The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-03-15

gers. new revolutions, or future IL peaceful pro
gross An unfinished, trembling sdince, that ma
7 some day tumble down over their hsAds because it
+ foundations were not firmly laid. hove restin
i upon the firm rock OF truly free 0svanmeHt, il
which untold millions may quietly and harmoni
ously dwell
We do not mean to disregard the obligations W
owe you neither constitutional obligations thos
| which spring from your claims to our gratitude
We do not mean that you shall suffer in rights o.
fortune, to tear you forcbiy from your way
snd habits Of life But let Us reason togcther.--
Do you think that Slavery will live always Con.
slider this question calmly and without prejudice
or passion. Do you think it will live always, IN
spite Of the thousand Agencies which, in this Nine
teenth Century Of ours. busy working it, de
struction7 1t cansot be. Its end viii come one
day. and that day Is brought BY the auicidal
wars which. in this Rebellion, Slavery il waging
against itsslf. And how do yoa wish that this cad
should bs 7 violent convulsioa or the result II !
/ quiet aud peaceful reform. Will you lesvc II 10
chance or would Jon not rather keep this certain
development under the moderating control Of your
voluntary action9 There is but one way Of avoid
ing new struggles and final revnlsion. AID that is
by commencing vigorous progressive reform in
time In time. say-and when will the time
| have arrived Either you control this devclope-
ment BY wise measures scasonably adopted-or il
will control you. How long will you wait7 You
/
very great. But will they not be twenty times
greatsr twenty years hence. unless you speedily
commence to remove them7 You ask me, what
shall ve do with our negroes, who are now four
miilions7 And ] ask you, what will You do with
tLsn when they are eight millions-or rather, hat
will they do WITH you' ICheerisg ] Il 1t wise to
quail before difficulties to-day when il sure that
they viii be twice a great TO- morrow. and eqoaliy
| sure that some day they must-sbsolutely s,a~i-
be solved You speak Of your material interest
To-day, am convinced, there Is hardly man in
the Free States Of this Republic who would not
cheerfuliy consent TO compensate amply for the sa-
| crificee yon might voluntarily bring Appansr I
DIP you think that after the fierce struggles which
inevitably will come il Slavery remains power ia
the land after this war and which, with the Ger
tainty Of fate, will bring on its destruction. an
equally liberal spirit will prevail Look at this
fairly and without prejudice. DOES not every con-
siderstion Of safety aud material interest command
you to commence this reform without delsy7 Must
Il not be clear 20 the duiest mind that this task
which imperiousIy imposes itself upon you will be
the easier the sooner it 10 taken in hand and the
more diffcnit and fearful the longer it 10 put off
But, pardon me, Union men Of the South, if in
speaking to you Of thing Of such tremendous mo-
mont. have appealed only to the mcaner instincts
OF human nature.
How great, how sublime part might you play
your positios-if you would cast off the sDlAi am
bition which governs SO many of You TIE msintain
point in controversy Just because yon have asserted
il; 70 say: We do this If we please and nobody
shall hinder u.s. and therefore we will do III or, We
have slavery aud nobody has u right to interfere
with it. and therefore will maintain it. How
small an ambition 10 this How much greater
how infinitely noblcr would it be, il you would
pl ace yourself ct the head Of the movement and
say to ~ we, grew up ID the habit Of slave ding
society, and oar interests ware long identified with
the institution. and we think also that you cannot
lawful y deprive Of it, but since see that Il
is the great disturbing element in this Republic,
We voluntarily sacrifice II to the peace Of the nation
Nc immolate it as patriotic offering on the altar
Of the country loud cheen.) Where are the
hearts large enough for great and exa .ed an am
bition7 All. il some man Of n powerful viii | aad
lofty devotion would rise up among you: if an An
drew johnson would go among his people. and tell
them great appl ause how noble il Is to sacrifice
Tor the good OF the country Immense cheersl not
only ones blood but also ones prejudices and
false pride, be would be greater than the generals
who fight our battles. greater than the statesmen
who direct our Affairs, aud coming generations
would gratefully remember him as the true pacifi-
Gator of his country. Applause. He would
stand above those that are FIRST in war he would
be the true hero OF peace, he would not esecond
in the hearts OF hs rountrymea. Tins would
speak to the Union men Of the South.
But whatever they may do. or not do. our duty
remains the same. We cannot wait one for another,
the development Of things presses on, and the day
Of the final decision draws nearer every hour
Americans, have spoken to you the plain, cold
language of fact and rsasou. ! have not endeavor.
ed to capture your hearts with passionate appeals,
nor your senses with the melody OF sonorous
periods. / did not desire to rush you on
to hasty conclusionA; for that you resolve
upon with GOODNESS u Aoderation, Won
will carry ont with Rrnness and courage.
And yet it is difficult for man Of heart
to preserve that GOODNESS aud moderation
when looking At the position this proud
nation is at present occupying before the
world; whom / hear in this cricis the
miserable cant Of party; when see small
politicsns busy 10 gain point on their
opponents; when see great men in flut.
tering trepidation lest they spoil their
''record" or lose their little capital Of
consistency. [CheeriDg.1 What you,
the descendants Of these men OF iron who
preferred = life or death struggle with
misery on the bleak and wintry coasts of
New England to submission to priestcraft
and kingcraft; you. the offspring Of those
hardy pioneers who set their faces against
oil the dangers and difficulties that sur
round the earfy settler life you, who
subdued the forces Of Wild Nature, cleared
away the primeval forest. covered the
endless prairie with human habitations !;
you, this race Of bold reformers who
blended together tho mont homogeneous
elements Of birth and creed. who built up
Government which you called model
Republic, and undertook to show mankind
how to be frees you, the mighty nation
OF the West, that presurnes to defy the
world in arms, and to subject hemisphers
to its sovereign dictation you. who boast
OF recoiling from no enterprise ever so
/ pveaf and M prohln,n : vn~ ~ r..-c,,l