The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-12-29
The State Of the Case.

We have said that the proper work Of
Northern men, protesting sympathy for the
mouth and desire to save the Union from
obstruction at the hands ofexasperated Soutl,-
erners, is to disabuse the South Of its gross
misconceptions o. the opinions and designs
of the people ofthc Free States. They should
tell them that the representations of certain
Northern papers and politicians that the peo-
pie of the North approve John Browns raid
into Virginia or any similar enterprise, that
the people of the North propose 10 Interfere
forcib'y with slavery in the States, or to
make the general government an instrument
of attack upon slavery are wholesale fabiica-
tons, without the SLIGHTEST foundation in fact
and manufactured solely for the purpose of
cajoling and deceiving the people of the
Slave States, that they may be used for par
ty purposes. They should tell them that
the men at the North who coin these false
hoods and utter them, with professed friend
illness to the South. are its real enemies. will.
ling to play upon its fears and 10 lead it into
false opinion and ruinous action in order that
they may seffshly profit by it. They should
tell them that the slavery agitation in it's
most dangerous forms is fostered and kept
alive by these dishonest Northern friends of
slavery, and that the South has more to
dread from them than from open and avowed
enemies. The Union men and Union mee-
tings that neglect to tell these plain and
needful truths at this crisis are playing false
with the South, and their professed anxiety
for its welfare is an imposture and
fraud. sa..
What is the real Northern position as to
slavery? The North believes slavery to be
wrong, and full of social and political evils.
The conscience and religion of the North
condemn slavery. The South does not of
course ask the North to renounce the con-
viction, and especially not upon compulsion.
Again, the North believes slavery to be pure
ly local. and properly confined to the States
establishing it. 1t does not consider it an
institution of the National Government, and
holds the efforts of the Democratic Admins
trations to extend and fortify it as unauthor-
izei and unjustifable on any ground. 1t
therefore opposes its introduction into the
Territories and all those illeei mate and ex-
traordnarv efforts of the general government
in its behalf OF this the Sonth cannot Justly
complain, becouse it is in strict accordance
with the Constitution, and will only bring
back the Government to the position it was
placed in by its founders. 1t will also re.
move the question of slavery from nationa,
politics. and restore the harmony so ruthless
ly destroyed by the political agitators of sla-
verv
| What ground is there here for hostility on
| the part Of the South, or for threats of disu-
Mon? And yet this covers substantially the
whole difference. But we do not expect the
South to listen to words of truth and sober
/ ness. The Democratic agitato,s have its ear
and viii continue to fill it with falsehoods and
alarms. The only practical remedy for this
unfortunate state of things is that suggested
by an intelligent Mississippi cotton planter;
let the Republican party take possession ofthe
| Government and show that it is conserva-
tive and not sectional by its administration
ofatiars, aud that will be the end of polliti.
cal slavery agitation.
| Do we mean to say that the triumph of the
Republican party would make slavery secure
and tend to perpetuate it? Not at all. But
it would leave the slave States quietly to
manage it in their own wav. The conse-
q1ence would be that as soon as the public
minl at the South became quiet again, the
reason for prefelring free labor, in Missouri,
Virginia, Kentucky and all the border States
would come into unembarrassed and power
tul action, and the process of negro deple-
tlon now going ON would be rapidly hasten
ed, so one after another they would Join
themselves TO the list of free States. The
States still further South, left to the treat
ment OF the matter upon considerations Of
duty and economy, would in process of time
devise methods of deliverence from the evil
and thus the great and difficult problem reach
~ '''''t P@"N '" anu udppy SoiutioH. HOW
much better this than the false and Ishmae-
litish attitude the South has been placed in
by the pro-slavery politicians, with her hand
against every man and every mans hand
against her. The South gains nothing by
this needless warfare slavery gains nothing
by it, but looses at every fresh encounter.-
Nobody gains by it except a few office hol
ders, who are willing to keep the country
constantly in conflict and agitation that they
may have free access to the spoils. This is
the state the case, truly and plainly set
down. Would that the South were sane
enough to see it.-ISprinafeld Republican,.
| WASHINGTON, Dec. 19.-According to the
conversation among the Democratic mem-
bcrs of the House they will seize upon the
first favorable occasion to reunite their forces.
which were scattered o-day, after The vi; u
drawsi OF Mr. Bocock for the contest for
Speaker. The bestowal of their vo:e on va
lious gentlemen was ,nen an experiment to
ascertain on whom the ls~gest numoe. of