The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-11-03
Freedom and Slavery.

Extract from recent speech of Hon. +. d.
Baker in California:
L do not care where a man comes from, if
he is worker and lover of his country: if
he will not sit under the shadow of a tree.
and whine about niger, when he ought to
rise up like man and do a mans work; I
care not whether he comes from the North
or from the South, from the East or from
the West. desire to preserve free SOIL for
free labor. Do you not believe that free Ia
Dor is better than slave labor? Do YOU not
believe that free State is more powerful,
richer, more prosperous, than slave State?
DO you not believe that the free State would
be better opponents in time of war, not be-
cause her citizens are braver, but because
they could turn out every man for the ranks?
Cannot the free States pay more taxes? Do
you not believe in using your influence to
prevent the dedication of free soil to slave
labor? Are yon not attached to the great
principles of personal liberty, and in striving
to propagate them in preference to the dog
mas OF slavery, arc you not acting in concert
and harmony with all the wisest and best
men ofthe age in which you live? How is it9
Are you German? Is not the idea of
universal independence favorite of yours9
Whether you was ruled by duke or mon-
arch, still the idea of personal liberty is
dear to The German heart. SO with the
frenchman; whether he is fighting under
despot in Italy, or barricading the streets of
Paris during revolution, he loves the idea
of personal liberty, and it is equally present
in his heart
So with the. Englishman. Dear to him
are the recollections of the great English
Revolution of16ss. Proudly and affection
ately he looks back to the time when Crom-
well and his Psalm-singing Iron-Sides were
arrayed againgst the hosts of treacherous
sovereign; when they dragged a monarch
ANONYMOUSLY to be block because he at
tackled the great principles of popular rights
and personal liberty. (Great applause.) And
as | have asked, who ever heard of any man
recting poem to slavery? But if you want
the noblest and most inspiring poems, save
those from Heaven, read Milton, read Shelley,
read Homer, read falleck, read Bryant,
above all read Shakespeare There are no
etswho sell themselves, with venal spirits to
ftutter in the atmosphere of courts: but even
they seduccd by pomp and brilliancy of
fashion, cannot break into praise of Slavery.
They may praise the despot himself, but the
iniqmty of slavish servitude they dare
not crown with song. The hauteur of the
poet will not allow it, and his hand trembles,
taiters and is palSied ere he attempts to sweep
it in such praise across the Tyre of song
Cheers. But when you talk to him of free
dom, the lip Of the poet quivers with inspira-
ton, his heart glows, and the numbers break
out as the stream dashes from the mountain
top to seek the valley below-bright, clear,
sparkling, and FREE. [Cheers.1
Are you ashmed to march in that process
sion? Shall reproacl, shall malignant SLAM
der, shall base Misrepresentation make vou
hesitate? For me, at least, no; a thousand
times no! Where my youth has trod, my
manhood and my age shall march. am not
ashamed to wheel into that great procession.
love freedom better than slavery. | will
speak her words; will listen to her music 7
will acknowledge her impulses; I will stand
beneath her flag; viii fight in her ranks;
and, when | do SO, shall find myself sur
rounded by the great, the wise, the good, the
brave the noble of every land TChoer upon
cheer, tho audiance rising en- masse.1 III
could stanl for moment upon one of your
high mountain tops, far above all the king
doms of the civilized world, and there might
see coming up, one after another, the bravest
and wiscst ofthe ancient warriors and states
men, and Kings, and Monarchs, and Priests;
and II, as they came up, might be permitted
to ask of them an expression ofopinion upon
such case as this, with comon voice, and
in thunder tones, reverbrating through a
thousand valleys and echoing down the ages
they would cry, ''LIBERTY, FREEDOM, THE
USIvEsAL BRoTHERuooD OF MAN" ICheers
upon cheers. fjoin that shout | swell.that
anthem; Iecho that praise forever and forever
more. CHEERS.
THE Corn Crop OF lS5g-There no lon