Reconstructed “Democracy”

The Democrat, in its issue of yesterday morning, still urges the members of the effete democratic party to rally in response to the call of Vallandigham & Co., and take position in the ranks of the reconstructed party, under these “staunch statesmen.”  It says, “there are to-day in the service of the country, bearing arms against this satanic rebellion, two democrats to one of all other creeds put together.”  Of course our neighbor knows and believes just what he states to be true.  As the democrats were largely in the minority before at the North, and tens of thousands of good men, who formerly acted with them would under “the exigencies of the times” scorn to affiliate with a party whose sole principle is the advocacy of the cause of all our woes; and as nine tenths of all the democrats who have enlisted in the war will return to their homes, if they come back at all, rampant abolitionists; we must still maintain that a party occupying the ground that the reconstructed democracy must assume, can never possess vitality in the free States of the North.  The Buffalo Express contains an article on the democratic party, from which we make the following extract:–

The democratic organization is now but a wreck of its former self.  It has neither principle, policy nor popular respect to rely upon to repair its broken fortunes.  Under the necessities of the government, its principles have been repudiated and its measures superseded.  Under the influence of a war which has ensued to quell a rebellion that democracy had incited, a heavy national debt is being incurred which will require every resource of impost duty and taxation to meet its demands.  Under this state of things, the free trade of dogma of that party is lost in the democratic storm.  The demand for a healthy and sound circulating medium equal to the wants of government and general business, has broken down the hard money scheme, which was the main spoke in the democratic wheel, and national paper currency “as good as gold,” supplies its place.  These were among the more prominent practical measures of the democratic party, and both have become effete.  It now falls back upon its last and only hope for the future – the institution of slavery – to save that as is future sheet-anchor.

This is evident in the clamor that constantly comes up from the press that disrupted party in its efforts to rally the faithful.  They cling to that institution with as much solicitude as they would protect the apple of their eye. – When we speak of the overthrow of slavery as the inevitable consequence of this war, a shudder comes over the anxious democrat, and he cries “Abolitionist!” and wildly points to the Constitution as an instrument to sacred to be violated, in the vain hope of rallying a prejudice that has served his party well in former times, but which has grown weaker and weaker under the attempts of that institution to strike down the Union, the Constitution and the power of the government.  The democratic party – that is, what there is left of its former self – shows “the ruling passion strong in death.”  It hugs slavery to its bosom, and both are to go down together.  They are as inseparable as the Siamese twins, and the peculiar institution will take with it to its final rest its lingering votaries who have nursed at its breast with a fatal persistence.  One grave will close over slavery and modern democracy, and one tomb stone will furnish for the two tenants but a single epitaph.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Thursday Morning, April 3, 1862, p. 2

Natural Rights

The object which every man his in view in the surrender of his natural sovereignty is that he may be protected in this rights from the abuse of the same in other men.  He does not yield by conventions, rights which the social state can neither give nor deprive him of.  Under pretence of that surrender, whenever more is demanded of him than the compact justifies or than is dearer to him than safety, protection and life itself, then it becomes a usurpation – an unmitigated despotism.  The surrender of rights must be equal among all who enter into the social state, as the objects secured by it are the same.  There must be, for the sake of securing the peaceful enjoyment of the equal rights possessed, and inequality in civil matters, as there must be the rulers and the people; but this of itself is the result of the political equality which exists in the body and we cheerfully acquiesce in it.

The criminal code of all governments consists in prohibitions, as whatever is not prohibited by law, the subject deems himself safe to do.  Thus, we retain rights which no human institutions can deprive us of, which are not the gifts of society, but are inherent by nature.

