The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-03-04
Anniversary--New Volume


This is an important and interestin
anniversary At our Office. lis the ''birth
day" Of our daily, the commencement Q
the 18th volume Of the Cars CIfY.
The anniversary of ones birth is yer.
appropriate occasion to review ones pas
life, note ones errors, t. return thank
with grateful heart for ones prosperity
and to seek in the lessons of the past, the
means and the motives for improvement
10 the future. And custom has made
such an occasion in the life of news.
paper period for recalling the incidents
of its past career. and allowing the edito,
to gossip about it with his friend-the
public.
Eleven years is long time in the his
tory of an individual, and constitutes .
very considerable portion of the active
life of most men, and the last eleven years,
if they be marked BY the changes thu,
have occurred, may be accounted . long
time in the history of our town and Of our
country.
The DAILY GATE CRY was Issued the
very morning after the idea was broached,
while the friends and proprie:ors Of the
opposition paper were holding a council
over similar enterprise. It was issued
just one year after Franklin Pierce's in
ausuration to the Presidency, in the
midst of the triumphs Of the slave power
over the country, ite usurpations in Kan
sac. and repeal Of the compromises of our
Fathers-st period when the slave
Democracy of the country were carrying
everything before them with high hand /;
but not till faint stresks of the dawnng
of brighter day were visible in the po.
liiicai horizon. The consummate SUBJ
subservient doughfacery of the Northern
Democracy had already begun to disgust
the people. and arouse spirit Of oppo.
si,ion among the masses Of that party in
the North. Aud already the power Of
Dodge, Jones, Mason and Hampstead be d
been overthrown in our State By the elec-
ton of Grimes as Governor. But our
county, as we'll IS the Union at large, was
still shrouded in night Of almost i'm.
penetrable darkness.
A. that day We had no railroads to Ke-
okuk, and no telegraph. There was but
little stirring news in the country, and
very imperfect facilities for obtaining the
little that there was. Under such circuG-
stances there was not much demand for =
daily paper, and our circulation and pat.
ronsge were consequently very lin
tied. and our profits Of course were no,h-
ing, or worse than nothing. Under such
,m mbarra,sments and discouragement.,
wi, h no patronage for our press from the
Fede. al or State Governments, nor from
the couu ~, we still persevered and pub
lished our daily at a personal pecuniary
sacrifcc for several years. At length
better day began 10 dawn our railroads
were started, revolution in public senti.
me mt and in the control OF the State. Fed
cral and county governments vas grad
ually effected the telegraph line was ex'
tended 10 our city throus b our persayering
efforts, and 10 the progress Of events the
demand for news increased, ano the DAILY
GATE CIR. with tho accession ~ the
practical business ability of J. w. DEL y
PLAIN 10 the office, became paying in
stitution.
During all this time, whatever other
changes may have occurred, the editor
int chief has remained at the helm, and,
with the exception of very brief pere d,
has. himself, conducted the editorial de-
partment Of the paper. He has s.riven
conscientsously, with such ability a. be
possessed. to promote the good cause of
political regeneration, and has rsjoiced in
its triumphs, and a. be never ainched 10
the days Of its weakness from m honest
and fearless advocacy Of the right, so has
be eadeavored in the day ofhis prosperity
to avoid any unseemly arrogance over a
fallen foe.
We seldom vcntilate our own affaiFs
before the public, but as our paper has
been the medium for many years through
which our fellow. .ciiizens have received
their news, domestic and foreign, ~ il
has been their dependssce for the sdvo.
c.cy Of general political priseiples, ~
we'll ~ local measures Of iatesest; - in
il, columns the public meeting - their
private business have been heraldsd; a. il
has rallied them TO the polls and to ihs
bat,le-6 Geld; has chronicled their deeds
and spplaadsd their heroism; has an
nouuced the marriages and tho deaths
over which they have been called to re-