The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1863-08-06
The American Citizens Duty.

which this war and its incidents are
rudely dispelling--the notion that this
nation, more than any other, is, to use
Burkc's language, "nothing better than
a partnership in a trade Of pepper aud
coffee, calico and tobacco, and some spch
other low concerns, to be taken up for a
little temporary interest, and to be dis
solve" by the fancy of the part;cs.' It
is this notion, diligently exploited by
traitors and demagogues, which, more
than aught else, has been working the
havoc which has disgraced this city dur
ing the last week Ever since the war
began, the men who are bent on pushing
their own fortunes at the cost of every
thing that is respectable or valuable in
our institutions and manners, have de
voted themselves to infamng the labor.
ing classes, and particularly those Of for
c'gn birth, against the Government, on
the avowed ground that it was carrying
on the w9r, and that the war was produc-
tive Of loss aud suffering, and cntaied
heavy sacrifices on most classes Of the
community. They have laborcd to sp, cad
the idea that every man who cane to the
United States and became a citizen, ac.
quired ipso .facto right to lifelong case,
and prosperity, and that any action on
the part Of the Government in de,cncc
of honor or existence, which curtailed
the smallest of the working man com
forts, was fraud and imposition Ac-
cording to this theory of the national or
ganization, the National Government is
a sort Of swine herd, whose sole business
is to see that its hogs get their meals and
their sleep regularly, ard are not troubled
by anything that imrcdes or delays the
growth of fat. The cares, aIXictics, du-
ties, and sacrifices OF citizens arc all very
we'll for the down troddcn scrfs of Eu-
rope, but once on American soil, the man
rises into the full dignity OF a swoppiry,
trading, boarding animal, and any at
tempt to make him raise an arm or con-
tribute a cent for the defence Of the
common honor, or dignity, or even safe
ty, is declared to have no counterpart
except in the tyrannical and tcrocious
caprices Of the Gar or the Shah
The war has dispellcd much Of this
detuslon already; it will dispel more Of it
before it is over; and the riots and the
draft in this city will, we hope, give it
in this city, and all over the land, shock
which will finish it, We want to have
every man in every corner of the earth,
who dreams of making this country his
home, know and remember that we offer
him nothing but an ample and unrcstric-
ted field for the exercise of all his talents
and all bis energies, for the development
OF whatever is best aud Loblcst in his
nature. We guarantee him freedom for
mind and body, and promise him wealth
al honor IN proportion to his merits -
But we warn him that when he comes
here, 1t Is not to roam over rich pastures
and chew the end, fat OK among fat
oxen. lie comes to be a freeman in q
free community, jealous Of its honor, Of
It's integrity, and Of its glory, and pre-
pared to make whatever sacrifices, down
to the last cent ard the last drop Of
blood, to preserve every ono Of them
without stain or blemish. We are, in
short, it is time that all should know, a
nation like any other nation. except tha;
we are trecr, more progressive, less bur
dened by bad traditions and bad laws
We ere not commercial firm; and if
anybody insists on forcing this cons,ruc-
tion OF our social and political organizes
ton upon US, as the rioters and ruiIiaus
have leen trying IS DO, tie assumption
must DC repcilcd, if need be, at the point
of the bayonct and the mouth of the can
non. No American, with drop Of man,
ly blood in his veins, will ever allow c;-
ther foreign powers or domestic cut-
throats to hold this theory of the nature
and aims Of this community, without pro-
testing against it both with the pen and
the sword.
If the world does not know already, we
are determined that it shall believe that,
to return to Burke's definition, the
American nation sis not a partnership in
things subservicnt only to the gross ami,
NAL existence of temporary and perish,
able nature. 1t is partnership in all
science, partnership in all art, a part
nership in every virtue, and in all per-
fection." And everybody who joins it
must make up his mind to lend his assa.
tancc in forwarding these ends when the
constituted authorities shall call on him
to do so, and whether he likes "virtuc
and PERFECTION or not. The majority
here has come to the same conclusion as
most other communities, that without
national unity, freedom of speech, Of
labor, &c, no progress is possible; and
that without them, so far from being bet
ter or nobler than we are, we should
rapidly degenerate, like the Spanish.
American States, into the prey for buc
cancers or tyrants, rich and Fat enough
to be robbed, but too cowardly to give
the task of ro bng US the smallest spice
of adventure Into that condition we
should never consent to be dragged, and
certainly not at the tail of the Woods
aud Andrewses, or for the momeutary
qualification of the thieves and prostitutes