The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1860-01-19

into our legislation policy which denies TO Co }
sress power claimed for IL by the founders of ou
government, and exercised by IL from he beginning
which declares that TO he constitutional, and whi.i
rests tIpop the strange assumption iha the govern
men of he Uni Ell States cannot set and mantair
IN the territories OF the United States orm Of
eminent demanded by majority Of our people, and
IDENTICAL IN the disputed particular with the form d
government of majority of the States OF confed
eracy III the men who did this thing, did no. know
that their action would again produce among ag
taton, heartburning, Jealousy, and i'll will, they
so wholly ignorant Of the temper and feelings OF our
PEOPLE, as to make them unsafe public servants. II
they did know, they unfaithful. In either view
they were fathlass to the pledges they had given
the inducement for placingpow in their hands The
Nebraska hill was long pending and It's pas
sage was strenuously resisted in Congress. The de-
bates in that body upon II were acrimonious and cN
citing; the discussions in the public press bitter
and in6ammatory, and when the pastors of the peo
pie in the different sections of country had been
thoroughly aroused, their preiudces iuiiamed, and
their pride enlisted in the contest going on IN the
halls of Congress- that contest by the passage o
the bill, transferred from these halls to the plains oil
Kansas from the representatives in Congress to our en-
tire people; and thus was cast into the arena a
prize to be struggled for by aroused and excited
people, territory which, in size, in soil and in eli
mate is equal TO some of the mVs'poowerful monarch
les of the old world. Did the men who passed that
act expect and desire that struggle TO be friendly
and peaceful one? The country would fain so he
eve vet such belief requires that should attribute
to them want of knowledge and foresight but little
less criminal in in their position, than would
have been the expectation and desire by them that
the struggle should be it was hostile and bloody
one.
1t is my deliberate conviction, that on the day on
which the opponents of this and most unforu
nate measure, aided by few of its original friends
defeated its legitimate contamination by dsfeatir g
the passage of the socalled Lecompton bill, which
sought to enforce upon the people of Kansas const
tuition they abhorred and which would have required
for its enforcement the aid of federal bayonets-on
that day. the union of these states met and escaped
the greatest peril to which it has yet been subjected
But happily for all neXpectedly to the fears of many
adversely perhaps to the wishes CT some that grea,
which accords with the legislation which, in the last
generation dedicated her to freedom, and with the
wishes of her people, stands ready to ask admission
into Union as free State. do not to these
past for the purpose Of again stirring up
i'll feelings nov measuraby appeased, but for the light
which in opinioN they throw upon present events
1t is as true now as it was in the oden time, that
'they who the wind shall reap the whirlwnd. "
During the struggle in Kansas which makes her story
blot on the page of countrys history, the free
State men of that territory treated by their pro-
slavery brethren in that territory, and in the States
and by the General Government, as If they had not
any rights, legal natural, which either bound
to respect. Is 1t strange that some of them should
have ceased to respect the rights of those whom they
looked upon as their oppressors ?shoul have learn
ed to hate the institution for whose advancement they
were oppressed? During the same period that other
new policy called fbusterism, and the doctries by
which is sought to be upheld attained full force and
vigor. 1t was insisted in substance, by southern
brethren, and either openly tacitly approved by
many in the north, that if peopeshould find upon
our borders, within reasonable reach of u.s. weak
ana heIpleSS nation, who could be attacked with
parative safety, and whose form of government did
not attain TO standard of perfection il was rot
only the privilege but the mission of such Of peo
pie desired to engage in the audable undertaking.
to invade her territory with fire and sweri to bins
upon her peaceful inhabitants, men woman and chill.
dren all the horrors of war; and having thus carried
through and perfected process of reyenerafien H.
