The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-02-17
ENPs

4 Sir. The public in general, and my
n selfin particular, have been much awakened
and exercised by public discussion which
has lately taken place in this vicinity. Tn,
Question at issue was, "Can Slavery as j
exists in the United States, be defended OF
tmoral and Christian grounds. The disLu
ttantsswcre' Mr. Fowlerao,irs County Assessor
and Mr.. James Tarn.on.
The contest was a protracted.one for:
! ''Hhrice had the Sun upon the conflict SET
And risen again, and found them Crap
ping yet. ....-...
now rest, and for many years have rest
cd, my only hopes of a blessed, Immortality,
on the merits of my Redecner Jesus Christ.
This as Mr.. Taunton observed, ''is solid
rock, while all is sea beside" Such is the
religious relation in which j stand towards
my fellow men. My Political relation has
always been Democratic. have never yet
given hesitating vote. | have alweys been
sensible that Democratic triumph was a
shareholders triumph also, and I saw moth
ing wrong in this. But this discussion has
touched a chord ofmy heart while gives very
harsh and discordant music I must have
it harmonized, or shall be compelled to re-
nouncc my faith in Christ, or my faith in
Democracy. A'.
| When Mr.. Fowler said that he should
prove the Divine sanction to perpetual slave
ry through all coming time, from the fourth
and tenth commandments, | felt easy;
said if he can only do that, am Democrat
till death, but it was not done to my salts
faction; and why? Because he had previ-
ously stated that the Greek word '.Doulos"
when translated into the Scriptures meant
slave only when the word bondman was used
when he read those commands, the word
bondnan was not found, in either of them.
Then thought, THAT'S a bad job my De-
mocracy still trembles in the balance" in
this way my hopes wde. frequently raised,
raised only to be crushed again, until at last
Mr.. Taunton brought me squarely up fac,
to face with Christ and his Apostle Paul.
He proposed TO Mr.. Fowler what he called a
dilemma" but call it a tight fix" it was
this.-Mr. Taunton said, the slaves of the
South are marie Or they are not married.
well now said to myself that is true; either
there is a Sun in the Heavens, or there is
not; the human mind cannot imagine state
of things in which there is neither absence
nor presence of the Sun:-so | mentally
agreed to that proposition, ''they are married
or they are mott Mr. Taunton then said,
if they are ma,MieA the STAKEHOLDER draws
down upon himself that fearful anathe,na
Cursed is he that parteth man AMI wife =
he also violates the injunction of our Savior,
"Whom God hath joined together, let no
man put asunder, but, he added, this is
not all; the Husband and Wife when sepa-
rated by sale have to form new sexual con-
nexions, which connexions both Christ and
his Apostle Paul distinctly pronounces to be
"aiultery." nr# ~ ..a. .rfT.. .G.,..l
Now, then, Mr.. Taunton said, let us suppose
that the slaves are not married, it does not
improve the face Of the matter at all; for if
unmarried, we have pretty nest of fornica,
ton spead over this christian Land of the
free and the home of the brave" Sexualin-
tercourse without the sancity of marriage is
often in most especial manner denounced in
the New Testament
Now here is my trouble and not mine
alone; there are others who feel similar
uneasness, and who must be satisfied or
leave the Democratic ranks. Ifmy eligion
is placed in one scale and my Democracy in
the other, | cannot hesitate moment about
my choice but if can harm0rize them and
get tn mboth into one ale should be graft
fled beyond measure, | cannot think oflaunch-
ing upon the fearful ocean of Eternity with
nothing but a political straw for my support
but with "Christ in the vessel can smile at
the storm" In this my tribulation, earn
| estly ask Mr. Fowler's aid cannot get
through the fog alone. The slight fix" in
which Mr. Taunton has put me, looks some
| thing like the Hedgehog of which we read ;
it is a solid ball, and turn it which way we
will it is the same thing, sharp points and
nothing else; | can find no spot wherein to
thrust the weapon. III can get no aid from
Fowler must give it up as a hopeless case,
and painful as it will bc3T shall feel compel
!
ed to abandon all the political friends and as
sociations of my whole life.
| ON THE FENCE YET.
| Blakesburg. Feb, 10Th 1859.
| Ectscr frGEas Cherry Creek.
| AURARIA, X T. Dec 26, 1913.