The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-12-10

~ Union and Opposition papers

- Union and Opposition paper
speak Of the present great struggle -
revolution. Ole Of tho first principle
of dialectios is TO have definite and cor
rect understanding Of words and torn
used. Controversies have swelled int,
volumes whore pages would have suf6ce,
had controversialists understood eacl
othef as they understood themselves. L
is evident that the two parties understand
and apply the term ievolution to this Wal
in dissimilar sense. Revolution, !" says
Webster, the lexicographiss. ain politics,
. material or entire change in the const
tuition of government" No one will
assume that this revolution embraces an
entire change in the constitution of gov
ernment; that is, change from demo.
cratic republic y monarchy or aristoc-
racy. Governments are but applied ideas
OF administrative policy, and differences
of governments are owing to differences
of ideas upon which governments are
based. OF these forms, strictly and log
ically, there are but two. The political
idea that the deople arc the sources and
fouutsins of political power. that they
are capable Of seif-government, are SOW
ereign, and shat rulers are their instru.
ments and agents, having only such pow.
ers as are delegated them BY the people,
whose servants they are, which idea 10 .
government gives you democracy. Or
that other idea which assumes that Ill
political po~er and rights are vested in
the few-in the ruler-and flow from
them TO the people, and that the people
have only such rights as the ruler con-
cedes them. This idea gives you the
divine right of kiugs-jus dipinum regi-
Sm-monsrchy, oligarchy, afistocracy.--
Our government is based on the. former
idea, the rights of the many, and whatev.
er may be the result Of this strife, no one
harbors for a moment any thought OF :
change in the form of our government.
Democracy compromised with slavery
in the organization Of the government.
There was an antagonism between the
two, but our fathers thought-how erro-
neoosly time has proved that slavery
would gradually perish in all the States
that our democratic institutions would
overshsdow and destroy it. But slavery
grew and the nation was becoming chat
telized. Error perisbes by its own insane
efforts TO perpetuste itself. Wrong be.
comes its own destroyer. Slavery, as it
thought to save itself, inaugarsted strife
which was to destroy the government
And 10 time, 10 the legitimate and con.
struggle which ensued to pre-.
serve the national life, 70 save the Union.
the object for which the war was COM
or rather accepted on the part of
the Administration and tho loyal States,
we have as result, solely by the force of
the ideas involved, war which shall de.
stroy slavery. Hence we call this q rev.
olulion, aud radical one. To call this
first war for preserving the Union,
subsequently, changed into war for the
overthrow of slavery, is not ct all to com.
prehend the truth of the history we are
now msking. First. last, and eli shs
time, it is war for the preservation Of
the Union, OF our territorial jurisdiction,
and yet SO closely has the question of
slavery become intervoven with the na.
tional life. that this struggle, prosecuted
until the Government is saved. necessi-
tstes the total overthrow of human bon
dage.
The Democracy also see in this war Z
revolution, but they profess to see in 1t !
T evolution in its. broadest sense, involving .
an "entire change in the constitution OF
the government" and. as The Oskaloosa
Watchman has it, "the complete destruc-
ton of free government on The American
continent" And the sbolitioDists and the
Administration are responsible for it all.
Hsw much does the Constitution Of the
Confedesacy differ from that Of the United
Ststesl To talk Of the American people,
of the citizens of the loyal Slstes with
more inteIligsncs and intellectual activity,
more patriotism, more 1--we bi liberty than
ever before, when they are crowding the
road to death as to banquet in their at
tachment to our free institutions, to talk
at this time of their conseutipg to or
assisting in 'the destruction Of free gov
ernment," Is to stul.ify one's self. Il it
in slavery We have the revolution No,
says the Democracy ; it is in the over.
throw Of State rights. As ths Confadaf..
ate Constitution ID more explicit = 70
State rights than the Fedsral Const;tn-
ton, il must, from the Democratsc stand i
= 4 \ -