The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-01-16

contaiaed : provision that was eagerly
seized upon TO array the poorer OF our
people against the Government upon the
Specious pretence that the object Of the
J law Was to discriminate between tho rich
and the poor, to the injury of the poor.
The action of the Government, id Free
! ing and using the slaves in the rebel
States for the suppression Of the rebellion,
was represented a. scheme, BY the Gov
eminent, to ovefrun the free States with
the freed slaves, 70 the prejudice Of the
interest Of the poor white man.
The Government had in some instances
arrested and temporarily Imprisoned or
sent beyond our lines, persons whose re-
etraint the public safety required; and
this was interpreted to mean an intention
on the part of the Government to break
down all the defences Of civil liberty. and
to establish despotism. The entire
policy of our Government, as interpreted
by these men, was that the wat was
waged. not for the preservation Of the
| ~ hlOug Uut iOA InC dOOutiOH Va 5AoVCiy
that the object of the Government, in
seeking to abolish slavery, was to bring
the freed slaves North and force their la
Dor into competition with that of tho poor
white man that by the SO called con-
scripion law, the Government sought
to force only the poor men of the coun-
try into the ranks of the army to effect
these objects SO prejudicial to their inter
ests, and that while these objects we're be-
ing effected, the Government intended to
overthrow our free institutions and estab-
lish in their stead despotism
1t is passing strange that intelligent
men could be found SO wicked as to make
these statements, and that other men
could be found so ignorant and foolish as
to believe them. But SO it was. These
statements were made through the press
and from the stump, in the most violent
and exciting language, apparently with
all the earnestness of conviction, and
thousands of honest but deluded men be.
lieved them, and in consequence enter
tanned feelings of deep hostility to the
Government In this excited state oil
the public mind secret societies were or
ganized in many, if not all the loyal
. States, the members of which were. to
some extent, secretly armed for the ayow-
, ed purpose of protesting themselves
against what we're called Arbitrary Ar
, rests" but as | am satisfied with the in
J tent upon the part of the leaders to bring
! their members into armed collision with
, the General Government, in case any at
; tempt should be made to enforce the
, draft. The natural result of these teach
iags and this action was seen in the
, bloody riot that occurred in the chief city
OF the Union. aud in similar smaller out.
breaks in other places.
Under these circumstances my duty
seemed to me to be plain and clear. /
! was bound to see to the enforcement Of
the laws and the preservation Of peace
and good order; and when organized ac-
, ton was being taken throughout the State
to prevent the one aud violate the other,
did not think my duty permitted me to
, wait until the evil was upon Us before
took steps for its prevention. accord
. ingly called upon the loyal men Of the
State. who were willing TO aid in the en-
forcement of the law, to organize volun-
teer military company in each county OF
the State. Such companies were prompt
} ly organized in most of the counties Of
loyal and substantial citizens, and. az
they were organized, placed arms and
ammunition in their hands to make their
: organizations effective. By these means
sufficient force was provided to preserve
forcement of the law Of Congress without
weakening our army facing the enemy by
Withdrawing any portion of it for that
purpose, and. in my judgment. this state
: of preparation TO preserve the peace.
tended largely to prevent its violation.
There was but single occasion in
which it was necessary to use the force
; thus organized. About the first day Of
August last, as number of persons who
had been attending political meeting
near the village of South English in Keo-
kuk county, were returning through that
village, collision took place between
them and other persons in the village, 10
which Mr.. Tally, who had addressed
the meeting, was killed The friends of
Tally, instead of appealing 10 the laws
and the officers Of the law for redress,
chose TO assume that the eff GERS Of the
law would not do their duty. They sent
runners to various points and in short
time bad gathered. near Sigourney, the
county seat of the county, large body
/ of armed men, who undertook to dictate
to the officers of the law for what offence
and in what manner the persons charged
with killing Tally should be tried and
punished. Much alarm existed through.
out the county. The county funds were
sent off for safety, and arrangements
we're made to send away the county rec
ords; and orderly and law abiding peo-
pie were in great anxiety and terror. AS
soon as these facts were made known to
me. at once ordered to Sigourney suf-
ficient number of volunteer companies, Of
infantry and artillery, to give protection
to the people and the officers of the law,
and to show those assembled for unlawful
purposes. not only the hopeIessnets, but
the danger of their attempt. to overawe
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