The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-11-03

most p0Werful p0nslcAl oentlmens ID loyal'
ty to his Queen; in the American citizen
it is veneration Of his Constitution. No
appeal to that sentiment 10 ever made,
among us. 10 vain. 1.-THE Constitution
as it l. r. No more potent watchWord
than that canbe employed in Z political
contest. Except on that basis We cannot
erect : permanent plan of reconstruction
without exposing ourselves to assault
from the enemies Of the Government, on
the score of arbitrary and unconstitution-
al acts. And why adventure into the ex-
posed field OF doubtful controversy, when
we can fight, safely protected. behind the
impregnable bulwarks of the Constitu-
ton?
am your obedient servant,
ROBERT DALE Owls.
New York, Oct. Is, 1868.
The Providence Of God In tho War.
Hon. S. P. Chase. in his speech in In
dianapolis. on the 14th, among other
things, said:
II there ever was any event in the his
tory of this world which was distinctly
marked by the tokens of Divine Provi-
dence, it is this war. There had grown
up an institution in this country which
had served as the basis OF an aristocracy
hostile to free labor and all those interests
| which you most cherish. It was an aris-
tocraoy that pressed with equal weight
| upon the poor white man of the South
and the slave who was driven like the
brute to his daily toll. This aristocracy
had seized upon the national Government
and was making itjust what they pleased
for the purpose of working their wills
They we're striving to extend slavery into
all the free territory of the country, and
to reopen the slave trade that they might
make fresh importations from Africa at
pleasure.
They secuted the very idea of free in
situations, and had SO organized them
selves that they preferred to overthrow
and ruin the Government rather than sub
NIT to having the Republic governed by
the people.
In 1860 they determined they would
govern the Republic themselves. Lin
cen was elected President. They still
had Congress and the Supreme Court, but
they were not content with this, They
were not willing the power should pass
out of their hands into the hands of the
representatives of the people. And SO
they undertook to break up tae Republic
in the same hope that they could make
new Republic, founded on the slavery Of
men. They expected that New York
would join them in breaking up the Union
they boasted that Indiana was going TO
join them, and Illinois also. They said
all the northwestern States would come
rather than have the Mississippi closed
Thus they hoped to be able TO found a
mighty slave empire but when they be-
gan their play by firing on Fort Sumter,
this nation flew to arms. Was not Gods
hand in that? | think it was. After
that you all remember how forbearing the
President was, and how forbearing every
body was.
l used TO be very impatient sometimes,
and wanted this military thing done, and
that military thing done, and the rebellion
crushed out at once. But somehow or
other, in the providence of God, the thing
worked slowly along. and it was only
when We had made up our minds that
slavery was the root of the rebellion, and
that it must be got out of the way. that
any very distinguished success followed
our arms.
Now, what a remarkable change has
taken place All over the country to-day
slavery is recognized as the great cause
and prop Of the rebellion. 1t is recogni-
zed as such in every rebel State as much
as it is in every free State Of the Union.
1t is 80 understood and proclaimed By the
rebels In the South as distinctly as it is
by the loyal men of the South. They
distinctly understand that they are fight
ing for slave empire, and that We are fight
ing for the right of the people to govern
themselves.
Now, see the wonderful changes that
have occurred in public opinion upon this
subject. GO with me to Missouri Three
or four months ago some seventy dele
gates from Missouri, with thirty dele
gates from Kansas, representing no less
than 6tty-seven counties in Missouri, and
l know not how many in Kansas called
on me at my house in Washington, and
explained to me their ideas. Some of
them were shareholders and some were
not, but they all agreed that slavery was
the cause of the rebellion, and the great
enemy and the only enemy of the loyal
men of the South, and they we're deter
mined to put an end to it as speedily as
the votes of the people could effect the
work.
Who would have dreamed of the like
of that three years ago? Go with me to
Maryland, and you will find precisely the
same state of things there that exists in
Missouri. They began the war in Mary
land, as many others Of us did in differen.
parts of the country. with the idea that
the war could be efficiently prosecuted
and the country preserved. and at the
same time slavery be saved. But now
everything is different Now the uncon-
ditional Union men of Maryland array |
themselves as an emancipation party on |
the compensation plan, if they can get it,
Init for anna ri NATHAN in o.thn. TT |