The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-12-22

We were unable to publish Mrs. Childs'
spicy letter to Gov. Wise at the time it an.
peared. Wepubsh it now to crafty gen
cral desire to read it.:
In your civil. but very diploma tic reply to
my letter, you inform me that have con.
stitutional right to visit Virginia, for peaceful
purposes, in common with every citizen Of
the United States. was perfectly well
aware that such was the theory of c,nstit,l-
tlonal obligation in the slave States. but
was also aware of what YOU omit to mention
vlz,; that the Constitution has, in reality
been disregarded and Systematically nullfied
whenever it suited the convenience or the
policy of the slave Power. Your constitu.
tional obligation, for which you profess SO
much respect, has never proved any protec.
tion to citizens of the free States who han.
pened to have black, brown, or yellow com
plexion; nor to any white citizen whom YOU
even suspected of entertaining opinions op-
pos'te TO your own, on question Of vast i'm.
pertance to the temporal welfare and moral
example OF our common country. This total
disregard ofconstitutionalo obligation has been
manifested not merely by the Lynch law of
mobs in the slave States, but by the deliber
ate action Of magistrates and legislators.-
What regard was paid to constitutional obli
CATION in Sonth Carolina when Massachusetts
sent the Hon. Mr.. Hoar there as an envoy.
ON purely legal orrand? Mr.. Hen,lrick.
Professor of Political Economy in the Uni
varsity Of North Carolina, had a constitution.
al right to reside in that State. What regard
was paid to that right. when he was driven
from his home, merely for declaring that he
considered Slavery an impolitic system. in
jurious to- the prosperity of States? What
respect for constitutional right was manifest.
ed by Alabama, when a bookseller IN Mobile
was compelled to fec for his life, because he
had, at the special request Of some OF the cit
izens, imported 4 few copies of novel that
everybody was curious to read? Your own
citizen, Mr.. Underwood, had constitutional
right to live in Virginia. and vote for whom.,
soever he pleased. What regard was paid to
his rights, when he was driven from the State
for declaring himself in favor OF the election
OF Fremont? With these, and multitude
ofother examples before your eyes, It would
seem as if the less that was said about re-
spect for constitutional obligation at the
South, the better. Slavery is, in fact, an in
fringcment of all law, and adheres to no law.
save for its own purposes ofoppression. Y 1
You accuse Captain John Brown Of 1whet.
ting knives Of butchery for the mothers, sis
ters, daughters and babesraof Virgins and
yon Inform ne Of the well-known fact that
he is "arraigned for the crimes Of murder.
robbery and treason.",e will not stop here
to'expla;n why I believe that old hero to be
no criminal, but martyr to PRINCIPLES he
sought to advance by methods sanctioned bv
his own religious views, though not by mine
Allowing that Capt. Brown did ATTEMPT a
scheme in which murder, robbery and trca.
son were, to his own consciousness involved.
do not see how Gov. Wise can consistent
iy' srraign him for crimes he has himself
commended. You have threatened to tram-
ple'on thelConstitution and break the Union,
II 2 majority Of the legal voters Of these Con-
federated States dared to elect President
nnfavorable to the extension of Slavery. Is
not such declaration proof of prcmcditatcd
treasons In the spring Of 1912 you made
speech in Congress from which copy the
following:
'Once set before the people of the Great
ssAsz re san0ne1t q tha EiaA Meziaan Pa