The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-07-08
true seDss 81 tte wofd. dfffted Il. I

true senBs Of the Wofd, dfffted the D 9cla-
ration Of Independence. which vas BY that
Congress adopted on shs 4sh day ,ef Jnly,
l7I6. This memorable documknt con-
sains truths which never, no never can
be eradisased from the hesrts Of men n
long as the word shall exist, and which
viii ever make tyrants and despots trsin bic
everywhere on the face Of the earth. rae,
"We hold these truths TO be sslf-evi-
dent, that al men are, created equal |;
that they are endowed by their creator
with certain inalisnsble right /; that among
these are life, liberty and. the pupuit Of
happiness. Such wers the prisctpIes Of
the American people at that 6ma e11k
were the lesding ideas for which the
ooionists spilled their hearts blood, sacri-
feed their homes and their psopsrty, and
after . destructive war of sevsE years,
emerged rs the victors out of the bloody
strife.
Such noble and gencroas men - Wash.
ington, Jefferson. Fraakiio, Paine and
others, ssssred the frail,s ship hapyet5
through the raging billows. A new na-
ton was created and q rev country
emerged out Of the Tempest but one
stain was left remaining on her escutcheon
1.-The system of slavery, TEr1
The idea Of keeping human beings in
bondage can meyer be recopeiled with the
principles contained in the Declaration of
Independence. This com bustion in Am-
erican Institutions it is tha. nov seeks to
destroy those guaranties the fathers OF
this Republic hsvo handed down to as as
life long safeguards OF lie and liberty
Let Us look the stern reality in The face.
Let US notbe deceived. Now is the time
to act, aud to verify, yes, to carry into
creation those everlasting truths which
heretofore only in theory existed upon
our statute books. Let m iusiss that the
manly words of one Of our greatest poets
be added t1
Meg are free, s"
And even II they born chains"
Only then, when universal liberty exists,
can you have an assurance that your own
liberty will be respected. If you submit
tha. the least. the weakest, or the most
Insignificant among you is forced in bond
age, then, surely as there is . sun in
heaven, Nemesis win lay hold Of you,
sooner or later. By the side of the great
deeds of American heroes Of the revolu-
ton shine the names of such Germans
jealous sons Of liberty-as Genersls De
kalb and Steuben, in bright lus.er. The
heroic acts of such Germans ~ Muller
Drift, Bonner, Scbmeisser aud Febirger
who, in the war Of independence, com.
manded the regiments of German volun
teers from Pennsylvania, do not occupy !
less enviatle position in the history o.
this country. Al the landing of the Eng
lish COMMANDER at Long Island, while
other troops fed, the Pennsylvania Ger
man volunteers stood their ground. A
the battle Of Bull Run, in 1881, the Ger
mans we're the last to retreat from tha
unfortunate battle field. sss
When German Flats and Cherry Val
ley we're destroyed. in 17TS, those thre
! hundred and fifty German volunteers
from Pennsylvania-those three huudre'
and fifty Sparians-fought from the earl
dawn of day until the sun saak .bsIow th
horizon, against the strongly superio
force of the English, Indians and Tories
asd after nightfall came, there rsuaine,
! Of that heroic band only City men Wha
heass Of a patriot does not beat with piei
sur.ble emotion when recalling the nam
Of that German minister, Auhlenbers
who, Mt the beginning OF the Revolution
ary War, in military uniform aseende
the pulpit. preached independence to hi
congregation. bade them an affecsionas
4 farewell, and then joined the regimen,
l. in the 6sidy Such deeds do, not stsn
1 isolated in the nericsui b istof
Of this country. Whenever our cous
trymen inielligently understood the issne
apdstyranny and lawiessnses waged va
, you always found them battling tor libe
ty and right. After the clo~e Of the Re,
, clutsonary Wa.sa new tdsy aa~aed upo
, this country. The thunder of the batt
was silenced. The farmer quietly al
peacefully followed the furrow msdS I
the plow, and the year 1861 found th
9 country one of the richest and bsppie
g of the earth. She gave an asslum to IL
oppressed of every nation, and free boa
y tp the poor Of svrry country. From eve
+ quarter of the globe, the oppfdssedf Al
: Iiowly took their course hither they cal
2 ito spend their days in quiet and peace
J. free soil IS s. Id .ss.ssss4T-s,
~ Again, the call sounded through {
II breadth Of the land, "To aIms I" q.
4 afms1" The cancer "a the Ameffc
'e institutions had almost gnawed the win
g. out. Slavery had raised its hydfaths
. nd melisb what had remained of n
,t Institutions. Like monster, slaye
confronts .ihe armies of the Union. -
le lives Of thousands and thousands of
sr brave defenders are daily being sactifle
d p stons lor the most ssbo6 6i13kls o.
ie abominable systems. The blood ..
y flows in torrepts. TIE whole Union
4 clad 10 mourning WiseS mourn I
y loss Of dear husbands orphan childr
y are wandering over the broad domain
q weeping over the desth Of loved pares,
r. mOshsrs and fashers aaxiously ~assAsl
st coming rapport of the battle. u ascers
"a the fste Of an sffeeticnsse SON, Yes ] I
70 the cad has. not yet come. O may ]
st not be misIed-not be decieyed! and4