The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-08-16
lFoR fHR GATH CrYr.l
concessions of q Soldier.


Mr.. Editor: 1t is said that open confession
IS good for the soul; that for person to con.
less chenge of opinion is only another wav
OF saying that he is wiser to-day than he was
yesterday.
am ex-soldier, just discharged from the
"a Iowa infantry, Company G., and while in
tnat capacity, advocated the anti-uegro suf.
frage policy with warmth and enthusiasm
pased chiefly upon the following reasons:
we have IN This Republican Government a
great and most sacred principle to guard and
protect which is the central and Fundamental
principal of true Democracy, wherein mer;,
shall ever be rewarded according IN it's ;,tr;r.
she value, which merit includes those God.
ike attributes of the Deity, and which NAV he
summed up In the words: goodness. virtue
ana intelligence. Now, we. as soldiers. have
neen, Tor the past four years, engaged in put.
'ilg down a spirit directly hostile and sub.
'ersiVe OF this much cherished principle a
spirit OF slaveholding aristocracy which sought
10 be erected upon the ruins of our old. fash.
ioned Democracy.
our military laws are based upon the one
MAN power, are monarchical, and hence arhi-
Aafy ana despotic in their tendency, which
tendency led directly toward counter ar;s.
tocracy to the one we were labor;no 70 mn,
down; and although occupying widely diver.
gent stand points, yet the spirit and animus
were the same, and twas only our very best.
most vlrtuous and strong minded men that
could wholly withstand the almost consan.
guine sympathy which constituted sucb cord.
nai points OF attraction between the two
ou' UT. Editor, may not clearly comprehend
'he force OF my remarks in relation To n
s"oueder-strdpf aristocracy, but / fancy that
your soldier readers will. We Lrou- a.
astounding effect the sudden clothing of arb;.
trary power had upon the minds of So monv
men OF most moderate mental cal;bre and
now suddedly they became inflated with a
feeling of selfimportance backed nm and snn
ported by all the paraphernalia and insignia Of
rank which gave force and tone to that ;pv;d.
ious distinction, that supercilious air that
v'orSed ret'cence in conversation nth pripatesr
IN snort, that putting on style" which bas
oeen the constant and prolific theme of re-
mark BY our soldiers ever since their imitation
into the army,
In view OF the above facts, it became ev;
dent TO us that we were to have two d;e,;n :.
classes OF aristocrats to fight -one Nth
the bullet, the other with the ballot, Ono
was genuine aristocracy, based upon tho
continued degradation of the negro as a slave
and property the other based upon the liz,
eraton Oh the negro and their Commissioned
rank IN this work, depending mainly for their
lu,ure aggranaizement upon the vote of the
colored man, If they could oct n yo,a :, IL
hands. Give him the elective franeh;sa - nis
appeal to him as the party which efFacfed a IL
liberation, and they might dictate the ,,oI;n.
OF our Government for an indefinite ner;od
Ior, IKE the old Democracy, no matter how
changed us pohcy or principles. or how deep.
~ IL became involved in corruption or brand.
cd with just infamy, it might continue To 70
ceive the support Of these jealous lint ;ono.
rant and excitahle people, they ba;no 7,ar
1ect,y oblivious to any and all chances tha,
might occur. 'A"'ees 'na'
inese, with other and minor ob;aot;,n.
were the ones urged as reasons for w;,hhnld
ing from the colored men the elective f....
Ss. Due "heh came coolly to reflect and
revert to frst principles, it became ev;d.ns an. y.
my mind that to effectually supplant tS;s :. 70
istocracy, we must adopt without stint or al a.
cephon the broad and radical pr;nc;nls. "a a.
democracy, that Governments derive a., ~
Just powers from the consent of tn oors, .aea
ana that any power outside of this ! Go,ara'
ment may exercise is Unjust and nnti. slam =
cratic, and tends directly to establish : nowe,
inmicai to the sovereign scin o. interest," pf tha
masses is evident that risdom NOT k =. ~
ecgs, governs nation like ours: thst ~.
wisdom Is natural, while knowledge i n,t ~,
go mat the former is Instructive ana Az.
from Inc great central sphere Of spontsn a.n
maid the former grasps great nr;yc III ssad,
latter takes them second-handed. jug
II i be said the great mass Of ,hs h,.u,
are ignorant, would venture to NJ vhs $780,
Inis standard Of measurement, and b. 49, 49,
asecsed Lord Chesterfield SAYS three. fn -yn
Oh mankind are destituts Of coumon ssn.s
ana II this be IN approximn1i0o 8 tha ssnth,
Gnas proportion skaH " can intelI;ss..3
Dne thing appears evident, end 6e1 e =.
90 that manhind ase wondsrfally in6nencsd
u re exp!esaioa 81 Tie opinions q e,sst -.
1904 leadsms wAicA insfsufly uns6 ~
nape he eont3meab 81 ffnfr r1sIIei.5a ~.
'eseen' svsa thnaoh 49, r = soc111e ~