The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-05-17
KEO U:k:



Coercion ana Ger fiscassen.
Many politicians Of the Locofoeo ant
Border State school we're furious ia Their
denunciasions of the policy Of coercion. =
They declared and argued very learnedly
that II was utterly unconstitutional to in,
vnds the sacred soil Of rebel State; thai
the Ssates were sovereign, and having
Withdrawn from the Union, there was nc
authority in the Constitution to .seoeree"
them back.
The common sense of the people
brushed aside these impregnable consti-
tutional arguments against coercion, !"
and 6ew to arms to save the country and
the Constitution. Maryland, Missouri;
and Kentucky have been 'scoerced'' and
restrained in the Union By military force,
and now Tennessee is being 'tcoerced' BY
Provisional Governor. not elected by the
people Of the sovereign State OF Tennes-
see, but appointed BY the President Of
the United States.
Thus the course of events, the common
sense of the people and the patriotism of
the Administration and Of Congress unite
TO invade the sacred soil of the South, to
overturn the sovereign State govern
ment', TO seize property, imprisou per-
sons, and shoot down all who are found
forcibly resisting the authority Of the
United States.
Whether these acts are constitutional
or not, the patriotism and intelligence Of
the people abstain them because they serve
the main purpose Of saving the Constitu-
ton and the Union. And 40. while we
see nothing more Inconsistent with the
CONSTITUTION in the confscation of the
property of rebels, than In the sacrifice Of
their lives BY our advancing armies, we
are al al events desirous that their prop.
erty shall Be coniscated and believe that
theexigency of circumstances demands and
will eventuate in sweeping away the cob
web 6gnent Of constitutional technical.
isies skifnlly woven against the con6sca-
ton policy. and that very soon We shall
hear as little Of the unconstitutionality Of
confscation IS we now do of coercion y
1t Is the duty Of Congress aad of the
President, and it is the determination of
the loyal people of this country to save
the Constitution of the United States, and
if tba, sentiment fails to point out the
exac, mode in which j, is to be done, they
will not, therefore, surrender 10 traitors.
and permit them to destroy the Constitu
ton and the onion and overwhc..m the
country in one common destruction.
The Constitution vii! be saved BY crush
ing the rebellion. If the Constitution
authori1ss the missing Of . mighty army
and hurting il upon the rebel States to
accomplish this purpose, the people are
not to be humbugged with the idea tina,
the power of Congress and the President
don't reach to the confsca.ion of the prop
city Of traitors to accomplish the zane
end. Nor will the people be banlboo.ied
with the notion Of obtaining courts and
juries in the traitor States to convict each
other OF treason and enforce the forfeiture
Of lite and property under ordinary pro
cess OF law. That thing cant be done
low, nor will it be practicable to do il du-
ring the present generation. You nigh,
as well expect jury Of counterfeiters or
horse thieves to convict one Of their fra.
ternity Of the common crime. as 10 expect
jury of the Confederate States to con.
vlct one OF their fellow-citizens Of treason
and con6scate his property. Therefore
every man who insists upon sach a coursc,
IS not only really and practically opposed
10 conhscaiion, but is attempting to palm
On most egregious hun,bug on the peo-
pie. Under the ordinary course Of prose-
eatsens for treason before The courts. the
indictments must be found and the cases
tried IN the district where the crime v.a
committed. OF course, all prosecutions
against the traitors Of this rebellion would
have 10 take place in the Confederate
states, and. OF course, there would hardly
De one conviction out Of ninety mine thous-
and traitors. The whole programme l.
simply Preposterous, and il followed treas.
% will 60 unpublished.
- Mrs. Mary G. Thome, the last
surviving witness Of the execution 81