The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-04-24
"sLooDY InsrRUCTloNs.,, .,


for the dreadful deed. The treason insii-
eating slave propaganlists Of the South
and tho sympathizing Copperhead speak
ers Of the North, have beon for years in
bneing the public mind and firing up the
partissn heart to the contemplation of
deeds Of blood. The leaders Of the Cop
perhcad party, both through the press and
on the stump. have INDUCED in frequent
and bitter denunciation Of the late Presi
dent as tyrant and usurper; have pro.
claimed bic sets unconstitutiosal and sub.
versive of the liberties Of the people and
the rights Of American citizens. And it
has been no uncommon thing for them to
assert the virtue Of resistance and threat.
en- terrible consequences should the Gov
eminent persist in its policy. Bya con-
stant course Of assault on ar. Lincoln for
years, the Copperhesd orators and the
Copperhead press, following in the wake
of their erring Southern brethren. have
impressed The minds and the hearts Of
many Of their followers With the convic..
tion that Mr.. Lincoln was q detestsbls
tyrant, whose death alone would eave the
free institutions Of the country from utter
overthrow. These sentiments could net
fail to indocirnate the party with most
intense hatred OF Mr.. Lincoln and produce
an earnest desire for his death, and in
some minds, no doubt, it instigated "a.
natcal purpose to accomplish it for the
salvation of the country.
But while such has been the general
tone of the party speakers and the party
press, here and elsewhere, there have been
some cases in which the assassination of
President Lincoln has been openly and
distinctly threatened and urged. Had
the. language which these editors an1
speakers addressed TO the public in gene
raj, been addressed in private conversation
to Booth and his conspiring assassiDs, il
would have constituted the advisers equal
ly guilty with the perpetrators, Of the muir
der of the President, by the laws of the
country. And although the legal conse.
quence is varied by the generality Of the
exhortation to crime, the moral response.
blity and guilt is the same.
During the last Presidential contest the
Ii Crosse (Wiscousiu) Democrat put the
following lendish and hlood-thirsiy insti-
cation TO murder into it's editorial
columns:
~ Lincoln is re elected 10 misgorern
for the neat fur gears, ,os trust that s.me
Jofd hand seW p cree his heart rih
Dagger point for the public good"
And tho Beaver Dam Arsus, sn t er
Copperhead sheet of Wisconsin,, endor ed
the above and added
"Tli.tory shows several ms, ances where
the people have only been saved by tie
assassination Of their leaders, and history
may repeat itself in this country. Tie
time may come when it will be absolutely
n,cessary that the people do away with
ouch rulers the quickest way possible"
The public may still remember that
threats were not unfrequent all over the
country, and oven in this vicinity, that in
certain contingencies "the streets should
run with blood" and that il such aud
such events transpired the lives of lead
ing R publicsns would be sacrificed. All
viii remember instigations from like
sources to resistance to the draft, and all
will be enabled to recall numerous in
stances OF assassination Of draft officers
in obedience TO these bloody instructions.
OF like character, but the joint work
Of the rebels Of the South and the Golden
Circle of the North, was the grea. Chicago
conspiracy for the release of the rebel
prisoners and the destruction Of Chicago
The murderons anti draft riots Of New
York and the plot to burn the northern
cities are the instigation of the came
bloody spirit and Of . piece with the
rest.
The Copporheads Of the North learned
l their lessons Of their southern brethren,
Who have always openly avowed and aoted
upon the doctrine that it i laudable t.
Kill. BY whatever means. asy person whd
&spposes the "peculiar institution, : or set'
himself in opposition 10 the slaveholdsrs
b demonstration Of this doctrine, lynch
~, mobbing, hanging. burning at the
Ske and assassination have been the com
10 and customary law Of the South fol
an. 1t was boldly avowed on the Goo,
tbe Senate BY .Ha6gnaa Foots, |" -,
osteasd an an.i-slasssy 6ssator that I
game 70 Missi.sippi the people woals
him on the highest trss withou
j Or jury. II vas practically demon
ia IL tho same arena by Brook's q