We know that there are some governments which do not recognize the inalienable rights of humanity.  Our own does; but the South, by degrading men into chattels, virtually disavows it, and this has been the fatal mistake that has occasioned the evils which are now upon us.  Jefferson, Washington, and others saw it, and so have many since their day.  Slavery was in the country, some disposition must be made of it, and this, as a temporary device, was deemed the only one practicable.  It was never thought, by the founders of our Constitution, that slavery would remain under it as a fixture.  It was then, as now, a “peculiar institution.”  It was the clay mixing with the iron in the toes of the great metallic image.  It never was, it never can be, the normal condition of a free and enlightened people.  It ignores and neglects the rights of nature, which no local compact can do with safety, because it neither had the right nor fully the ability to do it.  If “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” are not enjoyed by all men, then they are not enjoyed by any man.  Society cannot and ought not to attempt to confer them as privileges.  It should admit them as rights; but this can never be done where slavery exists, and therefore, the necessity of abolishing it as a most unnatural and oppressive institution among any people, and especially a people claiming to be free.  But we are not of those who would sever the States of this Union to accomplish the object nor would we do it by unjust or arbitrary measures.  The growth of free principles, and the evils growing out of slavery, will kill it as soon as the safety of the Union and the country will admit.

If the appeal is made to the many in the decision of this question of slavery, the utmost impartiality ought to be exercised, and the strictest adherence to justice ought to be demanded.  The Judge, who pronounces his verdict should be bound down to the strictest rules, for whenever expediency convenience or presumption is taken into the account, the decision may be warped by prejudice, and the flood-gates of despotism may be opened still wider.  Nothing but an inflexible adherence to the principles of general right can preserve the purity, consistency and stability of a free state.  The slaves should themselves be heard in their own defence, as they are an important party in this suit.  This has been overlooked, but is the chief matter to be considered in the adjustment of the case.  The North and the South can never settle this difficulty in the absence of the party suffering.  They must be heard, unless both determine to destroy or ignore their manhood and reduce them, not by civil law but by natural law to chattels – and this can never be done.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Tuesday Morning, April 1, 1862, p. 2

The President’s Message

Our neighbor says that we affect to be surprised that he should endorse President Lincoln’s message.  No we are not, but we should be greatly surprised if he maintained that position for any length of time.  That message is a very carefully worded document and susceptible of being construed to suit the ideas of men who do not hold the same opinion upon the subject of slavery that the President entertains.  We are glad that our contemporary and the pro-slavery press generally make no opposition to this message of the President.  It is the strongest evidence we have had that this war is lessening the hold of slavery upon the nation.

Formerly every deference was shown to this subject, and the most obsequious humiliation was exhibited in Congress at the bare mention of slavery.  The word was pronounced sotto voce, and when it became necessary to allude to it in public, it was sugared over with some such figurative appellation as “peculiar institution.”  But now, for the first time in the history of the country, a President of the United States has formally communicated to Congress his opinion that legislation looking to the extinction of American Slavery is necessary, and the Democratic press, the pro-slavery organs of the North, commend it!

Heretofore Executives have approached the subject hat in hand, and with [missing text] ded to the forbidden theme; but here is a President who does not hesitate to call the thing by its right name and boldly to affirm that slavery and the Constitution are not  identical, that they are not compatible, that so far from their existence being relative, or dependent the one upon the other, they are really antagonisms, and there is no permanent safety for the Union so long as slavery exists, and the pro-slavery press says, it is well!  The world does move and if slavery, the relic of barbarism, is not left behind in its progress, it will be an anomaly in the history of our race.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Wednesday Morning, March 12, 1862, p. 2

Death of Lieut. James T. Chittenden

It becomes our painful duty to announce the death of our esteemed fellow-townsman, Lieut. James T. Chittenden, who died about ten days ago, at Cassville, Mo., of wounds received at the battle of Pea Ridge.  As intelligence of his critical situation had previously reached us, his demise was not entirely unexpected.

Mr. C. had been a citizen of Clarinda for about four years – engaged in the practice of the Law – and by his exemplary demeanor and unspotted moral character won for himself a host of friends.  At the breaking out of this wicked rebellion – brought upon us by the institution of African Slavery and not by Sabbath breaking, as some of the admirers and patrons of that peculiar institution would make the people believe – Mr. C. felt it to be his duty to join in defending his country’s standard; and accordingly assisted in organizing a company, which went into the 4th Iowa Regiment, with him as its Second Lieutenant.  He served in Missouri for about six months and at the battle of Pea Ridge was wounded in the breast, which resulted in his death.  By his gentlemanly deportment and attention to his military duties he became greatly endeared to both rank and file, and when engaged in the sterner conflicts of the war, all agree in awarding him for coolness and bravery.  Brigadier-General Dodge pronounced him the bravest man in his Brigade, and all of our intelligence goes to confirm this judgment.

