The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1860-07-05

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depots ofcommerce ; and even now is urging
a measure in Congress to abdicate the con-
stitutional power and duty to regulate COM
me-ce among the States, and to grant to the
State the discretionary power to levy tonnage
duties upon all our commerce, under the pre-
tence of improving harbors, rivers, and lakes;
has changed the status of the negro slave by
making him no longer mere property, but a
politician, an antagonist power in the State,
power to which all other powers are reauir-
ed to yield, Under penalty of dissolution of
the Union F; has directed its energies to the
qualification of its lusts of foreign dominion,
as manifested in its persistent efforts to seize
tropical regions, not because these countries
and their incongruous people are necessary,
or even desirable, to be incorporated in our
nation, but for the mere purpose of making
slave states, in order to advance the political
power of the party in the Senate, and in the
President, so as effectually to transfer the
chief powers Of the government from the
many to the few has in many instances en-
dangercd the equality of the coordinate
branches of the government, by urgent ef-
forts to enlarge the powers of the executive
at the expense of the legislatice department;
has attempted to discard it and degrade the
Judiciary, by affecting to make it, at first,
the arbter of party quarrels, to become soon
and inevitably the passive registrary Of party
DEGREES.
In most, if not all these particulars, I un-
derstand the Republican party Gudging from
its acts and by the known opinions of many
of its leading men, to be the exact opposition
of the Democratic party and that is the
ground of my preference of the one party
over the other And that alone would be
sufficient reason, if had no other good rea-
sons for supporting Mr.. Lincoln against any
man who may be put forward by the Demo
cratic party, as the exponent ofits principles
and the agent to work out, in practice, its
dangerous policies.
The third party, which by its very forma-
ton, has destroyed the organization of the
American and Whig parties, has nominated
two most excellent men. know them well,
rs sound statesmen and true patriots More
than thirty years ago I served with them
both in Congress, and from that time to this
have held them in respect and honor. But
what can the third party do towards the elec
ton ofeven such worthy men as these against
the two great parties which are now in actu-
al contest for the power to rule the nation
1t is made up entirely of portions of the dis
integrated elements of the late Wing and
American parties-good materials, in the
main, ] admit, but quite to weak to elect any
man or establish any principle. The most
1t can do is, here and there in particular local-
ties, to make a diversion in favor of the
Democracts. In 1856, the Wing and Ameri-
can parties, (not forming nsao party, but
united as allies,) with entire unanimity and
some zeal, supported Mr. Fillmore for the
Presidency, and with what results We
male miserable failure, carrying no State
but gallant little Maryland. And surely, the
united Wings and Americana of that dav
had far greater show of strength and far
better prospects ofsuccess than any which
belong to the Constitutional Union party
now. In fact, I see no possibility ofsucccss,
for the third party, except in one contingen-
cy-the destruction of the d Damocratic party.
This is contingency not likely to happen
this year for badly as think of many of the
acts and policies of that party, its cup is not
yet full-the day is not yet come when it
will desolve in its own corruptions But the
day is coming and is not far off The party
has made itself entirely sectional; it has con.
centrated its very being into one single idea;
negro slavery has control of all it's faculties,
and it can see and hear nothing else-"one
stern, tyranical thought, that makes all other
thoughts its slaves -
But the Democratic power still lives, and
while it lives, it and the Republican party are
the only real antagoniStic powers in the ma.
ton, and for the present, must choose be.
tween them I Choose the latter, as wiser,
purer, younger and less corrupted by time
and sclfindulgence.
The candidates nominated at Chicago are
both men who, as individuals an1 politicians,
rank with the foremost of the country. ]
sonally, but only to his &c. M. Hamlin per.
which is thought by some to be too far NORTH
and East to allow his personal good qualitie:
to exercise their proper influence over thu
nation .. iarge But the nomination for Tho
Presidency is the great controlling act Mr.
Lincoln, his character, talents, opinions ant
history will be criticized by thousands, while
the candidate for the Vice Presidency vii
be passed over in comparative silence.
Mr.. Lincoln's nomination took the publ,
by surprise, because until just before tho
event, it was unexpected. But really i
ought not to have excited any surprise, fo
such unforeseen nominations are common il
our political history. Polk and Pierce b,
the Democrats, and Harrison and Taylor b,
the Wings, were allnominated in this extern
poraneous manner-all ofthem were elected
| have known Mr.. Lincoln for more thar
twenty years, and therefore have right t,
/ speak of him with some confidence As a,
individual Ire has earned high reputation
for truth, courage candor, morals and amia
bility, so that as man he is most trustworthy