The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-02-26
Address Of the Rebel Congress
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NS" AoiAs HSU. 80.
The address of the rebel Congress to
the people of the Confederate States is
published. 1t is very lengthy. 1t says
that the course OF the Federal govern.
ment has proved that it did not desire
peace and woalj not consent to it on any
terms that We could possibly conclude.
In proof of this we refer to the repeated
rejection of all terms of Cancellation and
compromise, to their recent contemptuous
refusal to receive the Vice President yAo
was sent to negotiate for softening .ns as
perities of war, and their scor.fl reiec-
ton of the offer of neutral POWER. to me-
date between the commanding parties.
The motive of such strange conduct is
obvious. The Republican party was
founded to destroy slavery and the eausl.
ity Of the States, and Lincoln was selected
as the instrument to accomplish this OBJ
ject. The Union was barrier to the
consummation of this policy, because the
Constitution, which was its bond, recoe-
nined and protected slavery and the SOW
erelgnty Of The States. The Union must
therefore be sacrificed The mass of the
Northern people were not privy to or
sympathized in no such design they
loved the Union and wished to protect it.
To rally the people to the support of the
war, its object was claimed TO be a resto-
ration of the Union, as if that which i'm
piled voluntary assent, of which a. agree
ment was an indispensable clement and
condition, could be preserved BY coercion.
1t is absurd TO pretend shat government
really DESTROYS of restoring the Union
would adopt ssch measures as the confis-
cation u private property, the emancipa-
tion of slaves, systematic efforts to incite
them to insurreetion, and forcible abduc-
tion from their homes and compulsory en-
llstment in the army the division OF
sovereign State without its consent, aud
proclamation that one.tenth of the pop
ulation of State, and that State under
military rule, should control the will of
the remaining nine-tenths. The only re-
lation between the two sections under
such policy is that of conqueror and
conquered. superior and dependent.
Il would hardly be fair to assert that
all northern people participate in those
designs. On the contrary, there exists a
powerful political party who openly con-
denim them. The Administration has,
however, been able thus far by its enor-
nous patronage and its lavish expendi-
tures-so seduce, or by its legions of Hes
slams managed to overawe the masses, to
control the elections and to establish an
arbitrary despotism. 1t cannot be posi-.
BILE that this state of things can continue.
The people OF the United States, accus
toned to freedom, cannot consent to be
ruined and enslaved in order to rain and
enslave us. When reason returns our
enemy will probably reflect that people
like ours, who have exhibited such capa
bilities and extemporized such resources,
can never be subdued; that a vast expanse
of territory, with ouch population. can
not be governed as an obedien. colony till
some evidence is given of change OF
policy on the part Of the government, and
some assurance is received that efforts az
negotiation will not be spurned. Con.
gress are OF opinion that sny direct oysr-
lures Tor peace would compromise our
self-rssPsct. b fruitless Of GOOD ana IL in
terpreted ty the enemy As an Indication
of weakness.
We can only repeat the desire Of tho
people for peace and our readiness to 40.
cept terms consistent with the honor and
integrity and independence Of the Stat.s
and compatible with the safety Of our do.
mestic Institutions. We have no alterna.
tive but to do our duty. We comba, 70,
property. homes. the honor of our wives
the future of our children, the preserya.
ton of ur fair land from pollution and to
avert a doom which We can read both in
the threats of our enemies and the act,
of oppression we have alluded to. The
situation is grave but furnishes NO JUS,
excuse for dependency. Instead Of harsh
criticisms on the Government and our
Generals. instead Of bewailing the failure
to accomplish impossibilities, We should
rather be grateful for the results that hay.
rewarded our labors. Remembering the
disproportion in population. in military