The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1859-10-22
The Irreprcssibic Conflict, Begun:


M IIoLsac5-x TIE Lo,cs Of tic Z. s. SCI n
D.Pd"cs---4ttenpt to Lesrol"ti0"l1e tie 90
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Abe Lincoln. in the opening speech Of
his Illinois Campaign for the Senatorship :
year ago. and GOV. Seward, on a similar
occasion in New York, laid it down as q
fact. upon the basis Of which the platform
of tie republican party should rest, and in
reference 10 which ali its action should be
shared, that between the slave and free
States of this Union there is begun an ir
r,urcssijIe cogfsct, which must continue un
I'll the States are either all slave or all
free. and that. as the enemies Of slavery
the republican party enlist on the side OF
freedom in this conflict. This conflict was
represented as blood!ess as yet, but that il
would terminate without violence and
abundant effusion Of blood was more than
could be reasonably anticipated.
The press and politicians have talked and
thought lightly of this enumeration of the
foundation postulate of republicanism,-
more we imagine, however, from a want OF
thorough apprehension of ail its dark
and reasonable import. than from careless
levity The events of the last week will
We imagine, serve materially to enligten the
minds of our people to the deep and por
tendous meaning of the republican oracles,
and cause them to pause and consider
whittier this irrepressible conflict, as now
waged under republican auspices, Is bear
ing Us.
Three events have occurred during the
past week, two in our city, and one at a
distance, OF which tie details are given in
our columns, and to which we refer as aT-
prorriate illustrations OF the position which
we would enforce; and that i. that the
irrepressible conflict OF Abe Lincoln,
Gov Sowald. and the republican party
means opar7ie!iance of the laws and au-
:hority OF the government OF tie L S AID
ultimate revolution.
The first event or occurrence to which
we refer IS the affair Of the negro Berkeley.
and the proceedings Of the meetings to
which il cave re The facts OF the Berfl-
ley ease are given elsewhere and need TO
BE reiterated. II is indisputaLle we pre-
sume that he was from his birth rs he is
sill. = freeman. and SO lar a. concerns the
expressed purpose of the meetings in ques-
ton not 10 permit him 10 Ice kidnapped
b. uaPrincipled slave dealers who had
under sham sale for Illegal c,.s;s obtained
the color OF Il claim To his person, we hear
t.lv concur in all the meetings SAID and
dii But the resolutions which we're toi>t-
CT mon the meeting arc & very different
affair. Instead Of con.ning themselves to
the subject IL hand, their authors ayaiIed
themselves Of snc Fictitious excitement OF
the occasion To obtain the sanction Of Goct
TInss from which We Iii We large ma
-ior.sy o. our people in their sober moments
would revolt. The expression Of Thomas
Jefferson. referring 10 the great morgan
lied body of the people. that they are the
foundation OF a! political authority II tie
government, and are thus in mss indie
pendent Of al! bu. moral law, was rcrvert-
e'i INFO Justification Of open defiance Of
all law 10y any mob which for the ronce
ana in any contracted locality may happen
IL be sufficiently in the majority 10 over
awe opposition. Proceeding on This as
sumption the resolutions appropriately
and consistently. in the next place. declare
that the fugitive slave law can impose no
obligation Of obedience in community
where its provisions are against the moral
Of -,
paipably presented the cloven foot OF Tie
irrer1essibIe contic--the doctrine that
the States OF this Union must be made all
free, although this must necessarily IN
vo!vc the overthrow of the constitution
and laws ithis government. on the ground
that their provisions are against the moral
sense OF the mob that assails them.
The next event OF the week, was the af-
far of the negro jim. brought here from
Union county, and held on writ issued
under the fugitive slave law The forcible
capture Of the negro from the officer vino
had him in his legal md riahtlnl posses
sion, Is admitted on all hands to have been
an open. law-detyinG act, .juStifab!e solely
iict' doctrine. that all laws sanctioning
the holding Of slaves are to be tramplcd
under foot until the governments Of this
Union and the constitutions OF all the
southern States are reyolutionized or abro-
gated.
The third and last event Of the week TO
winch we refer IS. the revolutionary at
tempt At liarpers ferry. 1T is not to the
purpose, and afford, no apology to the adj
vocatcS Of the irrepressIbie conflict doc
triue to say, that this was but qtiiXotic
attempt OF a crazy fanatic. Browns en-
teTprize involved no consequences less lie
gal than the open rescue of fugitive
slave from L. s officer in Ottawa
Browns project contemplated the same
thing. only on a larger scale; and yet on
no larger scale than our Ottawa abolition
lists would cheerfully embark in if they
could do 1t with safety. If with the same
facility and absence Of personal danger
with which they stole the negro Jim il
Ottawa on Thursday, they could sever til,
bonds of every southern slave and set hin
loose upon his master 10 cut his throat arc
drink his blood, they would do it a
promptly as they spit and trampled upon
the authority of the L. S. and the Su
preme Court of this State in the affair c
Thursday Browns only crime, in thei
eyes, was his failure Had he succeeded
the ''irrepressible conflict would onl,
have been brought to a more speedy an
abrupt conclusion thar. those engaged in
anticipated, but their rejoicing would hav