The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-10-26


great political contest 1t present eoiug on
10 the came country has just been narrow
cd down 70 . single issue. That issue
for the Union and Emsnci-
patton: Nc Clellan for the Union minus
Emancipation.
The ehaarinsd and disappoistsd Fss-
mont il yittually ont Of the field, as We
antieipa;ed he would be. Nobody now
speaks Of hie, and even his friends don't
seem o care about him.
The struggle, then, is between Lincoln
aud Mo Clsllan. The former, We are hap
py to say. has left Us in no doubt Is to b
programme. He has accepted the Balti-
more Convention resolutions. which de-
clare slavery be the cause, and its total re-
moval the object, Of the war. and he has
published bis letter, ssto ell whom it may
concern" in which he claims. as con.
dition Of peace, to be satisfied with moth
ing short Of 'ihe integrity Of the Union
AID the abandonment OF slavery" In
proof of his sincerity in this he can point
to emancipation a. already effected during
his Iule in Western Virginia, Maryland,
District of Columbia and Missouri: he
can point to the prohibition Of slavery in
oil the Territories ofthe Union, TO Kansas
admitted IS free State, and to Colorado.
Nebraska and Nevada Professionally or
ganizrd as free States he can appeal to
the fact that all fugitive slave laws have
been utterly abrogated and the slave trade
itself abolished, and that while he has
declared three millions of slaves free BY
proclamation, he has admitted negroes to
civil rights in the United States Courts,
established them in free labor 10 South
Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tonnes
rec aud Arkansas, aud given them places
equal with the whites ia the United States
army.
Mcclellan, on the other hand. though
not explicit, is in another sense, not less
satisfactory. His mstto is, "The Union
the Union at all hazards" He confines
himself to this He says nothing as to
slavery he is sufficiently a soldier not TO
commit himself to the scheming devices
of his Chicago friends, and be is so noto
riously we'll known as sympa,hizer with
aud supporter of the system of slavery
that he cannot if he would. deceive his
opponents. 1t is known that he solicited
and was refused . command in the Con-
federate army; it is also known that. in
1861, while in the Federal service. be is
sued proclamation, IN which be told the
Virginians to dismiss al fears as to their
"peculiar institution" being interiersd
With, and promised the utmost assistance
Of his troops to put down any insubordi-
nation Of their slaves; it is universally
understood that. when in command of the
Potomac army, be excited the greatest
suspicious il not of treachery TO the Fed
eral Government, at all events of want OF
energy and earnestness against the Con-
federacy; and there can be no doub; OF
the fact that since his retirement he has
been the special favorite ofsuch Hrebrsnds
a. Vallandigbam and Fernando Wood,
the former of whom, it is not necessary TO
say. fed the earliest flames of rebellion BIZ
jobbing in contracts for firearms for his
Southern friends, and has continued ever
since stirring up the worst blood of the
Copperheads with view to prevent the
emancipation of the slaves.
Between these two then lies the contest.
This is the character and these the prin-
cipIes and policies which 10 a general eort
OF way appertain to each. Both the can.
didates are resolved to continue the war
till the integrity of the Union has been
resto ed. In this they are alike, 10 all
other respects they are totally dissimiIar
The ono has resolved not TO rest satisfied
till, with the Union, he has killed the
caus- and purpose of the re bellion-slave-
~. The other is satisfied, il be can
restore the Union to leave the slave State.
with so many of their goods and chat,
tells" as they still have or may be disposed
to keep.
Lincoln will, if allowed, finish the
work which Providence has forced up,n
him by the course Of events, and rid the
nation of the inhuman system which has
SO long ried to Heaven for vengeance,
and is now seeing it Mcclellan believ-
Ing IN slavery and interested in it. and in
the party who supported and have made
their position by it, would, if it we're pos
sIbie, restore, and foster, and extend il. -
Need we say, therefore, who OF the Two
ought to secure British sympathy, or, if
our religious bodies were not .ssleep or
worse ought to be remembered in British
prayers. For oursef we go In for Lincoln
heart and soul Whatever the faults OF
his administration; we recognize him a
"called' in far truer and higher sense
than certain parties here talk about pro-
vide entail arrangements, to wire out an
age Of national disgrace and bring in An
age OF true national glory He has done
more to exterminate slavery in four wears
than we as nation did in thirty, though
the difficulties he has had to encounter
have been greater by far than any ever
experienced by ne. lie has had bis de-.
tractors aid mslipners, and unscrupulous
enemies, at Wherefore and Clarkson
had, and as all men earnest in a good
cause must have; nevertheless trusting.
we believe. in the direction of the Highes,
rover, he bas pursued the even tenor Of
MS way, walking where he dare not run.
resting ~here he feared to make an iniu
dicious move; throughout all, however.
keeping his aim and object steadily and
Clearly IN view. He may be beaten. No.
body can tell what effect great victory
or great defeat may have in determin
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