Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1859-05-19
From the ST. 10. Valley Regisfcr.


From the St. Jo- Valley Register.
Edward Bates Letter.
We have not been able to find room for
the long and able letter of Edward Bates,
of St. uouis, 10 the Wing Committee of
New York. Although opposing Cuban
Annexation, even more decidedly than
Gov. Seward, and condemning all the re-
cent and prospective Pro-slavery move
ments of the Democracy, a brief par
agraph in the letter, eondcmning the ag-
itation of the Negro Issue, as pestilent
question. fostered by demagogues anu do
ing no good 10 any one. has been widely
criticised. Many Republicans have infer
red that it was meant to condemn their
organization, although its writer in all the
other parts concurred in what they ap-
proved and condemned what they. oppo-
sed. Others, knowing that Judge Bates
has held the Democratic leaders responsi-
ble for the agitation of the Slavery ques-
ton, regard the language as denunciatry
of those leaders and not of their opponents.
who have really been fighting on the de-
fensive.
We know from Judge Bates own lips
that the latter was his meaning. But VIZ
only allude to it now, as an introduction
to an article from the ST. Louis Democrat.
the Republican organ in Missouri, and
. which, edited by friend and fellow towns
man of his own city. is well known to un-
derstand his views. We may add that il
Judge Bates name is presented at ell for
the Presidency, he is too frank and fearless
a man to allow any one. North or South,
to be left in the slightest doubt as to his
views on all questions of the day. He is
of that conservative stamp of Southern
men. like Gen. Taylor, John Bell, Ken
meth Raynor; and Winter Davis, who have
earnestly preferred peace on all sectional
questions; bat whowhen the propagandists
would not consent to peace, have had
clear and settled opinions upon their right
and wrong and have not feared to avow
them. 1t is too early yet to raise any
ones flag for the presidency. or even to de-
eide absolutely in anv ones mind. whose
flag it is best for the cause should be rear
ed; and we have only said this much in
justice to one whom we have long known
and esteemed, and who though living in
the South, has been regarded by SO many
in the North as worthy of their fullest con-
! flence.
The following are the remarks Of the ST.
Louis Democrat on Mr.. Bates political
views:
Recurring to the legitimate data fur
nishe'l, not alone by his communication to
the OldLine Wings of New York, but by
his entire public record, we are justified in
the conclusion that he is opposed to the
extension and perpetuation Of Slavery
His protest against Slavery agitation and
agitators must be read in in the lights of
bis anteccdents. In 1915, as even the
Missouri Republican will acknowledge. he
was an emancipationist. We know that
he has not recanted that faith. He was
opposed to the repeal of the Missouri
Compromise and the Border Ruffian policy
of the Pierce Administration. lie is op-
posed to the Douglas Territorial theory,
which has been reduced to hideous farce
by the Utah trial. He dissents from the
Dred Scott decision, and still maintains
the sonstitutionality of Congressional Free
Soil enactments for the Territories He
was opposed to the Lecompton Constitu-
ton, the English bill, and all other schemes
of the Slavery propaganda. He is oppos-
ed to the extension of Slavery both within
and without the boundaries of the Repub-
lie; and, If he had not said SO, we should
deduce from this the corollary that he is
opposed to fillibnsterisnl, and the annex
alton of slave soil, or Of free soil, 6ecaase
it may be easily transferred into .lave soil.
To sum mp. he has recently declared that
he looked hopefully to the day when Mis-
souri, would be without slave. These
points his career presents to those who
have any acquaintance with it, and, in our
Judgment, they classify him as an Anti
Slavery man. Granting that the par
agraph in his letter relating to Slavery
is Delphic in sound, the public should. we
think, construe it by the plain synonym of
his life. The ambiguousness almost dis
sppears when the history of Missouri pol
itics is interrogated.
The Washington Republic copies the
above with the following comment.
1--WE do not perceive wherein the politi-
cal position Of Mr.. Bates. as now defined
by the Democrat, varies materially from
that of good Republican. standing fairly
and squarely upon the platform of tho
party.
"It is, perhaps, unfortunate for Mr..
Bates, if he has any aspirations for Pres
idential honors, that he did not thus clear
ly state his position in his original letter
although there is some excuse for the
omission, in the fact that the committee
to whom it was written had expressly So
licited his views on other p6litical topics
and plainly intimatcd that no discussion
of the negro question" was desired"