The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-04-21
s6r For local news, financial and com.
mercial reports and river news, see fourth
"rHREE YEARS AGO.n


"THREE YEARS AGO.,
Three years ago last Friday, says th,
Republican, President Lincoln issued biz
Proclamation calling ont sevsnty.hvs
Thousand volunteers; and three years sgt
to-day the same Republican published, a,
the head of its editorial columns, Clai.
borne F. Jackson's response to Secretary
Cameron, saying:
"Not one man will the State of Missou-
n furnish to carry on any such unholy
crusade" and upon which the Republi-
can remarks:
Nobody expected any other response
from him. and the people of Missouri
win endorse it. They may not approve
of the early course Of the Southern States,
but they deuounoe and defy the action Of
Mr.. Lincoln, in proposing to call ont
$4,000 men, for Che purpose Of coercing
States of the Union. Whatever else NAV
happen, he gets no meu from the Border
States to carry on such . war"-[St.
Louis News, April Is.
The response Of Governor Magofiu and
the editorial of the Louisville Journal
were to the same purport, and'in like
veuomous spirit. Had their counsels been
followed the Government would have been
oyerthrown and the Union destroyed
without a struggle. And the Copper
head leaders and the Copperhead press
throughout the North joined in the cry
against "coercion," and denounced the
unconstitutional measures of the Gov
ernment in resorting to forcible means TO
prevent the disruption Of the Union.
And from that day to this every measure
resorted to by the Government for the
suppression of the rebellion and the pun
ishnent Of traitors. and the prevention of
treason, North and South, has been op-
posed and denounced by the opposition as
Unconstitutional and tyrannical' There
is not single exception. Every move
ment, whether military, legislative or
financial, emanating from any department
Of the Government, and designed to sup
press the rebellion and re.establish the
authority of the Government, has in turn
incurred the bitter opposition of these
Conservative, Democratic and Peace
leaders, as unconstitutional" Accord
ing to their theory, the Constitution con-
tains no warrant for forcible defense
against the armed assaults Of States in
rebellion, and of consequence every
measure adopted by the Government,
with the idea in view, has incurred their
hostility as a violation of the Constitut
ton.
Mahony engineered platform aDd a
ticket through the first State Convention
of Iowa on that basis, and the Mahonyites
have controlled the policy of the party in
the State down to the present day. They
have modified and changed their points
of attack against the measures of the Gov
ernment from time to time, in Difference
to the polite expediencies Of the war
hypocrite wing of the party, and have
even placed General on their ticket;
but the base of their operations, HOSTILE
ty to the war and the measures Of the
Government, has never been changed.
They opposed ''coercion;" they opposed
the original call for troops; they opposed
the war measures Of the extra session of
our own Legislature; they opposed the
employment Of the slaves of the rebels BIZ
our amy as teamsters and laborefs ia
camp and on Notifications; they opposed
their enlistment in the service; they de-
nounced the confsca,ion of rebel property
as unconstitutional; and they howled
over the emancipation Of the slaves of
rebels in arms as the utter overthrow of
the Constitution; aud rallied at the arrest
of the open propagators Of treason in the
North as the destruction of our liberties
by tyrannical usurpation.
And they are still going on in their op-
position to the Government, from bad to
worse. till it 10 becoming apparent to the
loyal men of the North. as veil as the
traitors Of the South, that their sympa-
thies are all against the Government and
in favor Of the rebellion, and that they
stand ready at any time to render such
effective aid to JEFF. Davis as circum-
stances may afford opportunity With en-.
tire safety to themselves
EE The draft in Missouri is likely to
come off in . few days. We are happy
to see that the rich slaveholdess of that
State are not to have their laborsrs ex-
empted. but are to stand their chances
with their poorer neighbon. The follow.
ing official dispatch settles that question,
at least for Missouri 81 ss..ss .s's
..Ws.hiDgtou. April IS, Is64. I
@To Col. Z. B. ALExANDnn--Ths
rf ho IL i r4Nans -