The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-10-06
Esr Il the senses Of the LOYAL man O

weary looking upon the eyer-shiftins
scenes Of the great drama Of the presep
national strife; upon the rush of battle
and the shock Of armies; the lowering
war clouds; the dying. the dead; wal
desoiating land where peace and frater.
nifty so long dwelt; hostile armies laying
waste fertile districts that a short time
ago smiled in plenty aud quiet aud teemed
with rich harvests; men q lifting by thou
sands their peaceful avocations and rush
ing to arms; and war continuing for mere
years than Il was supposed it would con-
tinue months, and the end not yet. If
In looking upon this, the heart of the
loyal man grows weary and saddened,
and he hesita,es, and doubts, and fears,
and is confused, and would fain see the
end, 1t is but natural feeling. Ii is only
by rising above the mists Of partisan
prejudices; only by viewing it from the
siard point Of an exalted social aud politi
cal philosophy and in the light of an
advancing civilization, and the divine
principles which govern in the nations,
and the destiny Of the human race, lha,
theFe is any egnidoaney in this grea, con-
test-in this era of blood. If We see in
1t merely strife of parties; merely
struggle Of sections for ascendency 10 tie
control of the Government; merely a
struggle Of one party to preserve Union
which another party is attempting to
destroy; if we are merely fighting 10 re-
dress injury and vindica,e the honor Of
the ffy. and assert the SUPREMACY IF the
laF, u this is ali, "oniy this, and nothing
more then the war becomes riddle.
and We must 60 on, halting and stumb.
ling, and fsiniing. True, We should pre-
serve the Union, and save the grand
political fabric Of our fathers from des
truc1on. We should save to the consteI
is;lon ct our glorious national confederacy
every star "iuil riding the frmament."
or just emerging from the horiz N. We
should suppress rebellion and punish
treason, AMI enforce the ful aud universal
authority Of the national W over al tie
States and territories; but if there be DO
iurlhe. reasoa-if there is no answer ia
the "Why z" back Of all this-.hen we %.
grcPlDg IN darkness, and al houeh We
have remaining, high, We lose the highest
lncentives 10 prosecute the great work
before u to a successful issue. aud we
Lose God out of il, and principle GA, Of
it, aud we labor doubtiagy for success.
whlch-it We will b1t open our minds 10
moral truths, and viii see the "piIlar Of
cloud by day and the pillar Of IRE by
night whiea in Gods Providence pre-
eedes the nations and will ultima ely lead
them to the entire enfranchise Of
mind, and toay. aud will, and action, and
1hieh will eieYate and lead to the Impair.
till freedom OF the whole human racc-we
viii discover is 6xed as fate, aud certain
as Gods justice.
II there IS philosophy Of history
if the lives Of nations are for any purpos, ;
il there Is any mental improvement, any
human progress, any design in the thou
sand years march Of the world 10 the road
Of cultivation and enlightenment, then SO
surely is it the destiny of Ameti,a 10 be
the Gland OF The free. Through the long
years Of her colo1ial coudition our coun.
try was drilled BY tyranny TO become the
champion Of freedom. There was that in
the character and principles and expert
ence OF the colonists, all Of them, IN The
Puritsns of New England, and Penn's
Q1akersj and the settlers OF Virginia and
Mary land, aud Georgia aud the Carolinas
which we'll fitted them to lay deep and
broad the foundations aud hey well AMI
strongly the pillars which were to sustain
the superstruciure of free government
The principles Of liberty-hberty to all
grew and strengthened among them, and
eliminated and found utterance to tfs
word IN The Declaration Of Independence
The freedom aud equality Of all the mem
bers Of the human family was tho key
note and cornerstone OF eur governments
aud the platform upon which cur father
stood to fight through the Revolution 0
l'7o. l. was for this they appealed 70
sympathy and cid to their brothers every
where. and for this they received il.
Did this principle prevail in the ad
minisiFation Of the goverumentf Le
four millions of slaves, tefore this wa
bseke oat-and your law which gave ,b
flying fugitive back to lis iufuffate mas
ter, aud your goFernment officials VII
aided 10 the work of capture and delivery
and the ree of the slave propaa lndis,s
and the red fields of Kansas, and lastly
this gigantic effort Of shareholders to rul
cOuntry they thought they could n