The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1859-08-06
C.v.r.,,sm versus Democracy.

,lvinc down the platiormof the republican
party Of Illinois, announced 1t as one OF
the fundamental principles of that party,
that \ house divided against itself must
fall. and that this government cannot en-
dure half slave and half free Judge
Douglas. in entering upon the senatorial
contest with Mr. Lincoln, took issue upon
this principle, giving ii the only interpre-
tation it was capable of bearing. and that
WIS. that in Mr. L s view, our government
was a war of two antagonIstlc systems ana
that To endure, the one, or free LABOR sys-
TEN must either crush cut or succumb TO
the other or slave labor system, and that
Mr. Lincoln and his party as the enemies
Of slavery, We're now entered upon the cru
SADIE TO crush out the latter system. Re
pubiicanism therefore was simply 4 war
fare on the part of the free states upon the
institutions of the slave states-a warfare
upon the compacts and compromises OF
the constitution,-in a word hostility TO
the constitution and the union, by which
these two systems are both recognized pro
,ected and fostered.
When MI Douglas thus followed out the
doctrine of the republican leader to It's le-
Ultimate conclusion, Mr. Lincoln at once
lacked down from his bold position. He
denied both in his speech, made at Chico
20 next day. as well as in his speech at OF
tawa and other places, that he had meant
arv such thing as that he was in favor of
making war on the constitutions OF the south;
he had merely stated it as fact that such
auta-onism existed without pretending to
urge or advise that the people OF the
north should engage i'll n crusade against
the institutions of the south, or OF any 9th
CT portion of the Union.
Nj ~ ,oln having thus taken the back
track .Jud re Douglas and the democratic
party were deprived of the advantage in
;he contest OF making SO strong point
against the republicans. What Mr. l.
however. lacked the stamina to maintain
and follow out to its logical conclusions, a
greater than he,-no less q parsonage than
- IL.
Gle of the republican party Of the north,
and the only man whom two-thlrds OF
them are willing to take as their candi-
date for the next pre- sidency, has re-an-
from which Mr. Lincoln would have
-ilrunk This is the language Of VIM. II
Seward.
Our s:s;em of government is a war Of
autdLonistic systems conflict between
slayc labor and free labor and it Is a mis-
take To think the collision accidental, I'm
necessary. the work OF interested fanatical
a.IIaturs IT Is AN IREEPREsSIBLE CONFLICT
BETWEEN OPPOSING AND ENDURING FORCES, AND
- MEANS THAT THE UNITED STATES MUST AND
WILL, SOONER or LATER BECOME EITHER IN
GIEELG . sIIEEHOLDING NATION. OR ENTIRELY A
FREE LABOR NATION EITHER THE COTTON AND
BG,E FIELDS OF SuUTH CAROLINA, And THE ST
GAR PLANTATIONS Or LOUISIANA. Will. ULTI-
TArELY BE SETTLED BY FREE LABOR. AND
CHARLESTON AND New ORLEANS BECOME MAETs
t"a LEGITIMATE MERCHANDISE. OR THE RYE
FiELnS AND WHEAT FIELDS OF MASSACHUSETTS
AND Nav ORK MUST aGAIE BE SURRENDERED
~ THEIR FARMERS TO SLAVE CULTURE AND To
IUE Ti;oDCCTioN or SLAVES, AND BOsToS AND
Nv IOEK BECOME ONCE MORE MARKETS FOR
TE.pE ~ The BODIES AND SOULS OF 2Ey.
Herc then i the issue upon which the
next Presidential contest IS to he fought.
Il : not whether Kansas or any other ter
1-tory shall be free-whether Cuba or
Mexico shall be annexed-whether the
slave trade shall be reopened or a slave
code adopted for the territories-these are
side issues thrown i'll and harped upon by
the Republicans to divert attention from
tn Infinitely greater and more desperate
and reasonable object at which they are
aining,-the subversion of cur present sys-
reln OF Independent States with local Gus
toms and institutions "a diverse as the eli
mate of our broad Union, and the forcible
introduction OF sptfoTDsIty Ill laws, customs,
and institutions among the States. The
constitution guarantees to the South the
right 10 hold slavcS--the constitution gives
tine Southern States the right to follow
their runaway slaves into the free States
and arrest and take them back. The in
situations and feelings cf the North are an
'.c'il4>t4S ~ sHCi Il y sttlil-tilc CbIiStiltt-
ton Is a hlunder, says Mr.. Seward-the
South is the weaker party-her institu
tons must be northumberland States
must all become free States; at least such
II = cur am TO make them: or. if the
South don't like the prospect, we invite
them to open tle war on Us in return, anG
make them all slave If they can. Thi:
l. the issue presented by the Republicans
aHd opposed To ii is that of the democra
cy-to preserve the Union as it is, slavery
III such States as want it, and free institu
tons in such States as prefer them. Car
any patriot and friend of the Union hest
at" to which Of these parties he will be
long: