The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-12-04


About year ago peace meetings, peace
conventions, peace editorials, and peace
platforms, were the order Of The day II
the Democratic party. from Msiue TO Cal
ifornia. And little later in the winteu
the Legislature of Illinois adopted ,
thorough-going "peace-at. amy price pla t.
FORM" and the Democracy Of Iowa wers
meeting throughout the State and formint
peace clubs and adopting peace resolution.
on the model of those passed by the
Democratic Club of jackson township
At later day the Indignant thunder
tones from the Army caused these peacs
propsgandists to "hauI in their horns. 7
and if was thought that the result or the
recent election would drive them all 10
their holes. But the public expectation
was at fault. Now, when the salvation
of the country demands the strengthen
ing of our armies IN the field, the Peace
Democracy are again on the rampage, aud
whine and howl in full chorus against the
war and in favor of peace.
What is left Of the Democratic party
organization in Iowa is committed to
peace principles, and is now exsrtiup its
malignant energies in every conceivable
form to prevent volunteering in this
Abolition war which Democrats detest. .
That our readers may be made aware Of
the animw of the organs and leaders of
the party here and elsewhere, We quote
some recent manifestoes.
The Council Bluffs Busle, Of late date,
has the following editorial:
THE DxAoCRAr1c STANDARD.
The result Of The late elections must
contain proofs convincing to every can
did Democrat that the Democratic stan.
dard was not right, or being right, the
candidate carrying it was wrong. The
Democratic masses in Iowa took bold and
high ground. and ninety out OF every hun
dred, bad they been called upon to paint
an appropriate motto upon the political
standard, would have inscribed thereon.
PEACE AND UNION. This was proved by
the votes of the masses taken at the Fair
Grounds in Des AQines. during the ses-
sion of the 9th of July Democratic Con-
vention. When the question was put 10
them, "Shall the candidates for Governor
be taken from among the eminent civ
ilians Of the State, or the ranks Of tho
army" ninety out of every hundred voted
for civilian. and 10 consequence Of this
vote, the platform was made peace plat
form, with war enough thrown 10, ss was
supposed by the tender footed Democrats.
TO save all Of their votes and catch few
from the ranks of the enemy. Blu. then
the whole thing was spoiled, if il 10 pos
slble to sroil monerel meaning less
thing, BY placing War Democrat upon
sis. This suicidal act cooled the ardor Of
The Peace Democrats, and obliterated thd
line of distinction between the two par1
ties. to such an extent that those who
were for Peace, but were not Of the Dem
ocratie party. thought it most safe and
prudent, as both parties were for war. 10
continue to act with their old party asso-
ciates and vote for the men who had been
instrumental in bringing on the war.
While the masses we're holding up the
true Democratic standard. and clamoring
for Peace as the only means of swing the
Union, preserving Constitutional liberty
and political and religious # .cdom, there
were politicians and newspapers too.
which climed to be Democratic. that were
continually lowering the Democratic stan,
dard raised by the masses, and trailing it
In the dust in the very presence of their
most bitter and unrelenting enemies.
The leaders in many localities, did not
keep step with the people, and, besides
being continually tagging behind, we're
crying most vociferously, "Hold, hold;
the Democracy in order to win victory
must shape its course 80 a. 10 meet the
views and get the votes Of rs many Of
our opponents as possible" and We are
sorry to say that his class, though few in
numbers, welded heavy influence in
our Democratic State Convention. and
succeeded in arranging programme Tor
the campaign, which had no attraction
for the masses and was perfect abortion
~ to results.
The masses of the people are rot only
opposed 70 the war policy Of the Admin
istration. but they are opposed to, and
sick and tired of the war under any polil
cy. More than two years of bloody civil
war, which has sacrificed some of the
best lives in the nation--carrsd death
and desolation to hundreds of thousands
Of once happy families-encumbsred the
Nation with greater debt than any other
nation on earth, and changed our free in
stitutions and government, into a prao-
teal despotism, has convinced the honest
and thinking masses, that the Union can
not be restored by war, carnage and
bloodshed, and that to talk u restoring
1t BY such measures, is an absolute sbs1r.
dity.
Not only is all this true, bat while the
people were earnestly demanding PEAcs,
through which they believed led the path
to Union, many wouid-he leaders of the
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