New Oregon plaindealer. (New Oregon, Iowa) 1859-1866, 1863-11-06
THE ISSUE OF THE HOUR.

THE ISSUE OF THE HOUR.
lf there was any excuse in the COM
mencement of the present evil war for
democrats to engage in its prosecution,
all .justifying reasons have long since
passed away. By the adrolt raneu-
vering cfthe administration the South
were induced to open the conflict Of
arms, out history will fasten the real
guilt Of the act upon the present ad-
minlstrat;on for this conflict was pre-
sciptiated by its own conspiracy to that
end, while protesting to negotiate with
the Southern commissioners upon terms
,cf amicable adjustment Of our national
difficulties. That act was relied upon,
courted sought and obtained for the
purpose of fri ne the Northern heart
and mind With hatred to the South, and
was so treated at the time by admins
aration journals, and office holders.
Democrats would never have broken
the peace of the country or permitted
1t to have been done, for the destruc-
ton of the institutions of the South
On the contrary large party in the
United States, led on by such men as
Seward, Chase, Giddings, Greeley,
Phillips, Garrison, 4 Co., commenced
a conspiracy against the integrity Of
constitution over thirty years ago; its
avowed object being the destruction of
American slavery. And when this
party was inaugurated in power the
South demanded guarantees that it
woull not attempt to cary out the pur-
purposes of it's organization. These
guarantees were presented in the shape
Of the Crittenden compromise, and had
the support of every democrat in both
houses of congress, and the opposition
of every republican. All the south
demanded was that the dorAinant party
should acknowledge itself under
constitutional obllga tons Eot to inter-
fere with the institutions of the south,
and which it refused to do. The con-
sequences all are familiar with. They
have been traced upon the pages of
American history, with the blood Of
half a million Of its citizens.
In the commencement Of the war the
Stewards and Gree ley's who had with
Phillips and Garrison placed themselves
above the constitution became all at
once inspired with deep generation
for our noble constitution and it's gov
ernment," though they did not tell us
then that Mr.. Lincoln was 1.-THE govern
1nent." Stephen A. Douglas had de-
clared "war to be final and eterna! sep
aration," yet he allowed his madness
to the south because of his defeat for
the Presidency, to transform HIM into
IN advocate for the vigorous prosecution
of war whose only object was the de-
struction Of slavery. For he and every
democrat knew that if the republican
party desired to save the unisn, an op-
portunity had been offered them and
rejected by a strict party vote.
Those of the democratic party that
were deluded into the war while it was
prosecuted ostensibly to the salvation
of the Union, took to themselves the
name of "War democrats" while the
principles involved were condemne ed
by such democrats as Jefferson, Madl.
son and Jackson. We do not seek tc
condemn those who we're deluded int
the army prior to the time the admin
istration disclosed Its real policy, bu
to US it seems as absurd for any mar
, to talk Of his being democrat. and il
favor f the war for the purposes it il
being prosecuted as for man to pro
claim himself an 'ungodly christian.
Both arc palpable contradictions. True
democrats revereth government adopt
by the fathers of the revolution, respec