The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-01-09
RADICALIsM.

RADIcALIsM. |,
The New York World discovers in what
to i. the apaihetic submission of the South
to the situation, and its seeming indifference
tAny programme Of the Radicals, at once g
danger to Freedom and yet a present advan>
tage to the Southern people, and the pros
pective early disintegrstion Of the Republican
party. This latter event the Democracy
have been confidently predicting ever sincs
the Republican party was organised. Now
they fail to discover any animating principle
In that party other than one based upon per
sonal antaeonisms, upon embittered feel
ings Of The members Of the party toward .
people lately in rebellion. 1t is true, Re
publicans don't like treason or traitors, or
sympathizers with treason and traitors. Yet
the Democracy must find some other vital
principle in Radicalism than that named
above, or they will find it difficult to explain
why so many of the prominent representa-
tives of Radicalism have for their creed,
briefly expressed: Universal Suffrage and
Universal Amnesty We do not doubt that
when Eccleciasticism crushed the Alblgen-
sois, it thought the spirit of tree religious in
quiry crushed with it; that it solaced itself
with a similar hope when it had gathered the
ashes Of John Huss. That Rome thought
with the burning Of Bruno it had put an end
TO scientific research, and that none would
dare thereafter set reason as a judge against
the DEGREES Of the Council Of Cardinals.
That French Romsnists thought their creed
forever established in France by the massacre
of St. Bartholomew; and the Papacy that it
was secure in its supremacy after every re-
morseless use of the Inquisition and the Au-
TO Da Fe.
That James thought he had put an end to
Presbyterianism III Scotland by the enormi-
ties of Claverhouse, and the shameless con
formations pronounced by his conrts. To-
ryism has been watching for Liberalism in
England to die for two centuries, and il was
never fuller of vitality. Proslavery Democ.
racy in the United States thought il would
put under Abolitionism by mobs in Boston,
by the murder of LoyEJor, by the hanging Of
JONI Bsowy, by telling SuNsER with a
blndgeon. The twice election Of ABRAHAM
LINCOLN, and the Radical result last fall, are
the measure Of its success. In that measure
of its responsibility the Democracy can in
clude the Shareholders rebellion, its begin.
ming and protraction, not lis suppression,
that belongs to Abolitionism.
What is there to justify Democrat hope in
the early disintegration of Radicalism? Not
much, we apprehend. If the pro>slavery
Democracy would but use its eyes it would
see that its assumptions and creed make Rad
icalism q necessity. As old as is the settle
ment Of this country, and the recognition By
the cu'onistS of their own existence as politi-
cal and social bodies, with political and socia
needs, SO old is Rsdicalism in the United
States. When continents are raised by phys
cal forces, the agencies producing the gradua
upheayal are not often visible in their work
ings; there has been growth in free sentiment
In this Government since its organization, bu
not always equally noticed or noticeable
After each of its grand achievements, hu
dlahAAf AoO Abt liuiNtluhi ildns Is ulS
posed to accept il as a fnality a
the full labor-task completed, and lool
for the Sabbath Of rest following. Tn,
Reformers in Germany, with Luther at thei
head, resisted Radicalism in Professionalism a
they resisted the Papacy. Nearly all Ger,
man Professionalism is radical now. Whigl
and Democrats cherished the idea that tina
Constitution and Union was the perfection
and end Of Republicanism on the Western
Continent; that Freedom had no further con
quests to make. So Wings and Democrat,
stoutly resisted Rsdicalism, and we see with
what success. The end Of the present epoch
in mans life is not reached, SO Radicalism
could not be kept under, for Radicalism il
the condition Of the activity Of the age.
1t is not necessary to deny the charge Of
the Democracy that Radicalism is inspired by
personal hostility to the Southern people, for
there is no truth in it. Had Radicalism mo-
demanded that proclamation of emancipation
the nation woald still have slavery. But foi
Radicalism the capital Of the Republic would
still be upon soil consecra,ed to human bond
age, and our Legislators would hear in the in
tervals of ceased debate, the cry of the auc,
~tioneer, as he illustrated the Democratic idea
of civilization and free government, by hi,
hurried sale under the hammer, Of flesh ane
blood that would be African but for its near
er relation, III many cases., to Southern chiv
airy. But for Radicslism q Northern pro
slavery C~opperhead Democracy and a South
ern rebel Democracy would reconstruct tn,
Union SO as to carefully preserve oil the rel
les of slavery, and perpetnste in civil organ
ization q mass of degraded humanity tina.
fostering in he body polite; would give III,
nation no resi- until, again through strife aue
blood and death, the evil would be removed
the wrong righted, the nobility of manhood
asserted, Democratic ideas indicated, and
by such sad experience as these recent years,
our people we're taught how much better it i.
to do justice when justice can be done, than
through a timid conservatism, outrage any Of
the brotherhood Of man, and through short,
sighted fear of present ills, provide for tbs
future a store of terrible calamities. Suel
would be the result if conservative counsell
prevailed. To prevent this is the necessar,
laborof Radicalism a labor based not upo,
sectional hostility, but upon o righteous carr
for present justice and future safety.
THE WESTERN CHARACTER.
T%HsonoRg frLToS writes TO his paper, tn
New York Independent, a letter on III
Western Character, which contains 80 ger
erous, and in the main so truthful, a tribu,
TO the West, aBd one, too, SO unlocked "a
from such o thorough Eastern man as NJ,
Tnros, that we are induced to transfer til
greater part of it 70 our columns. Ate
skstching briefly the different characteristic
Of tho Yankee and the Southerner, Mr.. /
0ys:
H IL