The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-06-30
To THE EDITOR OF THE COURIER =

a. st7 Dear Sir:--
I cannot but think that it has been burden
some to you to publish thus far, the cores
pondence on the slavery question. Feeling
thus, shall in future strive to be even more
brief than consists with the full eIucidatiop
of the subject. rr.a... .......... .
From the outset Of this discussion, Mr.
Fowler has been surrounded by difficulties,
which have multiplied in number and intens-
ity, the further he has advanced into the
moral swamp In his first letter he states
the question at issue truly, slavery as IL er-
lists in the United States" Then, claiming
as he does, the Divine sanction to Noah's
curse as his warrant to hold the descendants
of Caanan in perpetual slavery (Which de-
scendants he says were negroes he finds
himself compelled to falsify facts in joining
the issue. This he does, by saying that
slavery in the United States consists in the
negro race being held in su5je"tion to those
of the white race. Now l humbly submit
that there is not word of truth in that des-
cription of Slavery in the United States."-
No man knows better than Mr.. f. that "sla-
very in the United States" is slavery with
out regard to color and that is the true is
sue. It would be difficult, indeed, to find a
pure African in the whole South (unless of
recent and unlawful importationD the slave
holder, his sons, the overseers, and what is
called the "poor white trash have visited
the negro shanties for licentious purposes too
often to leave it possible that pure African
should remain. In truth, the African blood
has become so diluted that vast numbers of
slaves are nearly as white as their masters !;
and very many are quite so. If this is true,
(and can prove it to be- o,) then Mr.. F. has
been arguing all the time upon case not on
til recor3;;- his premises do not conpprt
with the question; consequently, his prem
ises are false; and have his own authority
(whatever that is WORTH for saying ''if his
premises are false, his conclusions must be
false also" This, said he, sis good logic"
Try him by this standard of his own crea-
ton, and his slavery defences are all swept
away. ..... ........ ........... .............
His difficulties do not end even here, for
after having made up false issue, he goes
on withIan assumed feeling of triumph TO
quote scriptural instances of the bondage OF
men who were NOT negroes-thus he quotes
the servants of Abraham, bought with mon
ey," and mentions Hagar, in particular-
Now, here as usual, he is exceedingly unfor-
tunate, for we have not the Slightest proof
that those servants Of Abraham were negroes,
the preSumptive proof is all the other way
for instance, when Lot, the brother Of Abra-
ham, was taken prisoner, Abraham armed
his servants, 31S in number, and rescued
Lot. Does this look like negro slavery p
Does it look like southern slavery at all -
Try it; arm the slaves as Abraham did his
servants, and they would soon furnish fear
full theme for the future historian But as
proof that thoseservants were not negroes,
we find in Gen. XIV. g., land Abraham said,
behold to me thou hast given no seed and
10 (! one born in my house is mine heir; )"
surely, Abraham did not expect all his
wealth TO descend TO negro. The case of
Hagar furnishes the most undoubted proof
that there were servants in the house who
We're not negroes She was the mother OF
the Tartar race, who to this day, rarely COM
mingled blood with other rlces; and we
trace her descendants in the present reigning
family in China; are they negroes ?-assur-
edly not! Then, why quote them to Prove
negro slavery as flowing from Noah's curse?
Again, in lev XXV. A., the Jews were
permitted to buy (not slaves) but bond men
''of the nations round about Them" Now,
G,ias Mr.. +. says, the Inhabitants of the
land of Caanan We're negroes, the nations
round about them were not Then, after the
Jews had conquered the Canaanites and got
possession OF their land, of whom were the
Jews to buy why, of course, Moses tells
them to buy of the "nations round about"
who were not negroes in Mr.. F.'s opinion
Thus, the very authorship to which he APP
peals to prove the Divine sanction toaaegro
slavery, repels him at the first step, and
proves Gift proves slavery at all, } the Divine
sanction to enslave the white race, also. -
This was something not bargained for; he
did not care to advocate white slavery oh
no! that would be too unpopular; 'but-not
seeing the moral mudhole into which ne was
plunging-he has landed with all his proofs
on that very shore which above all others he
most anxiously wished to avoid. II he has
proved anything at all, he has proven the
Divine right of universal slavery, wherever
the porer to enslave exists. Let him bring
this doctrine home and practically apply it !;
he says, ''captives taken in our war" were
slaves by Divine appoin anent, and if God
has not changed, then ii follows that had the
British succeeded in getting possession of
our beloved Washington, they might by Di-
vine right have ensaved him-Jeherson, the
father ofa true Democracy, and, in fact, the
father of the present republican party, might,
by Divine right have been made to wear
chains far more calling than those he nobly