The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-05-12
Letter of Edward Bates, of Mis-.

Letter of Edward Bates, of Mis-.
souri,.
To MEssRs. j. PHILLIPS PHENTx, WALLIS
BLACKSTONE, H. NJ. BININGER, DAVID J
LILEY, AND II. II Smith, Committee, New
York.
STRs: A short time ago I was favored
with your note of the 7th inst, covering g
resolution of the Committee, to the effect
that it is inexpedient at this time further tc
discuss or agitate the Negro question, but
rather to turn the attention of the people to
other topics-"topics of general Importance
such as our Foreign Relations, including the
Extension of Territory; the building ofRail
roads for National purposes; the improve.
Ssment of our Harbors, the navigation of oui
Rivers to facilitate Internal Commerce; the
subject of Currency, and Tariff of Duties
and other means of developing our own in.
ternal resources, our home wealth, and bind
ing together by ties of national and fraternal
feelings, the various parts and sections ofour
widely extended Republic"
Your letter, gentlemen, opens very wide
field, in asking for my "opinion upon the sub.
iect, and my views as to the signs of the
times" Books have been written upon
these matters, and speeches delivered by the
thousand; and yet the argument seems as
far from being exhausted as it was at the be-
ginning; and take it for granted that you
do not expect or desire me to discuss large,
all or any of these interminable quarrels.--
That have opinions upon all or most OF
them, is true--not the opinions of this or
that party, ready to be abandoned or modi-
fled to suit this or that platform, but my
own opinons-perhaps the more fixed and
harder to be changed because deliberately
formed in the retirement of private life, free
from the exigencies of official responsibility
and from the perturbations of party policy.
eTThey are my opinions, right or wrong.
As to the Negro question: have always
thought and often Declared in speech and in
print, that it is pestilent question, the agita-
tions ofwhich have never done good to any
party, section or class, and never can do good,
unless it be accounted good to stir up the
angry passions of men, and exasperate the
unreasonable jealousy of sections, and by
those bad means foist some unfit men in
office, and keep some fit men out. 1t is a
sensitive question into whose dangerous vor-
tex it is quite possible for good men to be
drawn unawares. But when / see man,
at the South or the North, Of mature age and
some experience, presist in urging the ques-
ton, after the sorrowful experience of the
last few years, can attribute his conduct to
no higher motive than personal ambition or
sectional prejudice.
As to the power of the General Government
to protect the persons and properties, and
advance the interests ofthe people, by laying
taxes, raising armies and navies, building
forts and arsenals, lighthouses, moles, and
break-waters, surveying the coasts and lja-
cent seas, improving rivers, lakes and harbors,
and making roads, should be very sorry
to doubt the existence ofthe power or the duty
to exercise it, whenever the constituted au-
thorities have the means in their hands, and
are convinced that its exercise is necessary
to protect the country and advance the pros
perity Of the people.
In my opinion, government that has nc
power to protect the harbors of it's country
against winds and waves and human enemies
nor its rivers against snags, sands and rocks
nor to build roads tor the transportation o.
its armies and its mails and the commerce
of its people, is apoor, impotent government
and potat all such government as our ia
theirs thought they had made when they
produced the Constitution which was greeted
by intelligent men everywhere with admira
ton snd gratitude as a government fire.
enough for all the ends Of legal liberty ane
strong enough for oil the purposes ofnationa
and individual protection. A free people, i
it be wise, will make a good constitution
but constitution, however good in itself
did never make free people. The people
do not derive their rights from the govern
ment, but the government derives its power.
from the people; and those powers are gran
ted for the main, if not the only, purpose o
protecting the rights ofthe people. Protec
ton, then, if not the sole, is the chief ent
of government
And it is for the governing power to Judge
in every instance, what kind md what degre,