The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1864-04-13
What Then!

=" nut AhenS
Men shrink from looking into the future
They find fault with those who insist or
questioning the effect Of present policy o.,
the nations destiny. The rebellion mus,
be put down. To this all agree; bu. wins,
then This question is esteemed i'll timed,
copperish, disloyal. The voice of the dom.
inent party ovcrpowcrs the voice Of the
earnest lover of his country, who asks anx-
iously what is to follow the suppression OF
the rebellion. "What business is il of ours
now?' they say; "what right have you to
interrupt the crushing of the rebellion BY
suggesting tLat there is any other qucs.
ton ;"
The rebellion is terrible curse, grand
evil, huge crime. 1t must be got rid of.
But there are other curses, other evils, 9th.
er crimes. \ disease in the human body is
great evil. But the physician is a mur,
derer who directs his whole skill to sup!
pressing the disease, and pays no attention
to preserving the constitution. Many dis
eases might be suddenly and wholly driven
out of the system by doses of arsenic.
Many terrible swelling or tunor might be
eradicated by free use Of the knife, but
the blood and the life might follow the
knife. Fevers might be cured by remedies
that would bring bodily weakness and GER
tain death soon aiterward Shall we crush
a rebellion in such way as to destroy the
vital system, when it can be done other
wise! Shall we carry on this war so rs to
come out Of it weakened, impoverished
with terrible load Of debt and a terrible
load Of sectional hatred and bitterness. and
without that compact, hearty, healthy con-
dition of the nation which is necessary 10
enable us to recover even ordinary strength?
The life blood Of our country is the affection
of the people for the Union and if this ar-
fection fails, blood fails, and the body dies
Temporary alienation may be cured, but if
we seek to cure 1t by -fneary cafcu1avcu tU-
make the alienation permanent, we are not
likely to benefit the system by our expert
'nent. The work can hn accomplished
without this result. Why not be wise in
time?
Men may seek to stfle these questions,
but they are seizing fast hold on the minds
OF the people. 1t is plain as the monday
sun that if the policy of the present Ad-
ministration is continued into another four
years, we have seer the end OF the Ameri-
can Union. Mr.. Lincoln and his advisers
can never restore that Union to life and
health, nor can they build up new Con-
stltution to replace that which they are de-
stroying. They cannot save the life of the
nation. II we are TO trust to them, it may
as well be confessed to-day as it will GER
tainly bc confessed next year, that the old
Union is gone, and forever, and that their
new government will be woak and worth.
less experiment. Why close our eyes to
these solemn truths? The principle of
wholesale abolition and confscation. found
Cd on the idea Of conquering and governing
conquered people, millions of Americans,
is contrary to the spirit of free institutions
1t Is poison in the blood Of the Union. 1t
is death to republican government. The
onc-tenth plan Of Mr.. Lincoln, by which
one man is to govern nine, and one-tenth Of
the population are to elect representatives.
electors, legislators and governors for the
whole population, welding the power of
the whole, as if all were acting-ttis plan
is in direct violation of American principles
and of moral right. 1t is directly hostile
to the constitutional guarantee ofrcpublican
forms OF government. A best the one
tenth ought not to elect more than one
tenth Of the presenta,ives-oughtn not to
be witldlng the power OF more than one
tenth Of the population. How would free
principles survive the shock Of bpholdng
the one tenth Of the population Of Virginia
balancing in the House of Representatives,
the votes of five Northern States, and ten
times their number Of Northern voters?
The idea is not only absurd, but is deadly
thrust at the whole fabric 6aour govern
ment. But what if that be permitted, and
the one tenth do make a new State Corsti-
tuition for the nine-tenths, as the absolute,
incontrovertible law OF the State, are those
nine-tenths ever likely to be cheerful lovers
OF the Union? 1t is useless to discuss this
plan. 1t is too plainly contrary to the fun
damental principle of our government TO
command the respect even of the most de-
voted followers of those who invented it,
W hat sort Of a free government will the
United States be when reconstructed Oh
this plan? New York, with her million of
freemen, will find herself out-voted and
out-weighed in both houses Of Consr bv
other States with one-tenth Of her own
and that tenth will be partly or
wholly negro, if the dominant party carry
out consistently its present avowed policy
Does any one imagine that that will be
Union which Northern men or Southern
men will love, will cling to, will fight for?
Was it such Union as that, which We.
have poured out our treasures ofmoney and
life to save?
How will such Union pay the interest
on thousands of millions Of debt? How
pay the debt?
If the present policy is pursued the war
Will last for years, and only terminate
in an armed occupation, equivalent to Il
constant war, expenses annually footing nP
hundreds Of millions. We want no unwil-
ling Union, no mere conquered submission
to carry out such q debt as ours will be.
We must have cordial, hearty, willing
union, or we are bankrupt, ruined. Our
nation, united willingly, can carry more
debt than any other people, and can pay it.
Our nation, pacIfed by the copfiScation of
Southern property, the eXtirpation or dis
reimbursement OF Southern men, cannot
carry that dcbt. The first element Of
doubt and danger will be the existence of
States unpledged to pay the debt, and
to it only by one tenth of their
people. The future is big with other forms
of disCord, with ether elements of national
disease, and If the nation be not healthy
and willing they will breathe out as ulcers
here and there. Ii is vain to close our ewes
to these truths. The rebellion must be put
down, but it must be put down in such
way as to leave the nation with vitality,
energy and hope: Under the present poll
cy there is no future of union new gov
trnnent, new Constitution, a new form
Of Union, new principle Of unity-all
these 60 into the radical calculation, but all
these fail to show anything but wreck of
the old American Union in the radical view
of the future. Men Of America, rouse your
selves to the truths we have set before you