The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-10-31

| Wy opinion oil such q measure vas in
'orm ally asked in advance, by membe
OF the Cabinei, and l expressed, in reply
D . do1bt OF its policy, though added The
had DO doubt of its consti,utionaH;.y
did not regard it as a measure of orc.
: practical lmportssce. Iconsidered slave
ry ~ doomed. as Mr.. Stephens warset
ms fellow-eitizeas il wsasa he. bv m.
operations OF the war. aud by what rar
ucuiar instrumentality. or in what preeis.
form, provided it was consritutiouali,
done, was of no grea, moment. nav.
no oelief, however, that ih4 measure ha,
mad the slightnst effect 10 Increasing ,he
d'fflcuity Of psci6eation The governing
ci1ss VIII hold out for Independence al
'heir military power is crushed. When
that Is done, the masses will rise and de-
mand peace.
will add that it is very doubtful
whether any act Of the Governmen. of the
United Staies vas necessary to iiberate
| lhe slaves in State which is in rebellion.
Inere IL much reason for the opinion that
os the simple fact Of levying war agains'
the United States. the relation of slavery
was teruinsted--certainly so far ., con-
Germs the duty of The United States to re.
cogn'zs 1t, or 60 refrsin from interfering
with II. Not being founded on the law
OF nature, and resting solely on positive
local law, and that not Of the United States
as soon ~ it becomes either the u,otivs q,
Pretext OF IN unjust war sgains, the Union
An eff,cient instrument In the hands OIL,
the rebels for carrying on the war-a
source OF military srength to the rebellion
ana OF danger to the Government at home
and abroad, With the additional certainty
thai, In Any event but its abandonment. i
VII eontinoe In all future time, TO work
these U'schiefs, who eau suppose ii is the
duty Of the United States to continue To
recognize IT, To maintain this would he
contradiction in terms Il wonId be In
recogn "a right in rebel master 70 en-
pi1y his slave In acts Of r, belllon and ,rsa-
ssn. and the dutT n the slave TO aid and
aoei bis master IN the commission Of the
greatss. crime known - the law. No
such ao-urdltv can Be admitted. and any
cshz@n of the United STATS, from the
President down, who sh I'D By any overt
act, recognize the du'y of slave b ob1y
REBEL usster Ia hostile operation
would himseif be giving aid and ccmfJr,
to the enemy.
While, therefore. l think nothing can
be clearer than that the Administration
is, IN IFS emancipation policy, 10 the ex-
ercise OF an nndcubted right on the clear
est principles of tie public law, have no
belief that by adopting that policy il has
increased the difficulty Of an honorable
pscihcation. Conservative men OF all
parties have. with the best Intentions. As
II seems to me, acted under great miscon-
cep.ions IN this matter. The idea that
the foundations o. this Union rest on
slavery. and that il is at all events. and
unfer all circumstances, aud to the end
OF time, TO be cherished and preserved, is
quite recent idea. The f,thers Of the
Republic knew nothing of it. They With
one accord. South as we'll as North, re-
garded slavery as an evil forced upon the
country in its colonial state, and tempera.
1's tolerated. 1t was supposed 10 depend
on the confinued importation OF slaves.
and the frsmers of the CONSTITUTION of
i7s9 believed that in providing for the
prohibition of the African slave trade after
1903. they had com meneed the abolition
Of sIsve.y. Mr. Webster says, and re.
peais the remark 10 his speech of The Tth
of 'Msrch. 1850, that the members Of tie
Federal Convention "ihonyht that slavery
could not be continued in the country. IL
the importation of slaves were made to
cease. and therefore they provided that
after certain period the importation
might be prevented by an act Of the new
Government" ut was then april.
l776,) the prevailing opinion, says Ban
croft (VI1I-, 32i,) "e.peciaIy 10 vr-
ginia. that the total prohibition OF the
slave trade would at NJ very distant
day be followhd by universal emancipa-
ton"
Much is said about restoring 'slhe Con
stitution as it is and the Union as it was. =
and as far as | have been able to pene-
trste the real intention of the Chicago
Democracy. it is TO make overtures OF
peace on that nominal basis, with new
guarantees and new compromises on the
subject of slavery. Have those who favor
such policy well considered what the
Union was and the Constitution is. 10
this respectg A little impartial refec-
tion on that subject will show that it is
By no means at the North that the de-
parture from its spirit, nay. its letter, has
taken place. / do not refer TO extreme
opinions uttered by ardent men Moth and
Sou,h, but to legislative acts and offieia
measures. While the Government or the
United States is not chargeable with the
smallest violstion of the Constitution or
the slightest departure from the spiri, Of
The Uoion, (but very far the contrary in
respect to slavery both have been wholly
di~regard~d and set At naught BY the
slaveholding interest. have not time
ut this late hour TO go into this discussion
at length. but will state a few PROPOSE
tions which, as / think, defy refutation.
First, bv the wise aud good men of the
South, - we'll - the North, who framed
the Constitution, slavery, - I have al.
ready stated. was considered and hab,,u-
ally declared to be a social, political. and
moral evil, forced upon us by the Colonial
Government. Of which it VA. both the in