The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-05-09
KEOKU X:
AMY CORRESPONDENTS.
CAM BEFORE yIcksBuRo, LA,l
Anril 96, 1868. {

April 20, 1868.
FRlKxD HOWELL:
The tongue of this great
Nation is beginning to speak, and that
TOO. in tones Of thunder. The past few
months ave biz with the developments OF
truth; and truth, you know is mighty, and
must prevail. Heretofore it seemed as
though our people looked not upon this
wicked rebellion in its true light, andssid
il is only q rebellion without attachingany
atrocions idea to it, The scales OF preJu-
dice which blinded our understanding age
beginning to fall from our eyes and let IN
the light of reason and common sense, and
thank God for it. Paul drcl lel ia hls
defense before King AsriPpa that he thot
wi himself that be ought to do many
things contrary to the name OF Jesus OF
Nazareth, which things he did and being
exceedingly mad against those whose prln-
eiples would destroy and uproot the very
foundation Of that peeplidr institution,
which laden men with burdens griegous
to be BONE while they themselves touch
not said burdens with one oil their fingers,
he shut them in prisons, many OF them
who differed with him in their honest
views and sentiments, and when they
we're quito death he gave his voice against
them prosecuting them even unto strange
cities and compelling them to blaspheme.
Thus you sec how Paul even was blinded
byprt JUDGE, and we were most undoubl-
eddy blind by strong prejudice against
the black Ne -haeia-to sec,
aud believe that Palmer. Thornwel, and
others understood the nature Of this re
bellion better than we, when they said:
A united South knows for what this war
is waged. Heretofore 1t would appear as
though We were actingas the Spartan Bey,
who hid the stolen wolf under his cloak
and suffered il to tear and scratch out his
bowels before he would disclose the theft,
but now the cloak is rent from top to bot
tom, and pray God the vile beast may
soon be beaten down and speedily ,kitned
alive or Gagged forever, for he has drauI;
enough of the nations life.warm blood
to glut bis ugly veinsand cause vengeance
TO seize and drag him down to helr We
now see the progress of conviction upon
public sentiment, one body after another,
and one periodical after another which
would not, short time since, admit the
fact, now openly discoses the one and on.
ly idea of this rebellion. Mr. Gilmore
long ago declared in the State Convention
OF North Carolina that slavery is the sole
cause of this rebellion, and that we nevei
viii have peace in this great nation un,
til gradual emancipation measure i.
adopted and while this be true it is also
equally true that We must learn to dea
Justly, love mercy, and walk humbly be
fore God, for many of us, yea too many
with all cur boosted pity for the poor
doWn-Iod len black man are not prepsf
ed to deal kindly nor show Justice t
HIM, but ever ready. to get out OF him al
the services we can, putting him off PEI
laps with half rations and part pay. w
have already found the wilderness of G Tod
discipline for this evil long and painful
and proves much harder road TO trav
than we at first supposed. AS natio
wemust remember our sins, and may Gt
grant that the day appointed by Il
President for that purpose, (Which
next Thursday, be blessed to our nation
good, is my humble but earnest praye
That all men are created free aud ecu
and with certain inAlienable rights, amo,
which arc life, liberty, and the pursuit
happiness. We have been teaching tn
CRITICALLY 10 these many years, but pra
tically denying it, hence by the nations
the earnh we have been regarded as va
inconsistau, and why should we not.
For freedoms la.eh-slring neer was drawn In,
Against he poorest child OF Adams kin
What, says one, do you deny the rig
to breed, Lash, chain. buy, sell and VIII,
soever else may be found in the c4talog
Of the elavs code which seemeth 90
unto white man, such as denying
black men the eujoymen Of family ii
and breaking their hearts by sending the
at pleasure and closing their mental e
against al knowledge which separates
from the brute creation, for in accordan
with the laws Of the rebels it is a pen
act TO learn negro to read. Upon ii
audaeious and informal basis this SO call
republic is to- rest. All shame on all SUI
republics whose subjects boast that the
eAiei cornerstone is slavery --Americs
slavery, Woe unto you lawyers, for y,
have taken away the key of knowledg
you entered not in yourselves and the
'aAe were entering in ye hindere
You have become an abolilionist the
OF you could never talk SO. Well, all
have TO say is, If have heeona ~ 49,