The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1864-01-05
The Old and the New.

year " VIC ithS 1874 thAs fsS fD~NN>'
Another year with its doubts and its sor-
rows, its fears and its triumphs. its I'M
certainties and perplexities, with its
measure of alternate hope and mingled
fear is upon us with work more potent
and mighty to be performed, than any
to which we have yet addressed our
selves, which is nothing less, than to
found this Republic on the sure and
eternal principles Of Liberty and Justice,
From time mmemorial other nations
have waged war and conquest, but the
main motive, in most cases, has been
personal ambition, a love Of tyranny and
desire TO predominant over their fel,
lows, combined with lawless spirit OF
aggression, which was founded on the
idea that the mass Of the people must be
kept in ignorance, that they might not
know their own wrongs, or have any de.
sire to assert their individual rights.
The war in which we are now engaged,
may be said 10 have sprung from strict
!y moral principle, or from that inhe.
rent right which resides in tie people
themselves to rule, without being con
trolled by the arrogant dictation OF a
false and panpered aristocracy, and it
was this grand all absorbing idea that
led our pilgrim fathers TO cross a watery
waste, and on the shores Of the New
World 10 establish a government, free
and tolerant in its institutions, which, in
the Old, was denied them. While proud
ly they announced to the world, that
"al men are born free and equal, and
are alike entitled to life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness" Bat two antago-
nislic systems soon arose, the one was
free and generous in its application, the
other selfish, overbearing, and cruel,
The STAKEHOLDER fought valiantly for his
darling idol, opposed improvement, NOR
al science, churches, school houses, edu-
cation, everything that was calculated to
raise and improve mankind, and a. last
his opposition to these proving oil no avail,
he concluded to appeal to the force Of
arms, and fight for the doctrine which
his Bible failed to establish. We owe
him our liyeiest gratitude, therefore,
for forcing us TO rely upon our hristling
bayonets. and submit the question to the
wager of battle, and We can now safely
say that new era has dawned upon our
Republic. and that the old forms, super
stitions, and barbarous statutes of former
times, are 10 be swept away. These
considerations should make us happier
and more cheerful, and we should con-
slider it privilege TO live in this heroic
time, which must henceforth be devoted
to the best interests of our race, In the
holy cause OF the Union, let men cast
aside prejudices, party affiliations, local
antipathies, and become brothers in the
great crisis. All must feel that the Re.
public is on trial, and with an unaninity
as astounding as it is resistless, must
arise to support the Constitution and up
hold the Administration and laws. We
have crossed the Rubicon, the dye is
cast, the veil of past ignorance and cru
city is swept away, and now we are pres
sing forward to restore new, bealtbful,
invigorated national life. Cur glorious
army and navy are crusaders on holy
mission. white every step that they take
IN advance. is an anii-slavery one. from
Z the simple fact that military law accom-.
panies them. and that law knows no such
thing as slavery. But more than this,
their sentiments, their tastes AID their
acts, are anti slavery. Half million
free, intelligent men, from the North, ac-
customed to all the effect and all the as.
ISOLATION Of free schools and free labor,
cannot 60 South without exerting a mar.
AON hoi al Ou SihNtTy, ANU Thai
influence must necessarily attend the
prosecution Of the war. and operate with
increasing force. while the war is pro.
aonged. Already the Partially Of the
common people throug bout to the South
to the institution is destroyed, SO that if
: tbs war should cease Immediately and
our soldiers be Withdrawn, it is doubt
Ia! whether any effort Of the slavehold-
srs, 10 re establish their social system.
would succeed. BESIDES the Southern
leaders are now afflicted With judicial
blindness. and nave madly resolved 10
Eight the Federal Government, to the las,
and before the establishment OF rightful
authority can be maintained, our army
ill be ohi.el ID sweep over the entire
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