labor in the field
and in the camp, furnishes the rebel
troops with food, and does for them much
of that severe camp labor which exhausts
the energies of the soldiers and brings
sickness upon them. Thus rebellion is
strengthened by slavery. Shall We con.
tinue 70 leave it its strength Shall VIZ
do more than ,his2 Shall We continue
to drive back to their rebel masters these
unfortunates, and COMPEL them to be ou
enemies, although they wish to be ou1
friends? Shall we continue to require
of our brave soldiers, who have gone
forth to fight our battles, those exhaust
ing labors that have brought sickness anc
death to 80 many of them, when thes,
people stand ready and willing to reliey.
them if allowed?
1t may be said that if we proclaim free
dom to slaves of rebel masters, slavery
must suffer and may be extinguished ]
reply: So be it. The friends of Slavery
have in its supposed interest thrust this
war with all its evils upon the country,
and upon them and upon it be the con-
sequences. 1t may be said the slaves Of
loyal masters will escape and thus loyal
men will suffer loss This may be, prob
ably will be so. But if we shall be sue.
cessful in preserving our Government, and
putting down this rebellion, we can and
will make coed all losses caused to them
BY the acts of the Government for its
preservation. Besides, it is their misfor
tune and not eaf fault that they ike in
sections of our country in which the wal
is carried on and in which either MAORI
fty of the people are rebels, or the loya
men in the majority have suffered them
selves to be Frustrated and trampled OF
by the rebel minority. We regret thei
condition, We pity their misfortunes, W,
will make good their losses caused by ou
acts for the preservation of the Union
but we cannot allow the Union To b.
stricken down because efforts fer it,
preservation may work them present in
jury. War necessarily brings suffering
and loss to the people among whom 1t il
waged. This war brings suffering and
loss to the loyal people Of all our States,
and we all must bear as well and MS pa
tiently as we may, until the end when il
will be our duty to repair SO far as We
may, the losses sustained by loyal men
because of their devotion to their coun-
try
1t will not be misunderstood. This
war is waged by our Government for the
preserv alton Of our Union, and not for the
extinction Of slavery, unless the preserva
| ton Of one shall require the extinction Of
the other. If the war were so prescott
ed that ON Tomorrow the preservation o
the Union were effected and secured,
would not now wage the war another day
II would not now spend further tfeasuf
, or further life to effect the extinction o
! slavery, although | might regret that tn
} war of its own producing had left in
enough Of life to leave it to be our ban
t and pest in the future as it has been il
i the past. But whilo this is true. it /
. also true that if had the power on "a
5 morrow to end this terrible strife and pre-
!. serve our Union BY the extinction Of sla
! very, while TO preserve both would re
} quire a months s, or weeks or days o
: an hours further war-the spending Of
single additional dollar or tho loss OF
, single additional life--so surely Us tn