The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1860-11-24
Judge Douglas Oh sece..ion.


S principal business firms and leading me,
e OF tie city, requesting him to give I'm
u views Oh the present condition OF the al
: fairs OF our country, III public addros
> at SUCH time and place As would De agree
j able to him TO THIS request Judge
/, wrote the following reply.
, We cordially agree with the St. LOU
{ Republ.can, that this letter 10 deserving D
' the first place in the columns Of ever,
newspaper devoted 10 the Union. NJ
man can read Mr. DoCuLA. letter without
according to him great merit for ha bold
, ness, his sasacity in foreseeing precisely
the state OF things which are upon us, hi-
PATRIOTISM his determination to stand 10y
the Union SO long as it is worth pre-
serving
GENTLEMEN: Your request to address
tn. citizen. OF New OrLesns ION the pre-
sent condition. Of the affairs ofourcountsy, !:
has just been placed in my hands. An
invitation so numerousiy signed by the
most eminent business men OF this great
commercial city, implies compliment
which duly appreciate, and ann exceed
ingiv reluctant to decline.
These are not the times for patriotic
men 10 affect Indifference, or TO oegene-
rate into de-pondency, or to rush iIIadiy
into violent and extreme measugcs just
in proportion as our common country j.
enviroued with peril, it becomes the iupe-
ratise duty Of every patriot in the land to
Increase Ia. effort. and exert NE utmost
power. and energies 10 rescue the Iepub-
lie from the disasters which threaten il.
integrity.
No man in Ansr.c.. resrsts the election
OF Mr.. Lincoln more ta-n 10. none u.a.;c
more strenuous exeItlOus TO defeat INN /.
none differ with him more radically and
ifreoonc.Iehbiy upon a! the great i..u-.
involved IL tie col.ic-t No man living =
prepared - resist, by all the legitimate
means sanctioned by the Constitution =nI
laws Of our country. the 2gsres-ly I'VE policy
winch he ana Al- party are uaI-r.tJcI to
represent. But while ! LAY this. ! e!a
bound, a. 3 good citizen ami lsE abiding
man. 70 declare my cOne..eIt ou- cO4yic-
ton thai the mere election ui any nan to
tue Pfe>idecy ts the American !. c,.l". IN
accordance ,,.;n JAs Constitution and laS-.
lo.-- not .! il~el! furnish any iu-L rau-. OF
reasonable g.ouuI Tor d.--o-y!ns r.4e F'-,le-
raj Union
II IS not pretended as far - | am IN
formed thar any provision Of the to"atI-
t.t.ou has been NlJietc.i IL tie recent
election No act La- been do,e y,h.li.
imlai!s or destroys the constitutional
right Of any State or citizen. Nothing
La- vet occurred TO release any c.J.zsI.
from his oath Df fidelity to the Constitution
Of the n.,ed states, which ! the supreme
k,.- OF evsry STATE aud every citizen. But
while it l. conceded that no act has Yet
b-eu done winch lAIp.ll- the right or ell
aauE-,- Tie n.dC" AMI safety OF any Pol-
t,ou -! OF. country il !, 1y,r.tTstsf tfat
tae election OF Nr LIy0cIN carries witA it
the assurance thar the policy and pYiu. !
J.-, Of to party by which lie ~ elected
vii prevail! aI4t Je carried INTO practical
effect in every department OF tie Federal
Government. and thereby ,cH endang-r
the peace and safety Of the slay.hOi.4nG
States. l. tins apprehension We'll found
ed DO the results u. the recent election
justify this apprehension? HE President
can do nothing except what the law au-
thoiizes. Hl- duty i To see the law
faithfully executed. II lie fails TO per
iorm this duty he viii soon find himself
prisoner before The H:gi. Court Of I'm
peacAmeut Fortunately that tribunal :
- constituted u 10 command the conf
W.. d. o. t..c conservative mon OF tie
North We have this security that the
eris,iHg laws vii ne faithfully eSecu;ed-
/ nave Vet 70 learn that tnr people Vi Lhe
South complain OF tAo acts Ct congress 's..T
on The statute book. on the subject o:
slavery. 81 sSp!icah!e 10 the states or IN"
Territories or 10 The District oi Columbia.
These laws were enacted, mslEly, !! not
entirely, 10y the Joint action oi the co"s-r'a-
tive members ct t.le North aid South, ~
opposition 70 the ALoiltiOH.-t- and Free
-Ui!er-. and have neen acgaiesceu IN ry
the Southern people weIl as 10y their
senator. and Representatives. under the
present ana preceding administrations OF
the Federal Government Consequently,
il i ta!r 70 presun,c that the south. 20 lar
from demanding the repeal OF tie existing
laws upon the subject pt slavery ~ e-sr!I-
TIA! 20 her -at-ty and equal ~ IN the mon,
Will insist OH then being retained upon
the statute book, and faithfully executed.
Nor are We permitted 10 iuf-r that the
Southern people require any add tionai i--
gi-iatlou by Congress Oh this .lhjec;, for
the reason ,hat the Southern Senators and
Representatives have not introduced and
advocated any changes in the existing le-
gisiat.ou upon the slavery question under
. the present administration, and that Mr..
. PiERCF, when the ibolItioni-ts and Free
so.!crs were i'll the minority IL both Houses
OF Congress.
/ Assuming. therefore, that the Southern
people and their Senators and Representa-
lives deem their rights and institutions
entirely safe under the Constitution ana
/ laws - tuev uow stand, and only desire TO
/ be let alone, without any interference 10y
/ Congress with their domestic concerns,
the question arises whether Mr. Lincoln
and his party Will have the power, even II
they have the disposition, 10 disturb or
inlpair the rights and institutions ot tie
South. either in the States OF Territories,
or in the District of Columbia They
certainly cannot do it under the existing
laws. VIII they have the power to repeal
/ or change these laws or enact others II
is well known that they Will be in mi
noritv in both houses of Congress, with
the Supreme Court against them. In the
Northern States there have been elected
ALREADY sufficient number OF Democratic
members OF Congress, bold and true ia
, tional men, pledged TO the Cincinnatli
platform and the doctrines OF non-inter-
y-niion by Congress with the question OF
slavery in the States and Territories, and
the District OF to!umbia, who, ad,ted 10
the Southern Representatives, viii give at
least twenty majority against Mr, Lincoln
and his party Oh sli these questions. In
the Senate there is also II decided and re-
liable majority. Hence, no b,ll can pass
either house oil Congress ilnpalring or DIS
turbin. the rights or institutions oi the
Southern peopi. in ony manner Whatever,
UNLESS portion et tie .SolthtI" Senator's d'd
Re,y,s.,.f1t;rss absent themselves so as 70 g'se
an AJoL;tign n.sjgrty in consequence 81 tier
absence
In minority in both houses Of Con
crrss. with the supreme Court 20 eXpound
: the laws and restrain all illegal and un
constitutional acts, the President will be
ut,.,ly po,,erless for evil, If he should