The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-10-24
The Republican Party...Where Is It?

The Ottawa Repuoticdh, the organ of the
republican party Of this county, has endors-
ed the bred Scott decision from A to u. Ac-
cording to its own showing, that decision
covered just two points list, That negro
is not q citizen of the L. s.: and I'd, that
none but citizens of the U. S. can maintain
suits in the L. States Courts. The Sd point
Of the bred Scott decision, which refers to
slavery in the territories, the Ottawa Rspuj-
lican has maintained, with all the other re-
publican journals, is not a decision Of the
court, but n mere dictum of Judge fancy,
because the subject Of slavery in thc terri
tories was not involved in the bred Scott
case, and was not therefore before the court.
In the specific declaration, therefore, by the
Ottawa Republican, four or five weeks ago,
that "we dts editors) and the republican
party find no fault with that part Of the
bred Scott decision which denies to negroes
the right of citizenship OF the L. Jtates,'
the editor endorses the whole decision for
the 1st point Of the decision covers the I'd,
as the lars Of the /. S, in unequivocal Ian
guaee, confine the right Of maintaining
suits in the L. S. courts to citizens" only
This is the position Of the Ottawa Repub-
lican on the negro question, and this is hat
it asserts to be the position of the Republi-
can party Of this county. Is this SO The
old Liberty party Of this county, which
six years ago could poll a thousands votes,
and is now supposed to compose at least
half of the republican party, always main
tanned as cardinal point of its creed, the
doctrine that the negro, who owns property
and pays taxes, ought to have equal rights
with the white man TO vote, send his child
rem to the free schools, &c. Do the mem
bers Of the old Liberty Party" now merg-
ed in this modern milk -ani-wster republi-
cansm, q find no fault with that part of the
Drcd Scott decision which, as Beecher ex.
presses il, annihjiates the negro race ? And
If they do, are they not guilty Of arrant du-
pIicity and hypocrisy, il allowing them
selves to be controlled and swallowed up by
the snt-negro rights republican party Of
La Sale county.
To such Liberty men, and 20 the milk
anl-watcr republicans Of dis county, we
commend the careful perusai Of the follow
ing article from the "tatioAaZ Ira" and
especially Of the editors of the Ottawa RI
Pnj5ican we should Ike to know whether
they endorse or rePudicte the sentiments Of
this article:
b" We have always been in favor Of conce-
ding to the black or yellow man all he yo-
Wicai yiyt,s which are conceded to or e1-
crcsed by the white man. We believe in
equal rights for all men, and prove our faith
by our vote Whenever we have an epportu-
nifty. We 10 not, A. the Express mistakenly
asserts, affirm the intellectual equality Of
the colOrcd with the white man" but we
claim for ourselves. and . course concede
to al other adult human beings, Political
eY@9Aty, irrespective to aay claim 10 Intel
lsctual superiority which may be set up for
or against u. We believe in the rights Of
man \ man, and Iva ont cur faith, even
when j, cost something to be true to our
convictions.