In his death, Clarinda has lost one of her most esteemed and accomplished citizens; humanity a warm and devoted friend; the army a most valued officer, and the bar one of its most promising young members.  But while we mourn over our loss, he is rejoicing that he has exchanged the cares and toils of this life, for a habitation of the Kingdom of everlasting bliss. – {Page County Herald.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington Iowa, Saturday, May 24, 1862, p. 3

The Slander against Mrs. Lincoln

Stories are being circulated throughout the country reflecting on the loyalty of the President’s wife, some going so far as to aver even that she boldly avows her sympathy with secession!  As to the “avowal part” we can at least speak by authority, and brand it as a whole cloth fabrication.  Mrs. Lincoln does indignantly deny sympathy with secession in any shape or form and is less charitable towards the “peculiar institution” than is her husband.  In this vindictive of the fair fame of our Lady President we have the attest of Senator Browning, and intimately acquainted as he has long been with the President’s family, his opportunity for judging as to Mrs. Lincoln’s loyalty ought to be satisfactory. – Quincy Whig.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Tuesday Morning, February 18, 1862, p. 2

The Negro Question Handled by a Kentuckian

Col. Leonidas Metcalf recently made a speech at Carlisle, Nicholson county, Kentucky, of which we make the following extract. Had he made this speech in portions of Iowa he would have been denounced as an Abolitionist at least and perhaps worse:

I had started to pay my respects to the nigger lovers of the South. There has been no election since I can remember but the cry of nigger was raised. A constable, coroner, judge or president could not be nominated but the same old tune was ground. Law after law was passed to tighten the tenure by which we held them. State laws, fugitive laws, territorial legislatures might legislate a white man to the devil if they chose, if they had nary a nigger; but laws were passed to prevent them from legislating on the subject of nigger. A Republican Congress passed laws to prevent themselves from legislating on negroes in the territories, still the cry was more security, more concessions, until they require all to kneel to Gessler’s cap, or else they are not the Simon pure, or at least they are not the Simon Buckner pure. They swear that it is God’s institution, and that in his sublime wisdom he instigated the trader to the pious calling of catching and chaining the wild African in the hold of some gloomy ship to transport him from his native hills where his soul is in danger, to the cotton fields of America, all for the glory of God and the increase of his kingdom; that their pursuits and pleasure in Africa are loathsome to God; but when they are transported to the cotton fields and learned to raise six bales to the hand, great is his reward for he now pleaseth the Lord and shall have a seat in heaven; while traitors who have so long been protected in making black angels, quietly pocket the proceeds of the cotton. To all this you must solemnly promise and swear or you are an Abolitionist. – And some of these traitors are helping to populate heaven with angels only half black. – This is no joke; all this has been preached from the pulpit by the said sooty winged nigger satellites. They do not stop at insulting man, but blaspheme God with their obsequious dallying and pandering to a set of corrupt, fly-blown jackasses, who cannot see any other aim or object on earth through which pleasure or happiness can be secured but nigger; no other argument in politics but nigger; no other road to heaven but on a nigger’s back. They must have the Missouri Compromise, or they will break up the Government, then the Missouri Compromise must be repealed, it ain’t fair, or they will knock all the underpinnings from under Uncle Samuel.

