The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-10-20
EThe contest through which the
people OF Iowa and other States have

!, AZ The contest through which th
8 people of Iowa and other States hay
r passed, where elections were held o
e Tuesday last, has correctly been held d
The most important since the war com
menced.
The enemy had all the advantage whicl
could be made out of opposition to tn,
measures of the Administration. aud wher
we consider the fact that some of thes.
measures were now, and never lbefor,
resorted to in the history Of the Govern
ment, because the necessity for them had
never before existed, we can better ar.
preeiate the value Of the victory which
the loyalty and intelligence of the people
have achieved.
/ 1t is sad to reflect that, under anv cir
cumstances, any portion of the people OF
our country should place themselves in a
position Of disloyalty to their 4overnment
at time when the Governmeu, was fight.
ing for its existence. But, sad as it may
be, no man protesting one particle of
honesty can gainsay it. The men who,
on tuesday last, voted TO sustain the sen
tlments of such men as The Woods. Val-
landigham and Mahony, voted as clearly
to sustain the cause of the rebellion and
give aid and comfort to the enemies of
the country as if they had voted to send
them powder and bali from the loyal por-
tion of the country.
we are wiling 10 admit that thousands
who thus voted were made the dunes of
mere designing men. and suffered them
serves to be used against their courtry By
a class OF men who more than desirs the
success OF the regeliion-men whose uD-
hoiy amblaon to rule amounts to such an
insane passion thai rather than see tie
rebellion put down during the Admins
tration OF AIR. Lincoln, would rather see
the Union with all its glorious hopes per-
ish forever.
Ii IS well to reflect that whilst there
are so many evils connected with State
OF war In q eouDtrv, there are also couu-
'eracting elements Tor good One Of the
direct results of our present state of
affairs mas been to cause men to reflect. to
thlnk, ana to tear Themselves away from
those petty prejudices which the art Of
the demagogue would weave around
them.
NO men have been more bitterly disap
pointed at the result of the late elections
than these tricksters in politics who have
Tor many years succeeded bu too well in
that Kind OF Political demaeogueism
which would maketmen believe that there
was honesty and virtue in adhering to
name, though that name was used as a
cover for the vilest treason.
The only thing that ever gave tn e name
ot democrat Its peculiar power over the
masses was the claim which was set up
by those who called themselves such that
they were better ftiends to the Govern
ment OF our fathers than other men, and
that the preservation of the Union was
the hrst and greatest duty which q cili-
zen owed to his Government. sour
country right or wrong was said to be
the great watehword of the party In the
battle OF words which ragged through the
press and from the forum in ordinary
political contests. when each party
claimed to be the best friend to the Gov
ernment, generous toleration of opinion,
based upon the idea that each was honest
10 support OF Its peculiar tenets, there
was no demoustrative proof of real virtue
or patriotism in one party more than the
other. A
But in the history of all Governments
efcuss VIII tfaucpift WHICH make tne line
of distinction between parties so plain
that a fool need not err therein. The
present is one Of tue land-marks, which,
with precision and unmistakable certainty,
divide between the real and the pretend |
ing friends of free government-between
those who have hearts of patriotism and
those who only put on the garb that they |
may deceive the unsuspccting and conf
ding.
Those men who have become proficient
in the art of demagogueism, and who held
to the idea that the people were only auto
nations to be played with as their fancy
dictated, have learned lesson which ages
OF prosperity and pence would have been
inadequate to teach them.
Web viii i be fdr them If they profit
BY tho lessons Of aavsrsity, for 70 sure !,
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