The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-02-08
THE GATE CITY
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 8.
Eloquent ExsF act.

cipation Am eudment of the Constitutions:
We shall never know why slavery dies
so lard 10 this Republic and in this Hall
I'll we know Why sin has such longevity
and Satan is immortal With marvellous
tenacity of existence, it has outlived the
expectations Of its friends and the hopes
of It's enemies. 1t has been declared here
and elsewhere TO be in all The several sta
ges; mortality, wounded, tnoribund: dead
The Question was raised BY my colleague
TMr. -Coxl yesterday, whether 1t was In,
deed dead, or only in troubled sleep ]
know Of no better illustration OF lis coo-
diton than 10 Salust's admirable history
of the great conspirator, Cataline, who,
when his final battle was fought and lost,
his army broken and scattered, was found
far in advance OF his own troops. lying
among the dead enemies of Rome, yet
breathing little, but exhibiting in biz
countenauce all that feFocitv of spirit
which had characterized his life. So. sir,
this body of slavery Ives before us among
: the dead enemies of the Republic. mortal.
wounded. mpotent in its hendsh wicked
ness, but with its old fefocity OF look,
bearing the unmistakable marks OF Its In
fernal origin.
Who does not remember that thirty
year, ago-a short period in the life of a
nation--but little could be said with im
punity in these Halls ON the subject OF
slavery? How well dp gentlemen here
remember the history Of that distinguish
ed predecessor of mine. Joshua K. Gid Z
dlugs, lately gone to his rest. who, with
his torlorn hope of faithful men, took his
life in his hand, aud in the name OF jls
tice protested against The great crime, al d
who stood brsvely In his place uniil hi
white locks. like the plume of Henry o.
Navarro, marked where the battle for ree-
dom ragged iercest.
We can hardly realize that this is the
same people, and these the same Hallr,
where now scarcely man can be found
who will venture TO do more than falter
out an apology for slavery, protesting in
the same brsa lh that he has 20 love for
the dying tJrant None, | believe, but
that man of more than supsrnal boldnes-,
from the city of New York, MIR. Fer,
nando Wood las veutuFed, thus session
to raise his voice in favor of slavery f.,
is own sake. He still sees in its features
the reflection OF beauty and divinity, and
only he. GLOW art thou fallen from
heaven, ., Luciler, son of the morning
How art thou cut down to the ground,
" hch didst weaken the nalions. Many
mighty men have been slain BIZ thee
many proud ones have humbled them
selves al thy feet! All along the coast Oh
II, ~ ~
lie Ike strsnded wrecks, broken on the
hesdl4uds of freedom How lately did
lis advocates. with impious boldness
main ain IT as Gods own, 10 be venerated
and cherished as divine! 1t was another
and higher lorm o. civilization. Il was
the holy evangel of America. dispensing
its mer .ies To race, aud destined to bear
fiuitlees blessings to the wilderness Of the
West In its mad arrogance 10 lifted lis
head to strike down the fabric of the
Uniop, aud since that fatal day it ha,
been "fuaitve and vagabond upon the
EARTH Like the spirit that Jesus cast
oat. it has, since then, been "seeking res,
and finding none"
/ has sought in all the corners of the
Republic to Gud some hiding place il
which TO shelter itself from the death il
so rchl, deserves.
Il sought an asylum in the untrodder
territories of the West, but, with VIII
of scorpions, indignant freemen drove Il
thence. do not believe that loyal mar
can now be found who would consent tha
= it should again enter them. |. has DC
hope of harbor there. Ii found no pro
tn.T IL. -
ces of the freedmen of The Republic, anc
has fled for its last hope of safety behind
the shield OF the Constitution. We pro
pose to follow it there, and drive it thence
as Satan was exiled from heaven. But
now. 10 the hou, of lis mortal agony, 10
this Hall, it has found defender
Nj gallant colleague, Mr Pendleton, |
for | recognize him as a gallant and able
man, plants himself at the door Of hi.
darling, and bids deflnce to all assail
ants He has followed slavery ia is
fight, until at last it has reached the
great temple where liberty is ensLrined
the Constitution of th( Dnited States
and there, in that last retreat, declares
that no hand shall strike it Ii reminds
me OF that celebrated passage in the great
Latin poet, 10 which the serpen,s Of the
lorian sea, when they destroyed L cocoon
and bis sons, I'D to the heights of the
Trojan citadel ard coiled their slim =
lengtts around the feet OF the tutelar
goddess, and were covered by the orb Of
her shield. So, under the guidance Of
my colleague, tMr PendIeton,1 slavery,
gorged With the blood OF ten thousand
freemen, has chmed to the high citadel Of
American nationality, and coiied itself
securely, 90 he believes, around the fee,
of the statue of justice and under the
shield OF the Constitution of the Unil ed
States We desire to follow it even there
and kill it beside the very altar of liberty
Its blood can never make atunement fo
the last of its crimes.
ANTIpoTE FOR Poison J. Ed
monds. prominent London physician
writes as follows ty the London Times: