The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-01-04


We notice that quite . number of Dem
pcratic newspapers are proposing Gen.
Mcclellan az the next Democratic candi-
date for President. For our part, ~
don't go single cent on him. We don't
know why he should receive the nomina-
ton in preference to s'any other man.
As General, We believe him to be as
able as any 10 the Geld or out Of IL; but
that does not qualify him for the ofice OF
President, and the fact Of his once being
in ,hs feld, in the present unconstitufion-
al and unjust civil war. disqualifes him,
10 our estimalon, for the nomination by
the Democratic party.
The DemocrAtic party 10 an anti-war
party, and had it at the commencement
carried out its true principles there would
have been no war and the country now
would have been in the enjoyment Of
peace. Every eminent Democrat and,
We might add. every eminent Whig that
ever lived in the Union has warned the
people against the dangers of civil VA.
and oil have agreed that when war was
once commenced BY one section Of the
Union against the other. that separation
was inevitable.
With these warnings before them. it
was the duty of every Democrat in Con.
grsss and In every responsible station, to
nse his voice against the Inauguration
of civil war, and had they done 80, the
the Republicans. the real dissnionis.s Of
the couutry, would not have vensored to
TO into q war By themselves. and they
1ould have adopted the cristenden Com
promise. or some other compronise, By
(which the Union would have been saved
land the present unholy, ruinous and de-
vastating civil var would have been pre-
vented. But when men protesting to Be
Democrats. rendered to the Adninistra-
tion their aid in carrying On War, upon
the hypothesis that "the American peo.
lple are . fighting people. and no party
was ever popular that opposed war"
with the hope of getting control Of the
war and thea concluding apcsce which
would "sink the Republican Abolition
Party % deep in oblivion that the hand
Of resurrection would never reach it. they
abandoned the principles upon which ou1
Government is founded, and repudiatsc
the warnings, advice and admcnitioBs
J given by every eminent man, from Geo
! Washington, the Father of his. Country,
to Henry Clay, who. it may be said. ex
t haasted bis las. breath in perfecting
} compromise TO sase the Union, and i,
warning his countrymen against the dan
u gers and effects Of civil war. &s
t1 We want no man for President who Va
SO blind as to suppose that the Unio
/ could be restored by force, or who was s
: dishonest as to go into the war for tn
> purpose of gaining popularity, or gettio
control Of the war in order to conclude
. Epeace for party purposes and to sffeC
+ party ends. We want for our candidas
!, for President, man who has been OF
: posed to the war from the beginning--on
o not only opposed to the war, bat on
/, who has labored to bring it to . termin'
e tion by opposing IL IL every phase II h'
4 taken since its commencement
et If the Democracy can elect such maj
Is and maintsin their power in the Cover
r. ment for . few years, there Is possibil
., ty that the Union may be re constructe
L e'upon terms Of justice and equality" b.
% with the election of a Republican or
8 [4sWar Democrat" which is the san
thing, .osiy LITTLE more So" tbs Unit
y will never be reconstructed, the righ
g,4tf theapeople will be- overfiddeo BY Il
4 dapots in powen, the Constitution Vi
, ibs subverted, and Despotism viii
- tsst&blishsd. ssasrHAas : issis =
9 .siFor these reasons, We are opposed
:. llihe ngpipatiop of Gen. AcC Clsllan. a