The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-05-25
THE GA FE CITY,
WEDNESDAY NAY %.


Mr.. Lincoln will be the nominee Of th
Baltimore Conyentios bp. tho BALI
more Convention must adopt . platferu
of principles. and there Will doubtless b
asharp contest over the platform. Score,
and hundseds Of delegates viii feed .eon
misted BY instructions from their con
stituents to vote for Mr.. Lincoln. hut 4,
no ins.ruetions were given - 70 ths prin
ciples to be embodied in the platform
upon which the Presidential candidate i,
to stand, the delegates win press theiill
views with great earnestness upon the
Convention. We may all rest assured
that whoever msy be the NOMINEES, the
platform win suffer no tAiut Of conserys.
ism, for the pc ople win not endure it.
The citizens at home, and the soldiers in
the army, have suffered and sacrificed 60
much in the effort to pat down the slave
holders rebellion that they will never
consent to rs-establish slavery BY con.er-
vative lodges or plausible indirections.
The course of Mr.. Lincoln, q m.
nounced in his emancipation policy, in
the enlistment of colored troops, and in
his approval of the con6scation measures
Of Congress. has received the enthusiastic
approval of the Union men of the coun-
try. But the practical notification Of the
declared principles and policy of the
President in the administration of the
affairs of the country, sud in the conduc,
of the war, has disappointed the people
and excited much dissatisfaction through.
out the Union ranks. Theoretically the
President is right in the main; practi-
cally the Administration is a. nearly al
wrong. Theoretically the Government
is auti-slavery; practically the utmost
pains is taken to nullify the general anti
slavery policy announced BY the Govern.
ment. The officers in command are very
generally practical conservators of slavery,
and the Order No. 3 prevails in spirit to
q very great extent down to the present
day. Con6scation, which is theoretically
the law of the land. is practically an OBJ
solese idea. Emancipation is restricted
by SO many exceptions, and is opposed to
the views OF SO many officers in command
of departments, that its beneficial in.
fuences do not really extend beyond the
actual effects which would have been
produced by the war. without any procla-
nation OF freedom whatever. And 90 far
as the enlistment of negro soldiers is con.
cerned. it might have been carried on
quite as effectively without the proclama.
ton as with 1t, especially il colored sol.
diers had been assured of projection At
the hands Of the Government; but they
have had no protection against the bar
barous practices of the enemy thus far.
and it is notorious that they are treated
worse than dogs BY some of our own
officers.
These things, and others bearing in the
same direction, have impressed the public
mind very painfully with the apprehen-
sioc that slavery is to be as little dis
turbed as practicable, and that ia the long
run the rebel States are to be restored to
the Union with the institution practically
Intact, and that the armies of the country
are to hnd employment alter the war is
over in enforcing the slave laws Of the
restored rebel States, and reducing their
human property to obedience to the slave
laws OF the South and to subsection to
their late rebel masters. And this i'm
preston is intensified in the public appre-
hension from the fact that the conserva.
tive portion of the Cabinet and tho psrtv
are much given lately 70 the dsnunciasion
OF the great majority Of The Union psrtv
and some Of its most distinguished leader,
Is "Abolitionists," "negrophobists, ;" s.f..
natics." and such like terms OF contumel,
and reproach; and the men who deal
most e1tsnaively 10 that style Of slang
claim to be the special friends and favor
ties of the President.
Such are the complaints and the fears
often expressed BY ardent Union men 10
conversation, and which sometimes ind
expression in the newspapers, and whether
they be just or not, they are exercising !
most decided effect upon public ssn,i.
ment
Now. to settle all these questions, re-
move these difficulties. quiet these ap-
prehensions and bring the practical action
OF the Government into unison and con.
formlty with its abstract principles and
theoretical policy. is the great problem
for the baltimore Convention. If that
Convention shall lack the wisdom or the
Influence to easct that object. then the
Union party stands in great peril Of diyi-