Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-12-02
BY JOHN MAHIN.
Congratulations.

Congratulations.
Severe illness since the election has
prevented our communicating to our
readers our joyous exultations over the
recent verdict of the American people.
The result at the ballot-boX was not un-
expected, but none the less to be glori-
fled over. BY popular majority OF
100000 the people have denounced the
war inaugurated by the South against
the Constitution and the Union. BY a
like majority, the people have declared
that they are engaged in a war of self
defense and for self-preservation. a
majority of 400. 900 freemen has spurn-
ed the proposition to beg humiliating
terms OF peace from men who are guilty
of every crime from treason down to
larceny. \ majority of 100000 mas de-
clared in favor of war against all who
assail the best government ever ordain-
ed of God.
The people have said in thunder tones
that neither taxation nor famine, nor
pestilence nor death shall be an impedi-
ment in the way of preserving the in
tegrity of the Union, but that whatever
the cost, that Union must and shall be
preserved"
A majority of 100000 has declared
that above all things else in civil gov
ernment, liberty is most to be priced
that liberty and Union are inseparable,
and that without liberty there can be no
permanent Union. The " radical y
measures of the Administration have
been overwhelmingly approved.
In short, the people have pronounced
in favor of the preservation of the
Onion, whose chief cornerstone shall
hereafter be liberty. In our boyhood
days we were taught to love liberty and
hate slavery. We congratulate ougself
that we have always been the intlexihle
hater OF Southern slavery, and we now
turn to the men who in by-gone years
withstood the taunts, the jeers and
,scorn of political demagogues because
they loved principle more than policy,
right better than wrong, and year after
year stood together minority, con-
temptible in numbers. TO these we
turn and offer our congratulations.
The time was when our enemies ex-
ulted over us. The time was when YOU
were insuited and shamefully treated;
that time is not now. Liberty has tri-
umphed, and we are the victors. AbO-
litionism is no longer hated term.-
Those who were our most malignant
enemies in the days of Birney and Love
joy now crowd themselves into our adj
vance and tell us we are too slow. But
the victory is won, and it is no longer a
by-word or reproach to be Il friend Of
universal liberty. We congratulate its
early friends upon their steadfast devo-
ton to principle and patient tolls. We
congratulate its later adherents upon
that light which has shown into their
hitherto benighted souls and changed
them from prosecuting enemies to a
band of brothers, who, having achieved
liberty for the down-trodden in our own
land, will continue to labor to ameliorate
the condition of the oppressed in other
climes.
The election of Mr.. Lincoln is as but
dust i'll the balance, compared with
what we have achieved for the rights of
man. The Sth of November taught this
lesson: that no man can be too radical
when in the right. Radicalism is the
lever which moves the world of opinion.
We congratulate our readers that public
opinion is becoming radical.
Another Emancipation Proclamation.
1t has been reported that another pro-
clamation by the President might be
expected. According to the Washing
ton correspondent of the New York In
dependent, it is to be proclamation OF
universal freedom to the slaves. The
writer says:
1.-The Abraham Lincoln of to-day is
an aboiitionist, an emancipator, and is
ready to take still bolder strides towards
radicalism, if it be necessary, to save the
country. Ii Congress is not expeditions
in j. ~eeing to the Constitutional amend
ment T COX for a second proclamation,
freeing every s!lave in the Union, upon
the ground Of military necessity"
n% We learn from the Boston 1roU-
eier. that from the first Of June, 1868, to
the present time, period of between
fifteen and sixteen months, the United
States Marshal, Keyes, has paid over
to the United States Treasurer, as the
proceeds of captured blockade runners,
adjudicated at that port, over five mil
lion dollars. In these prize cases the
expenses were very small, thus materi-