The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-03-17
COW MUNICATION.


SlR-A short time ago invited Mr. Fow-
Ter, through your columns, to assist me in get
ting over certain difficulties touching Slavery
in the United States which difficulties have
been raised IN my mind by his recent dis
cussion. have most anxiously watched for
reply from him-a reply which might shed
some light upon my darkened understand
ing. regret his silence exceedingly, first,
because he distinctly stated at the outset of
his argument that TRUTH was his object, and
investigation" his means of obtaining it;
secondly, because his silence is a source of
sore discouragement to his friends, and fur
ni,.Ies ample grounds for exultation aud tri-
umph to his enemies.
When upon an important subject like this
the dormant mind becomes aroused, and tho
conscience deeply stirred, it will seldom stop
until it has explored up to the exten: of its
capabilities, and drawn to its aid every avail
able means of elucidation. Involuntarily act
ing un Ter the impulse of this moral law of
our nature. have been folloWing IN tin nv
humble way review of the leading points
OF the evidence in favor of Slavery as we have
it i'll the United States. resume my re-
view Of Mr.. Fowlers argument drawn from
the fourth and tanth Commandments, al tho
point at which I before drapped it, Mr.
Fowler finding that he had failed to satisfy
Mr. Taunton by his argument for Slavery
founded on those commands, took another,
and as | think, most singular position:
thus, he said the words "thy man serya ant
and "his man-servant" were to b. regarded
as abundantly sufficient to prove the Divine
sanction to slavery; for, said he, show can
a thing be his or thine unless there is
right of property! How can call a thing
mine if have no property rights in ,t--a
right to sell and convey? Here again am
all in the dark. have heretofore been fool
ish enough to think that there are many
things which call mine, but which have
no right to sell and convey. In speaking of
hired men in our employ, We are in the habit
of saying ''my hands" or ''my servants."-
Surely Mr.. Fowler will not, deny that this is
the usual form Of expression; neither will
he assert that the mere fact of a mans hir-
ing himself to another confers a right to sci!
and convey his body, and annihilate his
freedom.
Again, we are in the habit of saying ''my
Cod and my Saviour" If tn. logic of the
gentlemen is to be maintained, then my 6 Il
and my Savior are lawful merchandise, to bs
bought, sold, and conveyed. viii he adhere
to this position. or recede? We shall see.--
do not sag that it is rank blasphemy, but
1t appears to me SO very like it that an,
wholly unable in my darkness of mind, to
see any difference at all. A random course
of reasoning like this, resembles those wild
plunges and conyulsve struggles which de-
note Despatisns an distress, rather than tho
cool, clear, and deliberate expression of
well-balanced and retlecting mind
Mr.. Taunton said that among the many
atroclous features of our slave laws, the most
odious was that which permits the separa-
ton of man and wife; while on the contrary
the Mosaic law interposed to prereat it. uu-
less the parties desired such separation:-Ex-
odus 21 30, s. Mr.. Fowler replied, that was
matter for the judges to determine: that
the master was to take the man to the judges
and that ne must 60 out or not, as they might
decide. can by no means read the pas
sage so as to extract any such meaning. la
my ignorance it appears to me that the iudg-
es had no discretionary powers at all in the
matter; their business seems to have been
merely to take cosnizance of the fact that
the servant refused to go out and leave his
family; and thus legal proof would exist
that the servant was bound to serve his mas.
ter until the year Of Jubilee.
| should be much pleased if Mr. Fowler
would brighten up his grammar and by tho
peculiar way in which he can apply its rules,
Just extract the words discretionary powers
from the sixth verse alluded to. If he can
not remove the objections to American slave
ry which are troubling me so much, then tho
deiensible ground is mostly gone from under
him-his right arm, the fourth and tenth
Commandments have failed; the right to
separate families is gone; while adultery, er
Observation-Disclosures he prefers-m marches
legally through our land, in defiance of tho
gospel of Christ. These difficulties pcrplcx
and afiiict me sorely: want the crooked
made straight, and the rough places plain
hope that my friend Fowler can do it, if he
will seriously set himself to the task. He
set out on this subject avowedly in search
of truth, and he is morally bonnd not to halt
until he has found it; and more especially
after shaking and unsettling the Bolitical
faith ofothers, he ought Is be willing to put
forth all his strength, with view to prevent
the restless sheep from leaving his political
fold. have not left his fold yet, but am
leaning very hard to that side of the fence
where sun Of universal freedom shines.
ON THE FENCE YET.
Bakesburg, March 5th, 1859.