The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-02-23

perishes, or, at least, again will our land be
torn with strife. and again and again, SO long
as we patch up fictitious peace, and with an
over cautions conservatism attempt to settle
our institutions upon the basis of restricted
freedom. Loyalty must settle the difficulties
now encompassing u.s. and it must do it in
the spirit of impartial liberty.
Some of our Republican friends seem to
have misapprehended our attitude toward the
Presidents veto of the Freedmen's Bureau
bill. When loyal men hear the shout ofjubi-
lation that goes up from those that we're the
enemies of the Government; from Southern
traitors that fought the battles of the Con-
federacy; from Middle State conservatives
that were meaner than the rebels in arms;
and from Northern sympathizers who villi6ed
Mr.. LINCOLN, and opposed the war; then
they can not but feel profoundly. Soldiers
who battled against the strong torrent of re-
beilion for those long years, prisoners who
saw their comrades perish from starvation
and i'll usage in prison pens, and themselves
learned the brutality of the chivalry who now
are clamorous for the right to make laws for
the government ofloyal men; men and women
at home who saw relatives and friends go into
the strife, and whose hearts were daily taxed
with grief, at the perils aud sufferings those
relatives and friends incurred, and who were
maddened the Copperhead Democracy,
now sounding the praise of Mr.. JOHNSON, re-
ioined at rehal victorias and wara eaddanad
By rebel defeats-these do not look without
alarm and Indignation at a measure which
seems to strike down the rights of the freed
men, give power and place 10 traitors, and
lifts into political supremacy the party of
Northern sympathizers and Southern rebels
who had incurred the just condemnation of
loyal men. That veto has produced a pro-
found popular sensation. The, great loyal
heart of the nation beats hurriedly aud fever
ishly. Men turn away from regarding the
loyal graves that dot the South, the loyal
blood that crimsoned its soil, the vacant
places in their own household, their own
manned limbs. or childrens limbs. and ask
with bated breath, lis treason to triumph
diltT Ill. Tcofueut JOhNSOS Will 40 Wetl
to regard this feeling and as he witnesses the
depression of those who were the friends of
the Government and the elation of those who
were It's foes, to stop before he loses the
confidence of the one party and gives himself
to the embrace of the other.
We believe that the Union party, who saved
the Government IS the ohly party that can
reconstruct it So as to make it endarine, as it
is the only party that will be the defender Of
Liberty. Mr.. JOHNSON was elected BY the
Union party. He gave in his adherence to
its principles He was Provisional Governor
under its administration, and coBformed to its
policy he has assumed to be the friend of
freedom, the foe to slavery, and we all
son is the greatest of crimes and should be
punished accordingly. Hence, when he
issues veto which is repugnant to the feel
ings of the great loyal Union party, let there
be no haste in condemning him, and charging
him with the crime of betraying the Union
party and the Government into the hands of
traitors. The republicanism of Mr. SEWARD
cannot be impugned, yet it is postive'y stated
that he and WELiEs and DESSIsox and
McCuLIocH we're opposed to the Freedmens'
Bill. We have shown that the bill, as Mr.
JOHNSON states its provisions, has objection
able features. Let us presume that they
were honestly stated, and that be still desires
to deal honestly by the country and its friends
But if the worst comes to the worst, let Union
men retain their loyal political integrity.
Let them be true to principle and to liberty
and determine that the country saved by
patriotic valor in the field, shall not be lost
by recreancy in the Administrations.