The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-08-23
soS-coERcroN AND DIsUN1os.

corrupt Executive and thus sus tainiug the ueress
Of liberty 10 great and dangerous crisis In history
NON-cOERCION AND DIsUNIOH.
1t is q fact that the memory Of every read
er OF the newspapers six years since will
vouch that the leaders of the Democratic
party, from President Buchanan to Judge
Mason, denied the right and the power of
coercion, and insisted on yielding to the
terms of the States in rebellion against the
authority Of the Government. And it is
equally fact that the Democratic leaders,
who were then most ultra in favor of peace
and practical disunion, are now the chosen
fayorites of the party.
Geo. II. Pendleton, of Ohio, was in Con-
gress at the opening of the war, and was the
ablest man in the party and the leader of the
party in Congress. lie opposed the war and
all measures for its prosecution, and strug-
gled earnestly and persistently to secure the
success of the Southern States in their Sc
cession movement. He claimed that they
were but exercising their reserved powers Of
sovereignty in Withdrawing from the Union,
and making war upon the Government, and
refused to vote either men or means for the
purpose of enforcing the authority of the
Government, or maintaining the Uupion by
arms.
In speech in the House OF Representa-
tives after secession and rebellion were under
full Roadway, he said:
" Now, sir, what force of arms can compel
State TO do that which she has agreed to
do 2 What force of arms can compel State
to refrain from doing that which her State
Government supported by the sentiment OF
her people, is determined to persist in do
ercion is impracticable. 1t is contrary to
the genius and spirit of the Constitution"
To-day, SIT, four States of this Union
have, SO far as their power extends seeded
from it. -Four States, as far as they are able,
have aunuled the grants of power made to
the Federal Government; they have resumed
the powers delegated by the Constitution;
they have cancelled, so far as they could,
every imitation upon the full exercise of all
their sovereign rights. They do not claim
our protection; they ask no benefit from our
laws; they seek none of the advantages OF
the confederation.
ION the other hand, they renoumce their
allegiance; they repudiate our authority over
them, and they assert that they have assumed
some of them that they have resumed
their position among the family of sovereign.
ties, among the nations of the earth.
10. day, even while l am speaking, Georgia
is voting upon this very question. And un-
less the signs OF the times very much deceive
us, within three weeks other States will be
added to the number
But to leave no doubt as to his opposition
to the war and his advocacy of peace at any
price he said
:" If these Southern States cannot be con.
ciliated; if you, gentlemen, cannot find it in
your hearts to grant their demands; if they
must leave the family mansions, / would sig
nalze their departure by tokens Of love; |
would bid them farewell so tenderly that
they would be forever touched by the re-
membrance of it; and if in tho. vicissitudes
Of their separate existence they should de-
sire to come together with us again in one
common government, there should be no
pride to be Inundated, there should be no
wound by my hand to be healed They
should come and be welcome to the places
they now occupy"
And now, after the rebels were whipped
and compelled to yield to the authority Of the
Government, in spite Of their bloody resist
ance and the sympathy Of their Copperhead
friends, Mr.. Pendleton and his purity insist
that they have lost no rights; and demand
that the fatted calf shall be killed for tn EN-,
and that they shall have special positions Of
honor assigned them, and that loyal men
shall take back seats.
Now, that the party approve those posts
tons of Pendleton, Vallandigham, Brick
Pomeroy, Charles Mason and Clay Dean, is
indicated by the fact that sueh men are put
forward as their chief speakers, and as their
candidates for Office. Pendleton, II
will be remembered, Was the peace
candidate on the Chicago "war failure y
platform for Vice~President, and Charles
Mason with his Mahony peace and disunion
record, is the candidate of the party in this
State for Governor. While at the same time,
their sheets are boiling over with slander>
Gus abuse of a gallant soldier, who fell on
the field of battle pierced through and through
BY bullet fred by their Nsweet friends,''
and langufshed for months between life and
death, from the effect 81 his wounds. This,
they claim; is evidence of the cowardice Of
Col. Merrill, while the open advocacy Of
"disunion is set forth to the credit Of
Mason's bravery,as well as Of his patriotism.
Let soldiers and patriots be up and doing,
Tor II such candidates are not defeated b.
overwhelming n1ajofities, she time Il not far
i ~ yhen Asull BE- accountsaA disgrecs in
she NORTH, = italready j. iAthe South, to have
borne . hand in defence II the aas of tho
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