establish the ruins of her 90 ernmen free
institutions, prominent among whici according to tho
advocates of this Doctrine stantis human slavery
Is u strange that the bare PRONUNCIATION of thess
doctrines, acting upon the minds of maddeped b,
the'recoection Of wrongs infct ed upon them in
because of their love of freedom should lead then
to the conclusion that they should do and as
at home for liberty those who have oppressed then
were doing abroad for slavery? 1t seems to me mos
natural, and while deeply deplore and most unqual
fediy condemn, cannot wonder at the recent unfor
tunate and bloody occurrences at Harper's Ferry =
But while We may not wonder at, we must condemn II
1t act of war-of against brethren and In
that greater crime than the invaders of Crha onf
Nicaragua guilty Of relieved to some extent q
its guilt, in the minds of many. by the fact that tn,
blow struck for freedom, and for slavery Still
it wrong and such the deliberate pubiic sen
timent of the north, well as Of the south condemns
it.. In my opinion, much misapprehension exists OF
this subject among our southern brethren, and thi
renders proper the present aIlusior
TO H.. The mass of them relying upon the statements
of the leading men ofthe south, who should know bet
ter, and ofpromnent men of the north who do know
better, but falsfy for purpose, believe that the sym
pahy expressed by many of northern people TO,
the leader Of that invasion, covers and contains an
approval of his act. This ia great and 10 NAV he
come n dangerous error While the great mass OF ON
northern people utterly condemn the act of Johr
Brown, they feel and they express admiration ant
sympathy for the disinterestedness of purpose b,
which they believe he was governed, and for the un
1inching courage and calm cheerfuness with which
he met the consequences of his failure Many yer,
many of our northern people felt deep sympathy fo
the gallant Crt,endrn, who dfen bravery In Cupa
for an act they strongly condemned, and the
many of the best and bravest of our revoIutionar,
sires believed the grave of Andre, who by their owr
judgment, died the death of spy his sentence an
proved by Washington. When 2assion has passe,
| nd hrpt fhav will full
feelings and them IL do not mistake them while witt
us they condemn yet pity John Brown as a misguided
but not base minded man, they will also with us detes
and scorn these men in our midst who seek by
distorng our language and classifying our sentiments
TO the passions and preiudces of our souther,
brethren as means to pave their own base way t.
power and place. ....
cannot concur in the opinion express. ed by som,
persons, that the constituted author titles the State
of this Union have discharged their entire duty wheI
they have looked to and cared for their own interna
affairs, and that they travel of their Legitimate
sphere when they in any manner concern themse lve
with the affairs OF our General GOV eminent The sew
eral States such, the constituents one bra
of the National Congress, and fit he true that tn
constituent may and should concern himself vii wha
is done by his representative, il must be tina
each State may and should concern herself with tn
actions of that General Government of which her rep
resentatves are part il it be true that the States
our Confederacy are interested in the administration
and preservation OF that compact but for which the
would be wholly independent and rival, perhaps hos
title sovereignies instead of great and united ma
ton, IL must he true that they may and should
| themselves with the manner in which those to who's
hands that administration and preservation are com
mitted, discharge their trust.
| The passage by Congress of the measure commonl
known AS the Homestead Bill, would, in my opinion
be productive of much good, preventing in great de
gree the acquisition, by SPECTATORS oflarge bodies
the public lands the injury of the actual settlers
and by enabling many honest and industrious poo
who cannot now do so, to enrol themselves in tn
class ofindependent farmers who are the support
strength of our country. The government price of
quarter section of land may appear to many a SIN al
and insignificant sum- but the many thousands OF IN
the woods or son the praries," more justly ar
preciate the great benefits deriveable from that
amount in their work of toll and privaton l respect
fully recommend that you memoraliZe Congress 70
| the passage of such a law.
The building of a Railroad to the Pacific Ocean, is
measure which. in my opinion, is demanded by tn
best interests of our whole country. In of wa
with any ofthe great maratime powers, the States
the Pacific would be peculiarly open to attack, an
| our Government could afford them the necessary al
for their defence only at great risk and enormous
pense. Troops could not be sent to their assistanc
through our own country, except by the overlan
route which experience has shown to be- for army
almost impra ctcable while if sent by any other
they might be compelled to fight their way to tn
States they are sent to defend 1t seems to me to be
bad policy that would compel us to depend upon othe
nation for right of way to our own possessions an
our own homes, when We can have such way With
our own limits
A great central trunk rout, with branches a
either end 10 accommodate all parts Of on
country, both upon the Atlantic and Pacif
would meet our wants and commend itself 4
the sound sense and calm judgement of on
people. also:recommended that You memor
aIze Congress in favor of that measure.
There is one aspect of the vexed and excl
ting question of slavery to which wish to di
rect your attention as one upon which perhap
orr whole country can harmonise. Recon
events in Virginia have drawn the attention o
our Southern brethren tothe danger surronn
~ A L
free colored persons among them IN contac
with their slaves. and the excitement of tn