Kansas must be allowed to do as she pleases – no intervention. Our sweet scented Beriah, who lives in the Governor’s palace and don’t rule the destinies of Kentucky exactly as he would wish to, made a speech in our county town when he was a candidate, in which he said that Congress [had] no power to legislate on Slavery, and must not intervene in Kansas affairs; that he would draw his sword and fight, before he would ask Congress to pass a pro-slavery or anti-slavery law for Kansas, for that would be setting the example that Congress had the right to intervene, and it might hereafter pass some law that we did not like, and if we complained they would tell us we must put up with it, because we asked them to open the door of intervention, and the point was settled, but behold! When Kansas herself attempts to settle her own business, they shift round and attempt to force her to be a slave State against her will. They are as unreasonable as a baby with a toy; cry if you give it to them, cry if you don’t give it to them; and like the spoiled child, they must now be spanked and put to rest. I have heard it preached ever since I can remember, that all we asked was to let us manage our own State affairs as we pleased, particularly our own peculiar institution; that the North wanted to take them away from us without compensation; that if the North would only acknowledge that there is such a thing as property in man we would be satisfied; now the President offers to us, to let us do just as we please. Buy our negroes, if we wish to sell, and if we do not want to sell, why, “keep them and that is the end of it,” and we will be protected with them thereby acknowledging that they are property, and thereby offering to defeat the abolitionists, in taking them without compensation; and also spoiling the grand argument of the disunionists, that Lincoln and his yankee hordes would take our negroes from us. They are mad at Lincoln for letting us do as we please; some of them denying the rebellion having anything to do with nigger and therefore, Lincoln is an abolitionist for bringing in the sacred name of nigger at this time. And some Union men are very hard to be please with anything the Government does, and such men rarely complain at the inequity being enacted by the rebels. If Jeff. Davis had come out with the same message, they would have pronounced it the most liberal, fair, impartial, statesmanlike document that was ever offered for the consideration of people of common sense. Oh! Consistency, thou are a jewel, made of gum elastic, and can be stretched to suit the conscience.

The cry of Abolitionist is the whip that is continually held up to scare the ignorant into the Democratic, and now the Secession ranks. – If you look at things with common sense, you are an Abolitionist. If you are for your country, and for the majority ruling, you are an abolitionist. It is time we put a stop to these insults. They cannot listen to reason. The only thing you can beat common sense into them with is a green sycamore club that will not bounce, or a bullet. A few wholesome truths may be bitter but never the less true. The accusation is very common that the North favors amalgamation. Now, to tell the truth, and shame old Nick, it is practiced to a fearful extent throughout the South and Kentucky. Go into any of our towns and see the different shades and colors.

Jet black, buff, and brown
Mongrel, puppy, whelp and hound.

But we will not speak loud on this. Somebody might be listening. You can know every traitor in the land as plainly as you can your hogs by the ear marks. They have a password, by which you can know them as well in the night as in the day time – that word is, Abolitionist. That is the sum total of all their argument.

I will relate an anecdote that shows a Virginian’s ideas on the nigger question and it is true. I heard it. Traveling in Virginia, I stopped at night at a house where they were holding a meeting, and any one seemed to have a right to tell what he knew. A spry young man took the pulpit, and let out on the crucifixion as follows “My brethren how meek was our Savior – they crucified him; they put a crown of thorns on his head; they stuck a spear in his side, and they drove nails through his hands, had he never said a word a bit more than if he had been a nigger.”

Fellow citizens, you all know that nigger is the raw head and bloody bones, the scarecrow, that is continually held up to your view, never ceasing agitation. You must stand sentinel all night, you must stand sentinel all day, with your musket, over your darling black angels, while they work in the field, to keep somebody from stealing them. And you must stand watch to keep down insurrection – eternal vigilance is the price of nigger. All of this hue-and-cry is kept up when there is not the slightest danger.

Well, gentlemen, does not all of this suggest to your mind a gleam of common sense? Does not the weary sentinel begin to ask himself, when will the relief come around? But no relief ever comes. Ah, me! When or how shall I ever find time to enjoy myself with my loved ones? Where is that happiness this sacred institution is to produce? When shall I rest? – Now I see this never ending clamor has at last beat it into my head that, I had better take the value of these gems from Afric’s burning sands, and invest in something that will not forever disturb my peace, use the musket on traitors, and take the hoe myself. Nigger and cotton has produced this rebellion, and should be made to foot the bill. There is a big nigger scare still on our Congress. They shrink, afraid to take the bull by the horns; it is not just that loyal men should fight out the battles to save their country from the iniquity of traitors, and then pay the damages they have caused. China had to foot the bill with England. Mexico had to come up to the captain’s office and settle, and the Swiss rebels had to pay for all the dishes they broke; and about twenty-five dollars per head on nigger, and two cents on cotton, will soon pay for educating the Southern mind.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 26, 1862, p. 2