The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-12-24

Y
~ Euishins j ths hsart, glsdness
and Joy ana eontsntment Aad the graoss
and eharitiss Of Life and. Heavsa's own
| graciously resting bsnedicsions Be yours
BE- the gifts Tat shis Christmas brings
you, Oh, friend, whososvsr tbou art,
With whom W hold this editorial chat
this morning. Peace on earth. good
will to man." The angels sang it long
ago:
| "wben Jordan hushed his wsves and midnight stu
| Watched on the towers Of lions holy NH
and the Promised had come. The angels
sang it then and the strain has been borne
to us down through the sges--down
through the centuries of the decline and
fall Of Rome-through the years Of the
life of the Eastern Empire-through the
blood surges OF the crusades through the
worlds and civilizations night Of thou
sand years through the triumphs and
defeats of Franks and Huns, Of Goths
aud vandals, of Cells and Saxons, Of
Moors and Castilians, Of In6dels and
Christiaps-through the quickeniug Of
the reformation-through ERE and food
and death; mingling with battle shouts
and the notes Of victory. it has come
down to us. to us in q land Of whose ex-
| istence St. Panl, and Caesar, the Jew, and
the Roman, the Christian and the heath
en-, were equally ignorant. peace on
EARTH" The song is still unchanged
Where and when the ful6llment? Where
; the promise Of his coming? Since the
fathers fell asleep all things are as they
were from the beginning. Hobbies may
have been right; war and not peace may
be the national condition OF oil existence
:. on our globe. Certain it is that strife
and death have reigned "from the begin
!, ming" Death has left his signet upon
the rocky table. Of buried ages. Geology
penetrates the depths and reads from the
u stones the remoteuess of that beginning
wherein the morning stars sang together
D and the sons of God shouted for joy. Sci
% ence gives US unnumbsred cycles OF in
y sen,ient life before mans creation. 1t GOV
J ers the surface of the earth with univer
sal ocean and populatcs the deep with The
resurrected tenants OF the rock ribbed
sarcuphagi Of million years. And the
monsters that filed the naneless seas o.
the geological eras preyed upon each 9th
er and were born out of the CONFUSION,
that swept with the wand Of dsatL tt.
2 tenants Of the era that preceded them Al
7 they in turn persisted by the earth throe.
J. that we're 10 give life and a theater Of &C.
o ton to higher forms of existence. The
u frst-born Of man slew his brother and
e man writes all his subsequent history il
q blood. Civilization carries the sword anc
! war clouds and smoke Of battle hover ovel
the path Of advancing Christianity ant
the Gospel of Peace.
i The day when war shall cease in tn,
:, Earth is still remote. When the angel
: sang their song Of peace the temple o
Janus was closed; the din of arms an,
> the march OF armies had ceased But 70
. centuries before the temple had been con
, stantly open. and following it was III,
crimson tide which swept away the Jew
ism nationality and under which the Ro
' man empire itself ultimately persisted
+ This Christmas finds, our own Ian.
r Q uvulsed with the most sanguinary con
test OF modern times, the greatest civil
war IN history. Strong men have fallen
"Gdm visaged war" has claimed its sac
!, rlfces and the land mourns. To man,
eren of our readers this is but another o
: their days of sadness, for It's the dead an,
;. not the living that keeps them company
! "Gief fills the room up Of their absen
: child" or husband or father or brother
: "Peace on earth" is NOT yet.
) May We not hope that ere Christmas o
next year peace will be in all our coun
try, at least. A peace which loyal heart
q aad firm minds and stout arms will hav,
bought to the nation-one which shall
3 preserve the national integrity, and whicl
9 being founded in universal justice ant
Liberty aud good will to man. shall b
enduring. We hope for and expect it.
Meantime, to you. kind reader, "
leave the future to the futures unfolding
: and in the present wish you "a Merr,
Christmas.
/, Photographs Go to our friend Ham
IFS Gallery on Third Street, betwee,
Main and johnson and get your "phot.
| mn frgn 10 L