The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-05-12

establish : separate confederacy, this i more
properly true Of each section only. The strife
Of arms, the fiery heat Of battle, the assay Of
patriotism, fused loyal hearts and souls into
unity of feeling and Of endeavor, and ma
tional and thoroughly American spirit, exist
ent before, it is true, but almost latent, was
the veritali1ed product Of tho contest that the
North accepted in defending the integrity Of
the Union. Every locality furnished the
integers that helped form the sum total of
the Patriot armies. Through every fibre of
the body polite throbbed the purpose Of q
loyal people; red, hot, glowing, passionate
outgrowth of deliberate judgment and iron
will. The people could not remain diverse.
There were different nationalities there
were thirty two States represented, but for
all these there was one cause, one flag, one
country. That was discipline for our citi-
zens, preparing them to keep the unity Of the
spirit in the land Of peace.
Political events will not be shut out. Other
matters can. We ruralizers soon become
oblivious or unconcerned about conventional
tiles. Mrs. Grundy is metropolitan. and we
grow to care as little for her as though in her
empire she were not queen. But matters
Of national policy, of reconstruction, of the
status of loyalty aud Of the rebel element do
not stop in cities, do not confine themselves
to telegraph and railroad lines they traverse
the whole country, enter all households,
claim the attention Of all minds. There is a
humble farm house; Nine. Demorest need
not come there with her fashion plates Her
vocabulary Of the toilet and costumes would
be unintelligible. If our dear Miss Araminta
Grundy should by any conceivable or incon-
ceivable process happen into the presence of
the occupants of this home, and we're to 60 off
in her usual rolubls style Of discourse con-
corning s'rats'' and .smice," she would be
pitied as demented. A boy went out from
that home; he sleeps down at Donelsop. He
was young, stout, brave. He fought gallantly
as the most gallant; he died heroically as the
most heroic. Think you during all the service
Of his regiment up to the time of the fated
battle there were any in the land better in
formed of that regiments campaigning, his
tory, and condition, than that boys family ?
Think you there we're any to whom the feats
of valor performed at the first great victory
Of the war, by its living and fallen braves,
were better known than by them? Think
you the death tidings tarried? Think you
they had not full heart and soul in the strife
were not fully alive to its significance. Note
all these country houses. Nearly all of them
sent out boys and men who came back, il
they came at all, heroes and veterans. Think
you that strife came nearer to the politicians
than to the jewellers in these homes Think
you, Statesmen and Generals watched the
progress and issue of battle with more anx-
ious hearts than these fathers and mothers and
sisters and wives? No, your excellences.
You, Mr.. President, and gentlemen of the
Senate and House Of Representatives, there
are parties interested, and forces and judges
back Of all of you: back Of "my policy,
whether that policy mean the plans of Mr..
johnson or of Congress there are a grea'
loyal people and soul of Truth, Justice ant
Liberty back of all these. Ii We be wise yos
will heed them.
1t is the art of the demagogue TO undul,
exat or to underrate popular intelligence
moderation and prescience. Societies as vel
as individuals become frenzied, and that, il
either. is insanity. Robespierre runs the
guillotine, obedient to the clamors of the Sans
Culottes he is brave man that calls him 9
model ruler. The greatest individual intelli
gence and the contemporary aggregate popular
intelligence of nation are never equal, nc
more than popular wisdom and popular &c
ton ever precisely equilibrate. But individ
ual and popular impulses are more nearl,
correspondent, and in this, carefully ascer
tanned and iudiciously directed, the politician
who is statesman, finds success and safety
Herein was Mr.. Lincoln strength. He fol
lowed the people, carefully determining FOL
himself the soundness and rightfulness of tn,
peoples impulses.
We're not the convictions of the loyal people
of the country during all that war for thu
Government, wise, liberal, patriotic, just
justified by events and results? Cannot pop
ular convictions be, with equal safety, reliet
on as guides now? But how to ascertain
them? This would not seem to be difficult
especially, if, as seems to US inevitable, thu
men and principles that preserved the Unior
can alone safely be trusted in the work of re
construction. Consult the loyal press; g
into these homes that furnished the stronl
arms and stout hearts that suppressed rebel
lion; Ay! and that tenant the graves that tn,
war made ask loyal men and women ant
soldiers everywhere, their convictions, ant
you will find tina. they were never more firm
than now, in demanding that treason and til,
slave spirit be utterly subjugated, and tina
Justice, Liberty and Loyalty be established ant
rewarded in peace. The people note negr,
massacres at Memphis; the intolerant spiri
of reconstructed rebels; into every household
such news go, at once, these households fur
nished the "boys in blue" there abides tn,
spirit that with the Stars and Stripes bor
| down the Stars and Bars, and preserved GU
country one, and in that spirit, from out thes
homes goes forth. stern command that jus
tce be done to traitors and to all loyal men
C.
An Appeal for the Starving.
Judge Wyeth Of Marshall County, Alabama
has appealed to the citizens Of Cincinnati i
behalf Of the people Of his State. He says
81 have come here to plead with you fo
| the anfferine. starving neonle of North A L.