The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-03-05

VA: SATURDAY. M
!. those iassiSutions. Instead ef-isv and or
der, oil iSconfusion, devastation ana ruin.
II you would beheld ako ffuits of - de-
simon Of secession. slooh aspuDd you NOON
the devasted felds and r0iss1 homes. and
there read tho beggaTy which ypu willbe-
queath to your children unless you rally
to the rescue and lift our bleeding coun-
try from the dast. No doubt you have
severely suffered already 10 this struggle.
The vacillating tide Of war has swept Grst
one way aud then the other. Like the
hot sirocco Of the desert, it has well-nich
I tdestroyed this ''onse green garden Of the
Lord" But who is responsible7 Men
who are securely enscosced behind the
curtsin; mea who have taken pains to
keep their precious presence free from
danger of Yankee bullets. They have
thrust between themselves and the Gov
eminent of the United States these inno-
cent persons, who never we're at heart
traitors to our institutions, and have com :
PEELED the sacrifice Of their lives in order
that We may reach the guilty parties.
know full well, fellow-citissas, the in
duenees that vere brosghs u bear BY
wicked and designing men 70 force the
people Of this country into the whirlpool
Of secession, and l can deeply sympa-
thixe with them, knowing from their own
votes that large majority were 1t heart
opposed to secession, and were only
forced into it by the tremendous pressure
on the part Of wicked and designing
men. The people wers 10th to believe
that these men really contemplated the
destruction OF the Government Of our
fathers, and quietly reposed upon the
brink of ruin until thess men had them
bound hand and foot, wholly disarmed
and unable to protect themselves or sus-
tain the Government. The first utter
ance of sentiment opposed to them was
declared to be treason against the South
ern Confederacy," and the utterer of the
sentiment compelled to sxpiaie bis crime
BY banishment or death.
Fellow citizens, this Government can
not be destroyed while the American
people remember the name of Washing
ton and the fathers of the Republic. In
the language of that noble patriot. Jo-
seph Holt, latter looking upon the graves
of our fathers and the cradles OF our
children, We have sworn that though ail
things else should fail, this Union add
this Government shall five.o
/ believe Deity had purpose in the
establishment Of our Government that
purpose is not incomplete. Our nation
will yet come out of this struggle purer
and holier, and stand upon q firm and
solid basis, % that the storms of de.po-
tism may beat upon it in vain. If those
who seek to destroy our institutions
would accomplish their hellish purpose,
in the language of Henry Clay they must
60 back to the era Of our liberties and
Independence and murzle the mouth Of
the cannon that proclaims the joyous an
nual return, they must blow out the moral
light which surrounds us aud extinguish
the greatest torch of all which America
presented to benighted world, to point
their way to their rights, their liberties
and their happiness. And when they have
achieved all these purposes their work
will be incomplete. They must penetrate
the sanctuary Of the human soul, eradi-
cate all power Of reason and the right to
exercise it. Then, aud not till then.
when universal darkness and despair shall
prevail, can they repress all tendencies
toward the the ultimate triumph Of Free
Institutions
You may as we'll abandon at once and
forever all hope of Southern Confede-
racy. This country cannot be divided. -
Once divided, division would follow divis-
ion, and subdivision would follow subdi-
vision, until we would gil our land with
Insignificant Republics. petty monarchs
and military despots. Wars and repri-
sails would become the permanent legacy
Of our children and children's children. o.
By all the sacred memories Of the past,
aud all the bright hopes Of the future,
entreat you to rally to the rescue OF the
iustitxtions of our fathers from the chaos
and confusion into which it has been cast
by wicked and ambitious men. A writer
has most beautifully said on another sub
ject:
s'Twss great TO speak world from nourht
Bat greater 70 redeem
| Our fathers accomplished great work
, in conducting few weak colonies through
the path Of long and bloody war, amid
the dreary mazss of despotism which sur.
J rounded them, to the crystal foun tains 81
political purity. But = far greater worh
: isit 10 redeem our land from the disor
der, confusion, and devastation of the
present hour. Are We equal to The task
OF are we degenerate sons of noble
sires?" If we fail to maintain the in.
stitutions transmitted to our keeping
let us 60 to the graves of departed pa
triots, cast ourselves upon their dust
and ask pardon before God for our offence
And while the spirits of the brave ar.
brooding over us, implorc them to tax,
from our unworthy hands, the colder
treasure and bear it away to
1Some safer land in depths Of woe embraced,
Some lonely islandl in the watery waste"
! and bessow it upon . more worthy race
: that it be not lost to humanity. Let u,
q | turn from the dark pictufe. anil with nav