The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-05-05
Sham Democracy as Ii Is.
BY GOV. FooTE, OF MISS,

He was a Democrat, but he contended
there was no true Democratic party now in
existence. The organization called Demo-
clatic, he regarded as utterly incapable of
conducting affairs in an honest and states
man-lke manner. In fact the Democratic
party now in existence is dishonest, corrupt
and imbecile in the extreme so.
Party organs and party leaders openly avow
1.-THE Washington States had repeatedly
charged it, and had exposed the populations,
frauds and thefts of Government officials
even the Washington Union, the organ of
the Executive, has had the unblushing eff
frontery and hardihood to acknowledge and
attempt to justify one of the most corrupt
procedures ever undertaken by an American
Executive. He referred to the laying Of a
percentage on the salaries of federal officers
for party purposes.
JOHN SL1DELL AND KING CAUCUS.
The Governor then referred to the caucus
system, and assailed it in his characteristic,
severe, bold and fearless manner 1t was, he
said, in the hands of unprincipled men, politl-
cal adventures and gamblers-men compel
led to depend on political trickery for their
daily bread. John Slidell, of La, the notori-
Gus author of the Plaquemin frauds, the man
who goes about the country buying up cor
rupt and venal editors-paying them to adj
vocate his corrupt schemes for political ad-
vancement-the man who proposed to give
the President 100000 Of the peoples
money as corruption fund, the conscience
keeper of the president-this man, John Sill
dell, the embodiment of political dishonesty,
was at the head of the Democratic machine
the power behind the throne of King eau
Gus.
BUCHANAN WORSE THAN THE FEDERALIsrs.
He had been taught from childhood to hate
the very name of Federalist, and to abhor
their principles; but bad as the Federalists
we're, they were never charged with such Of
fences as are now charged and proven against
the Administration of James Buchanan
The latter has not only sanctioned but d.
rected the collection of levies on official sala-
ries for party purposes. He has sent agents
to a sovereign State to use all the influence
the President could confer in order to carry
the State against Senator who would not
bow down and submit to his will. In con-
versation at the Appeal Office, Mr.. Slidell
had not only admitted but attempted to justi-
fly these acts. Nor is this all. The Presi-
dent had attempted to make himself des-
pot. He had made formal demand that
Congress should invest him with the war
making power, for the purpose of levying
war on neighboring nations. He had also
asked for the enormous sum Of $40, 1000, 900,
while the treasury was bankrupt-depleted
by his own extravagance-for the purpose,
ostensibly, to prepare the way for the pur-
chase Of Cuba. Had these measures been
passed, the President would have been a
virtual Emperor.
WHAT WAS WANTED OF THE S30,000,OOO.
In regard to the 3o,OOo,OOO, Gov. Foote
thought many honest men were deceived
They, he had no doubt, thought the money
would be honestly expended, but he was
sure it never would be. Slidell would use it
to buy up the Charleston Convention.
THE OPPOSITION BOUND TO WIN.
The leaders of the Opposition are the best
men in the nation; and when. such men
arouse themselves and prepare for an en-
counter with their opponents, success is GER
tain. Ifhe thought otherwise; if he thought
the nominee of the Charleston Convention
would be elected, he would despair of the
Republic The Governor then spoke of the
Opposition in the free States, and he said he
knew they would be charged with Abolition
ism. But he knew they were not, and never
had been, untrue to the Constitution and