The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1860-02-25
Hampton Makes a Discovery--ss A Sedi-
tiOn Law

H0mOyOn MAKES DlSCOVexySsSs n
tfOn Law"
The Ottawa Republican, after a doze of
FIVE or six weeks, has finally walked up
with the discovery that his republican Co
temporaries have been making quite a
noise over the proposition OF Senator Doug
las for law to punish conspirators in one
state to steal the property or disturb the
peace of the people of another state
Senator Davis, day or two after Mr.. Doug
las had made his speech on the proposed
law, imagined he had found mares nest
in it. and undertook to criticize certain
passages as proposing the exercise of pow
ers, by the general government not war
ranted by the constitution. Mr. Douglas
replied to Davis at once, and demonstrated
from the context of those passages that
he had totally misconceived his meaning
and done him gross injustice by the forced
construction he Davis had put upon them.
Davis, after this explanation, like a gentle
man, acknowledged his error, and express
ed his hearty approval of the objects Mr..
Douglas had in view.
Certain leading republican newspapers,
however, totally devoid of the candor and
manliness of Mr.. Davis, seized the passa-
ges he had 50 unsuccessfully attempted to
criticise, and placing his perverted inter-
probation upon them, attempted to get up
quite din against Mr. Douglas as propo-
sing to have another Sedition law pass
ed, like that of the old federalists, the pro-
genitors of the present republican party.
The explanation between Messrs. Davis
and Douglas following Sc closely on the
heels of this attempt rendered it abortiye
and these " first class republican papers
soon dropped it, SO that the thing would
by this time have been quite forgotten,
were it not for a class of six-weeksbehind-
thetimes sleepy onehorse papers like the
Ottawa Republican which have just COM
menced to rehash the thing with the view
of imposing it upon their readers as some
thing new. 1t is an insult to their readers
to imagine that they can succeed. 1t is to
be hoped the Ottawa Republican, has few
readers as slow-motioned and dull of COM
prehension as the editor himself, and the
idea that he can practice on them so trans
parent an imposition, is absurd.
Henry J. Raymond, Editor of the New
York Times, being off in Illinois some
where, got hold of an early copy of Sena-
tor Douglas speech on this conspiracy bu-
siness, and reading it over hastily, fell into
the same error with Senator Davis, and
wrote long letter to his newspaper some
what severely criticising Mr. Douglas
speech. A few days afterwards, however,
he also got hold of the explanation be-
tween Messrs. Douglas and Davis and per-
ceiving his error. at once wrote another
letter to the Times, from which we make
the following candid and manly extracts
After reciting the queries put to Mr.
Douglas by Mr. Davis in the Senate, Mr.
r. continues:
Mr.. Douglas met these queries with a
frank and decisive reply. He explained
the object of his resolution to be simply the
clothing of the grand juries of the United
States courts with power to indict conspi-
srators in one state against the peace of
smother, and of the courts of the United
States with power to punish conspirators
so indicted.
Viewed an this aspect the proposition of
the Senator from Illinois must be regarded
as the great practiual measure OF the
pending senatorial session. What the
affect of such proposition may be upon
the political PROJECTS of the senator who
has been the first TO make it, or of the
party to which he belongs, is no concern
of ours. We simply hail with cordial salts
faction the first indication of disposition
On the part of the highest legislative body
IT America, to recognize the serious change
which recent events have brought upon
the reciprocal relations of the two great
sections into which the union of these
states is divided by the force of the social
institutions obtaining in each.
A proposition, properly limited and de-
fined, for protecting the institutions OF
each state against organized assaults from
without, cannot be treated as a measure OF
party policy. 1t is a simple appeal to the
loyalty and patriotism of the American
people to provide practical remedy for
practical mischief-tO decide in fact airesh
upon the value of the union by deciding
upon the only means which can make the
maintenance of the union practicable.
This is honest and said like man. Mr.
Raymond is not a democrat. His paper
supported Fremont in 1856, and although
about disguised with irrepressible' Re-
publicanism, it is not biased enough to do
that party injustice.
But Mr.. Fessenden, rep. Senator from
Maine, who undertook to run tilt against
Mr.. Douglas in the Senate on this same
subject, and as might have been expected
got badly used UP, was also forced to make
this concession.
~ have said, and I repeat it. that 1 am
disposed to agree with the Senator (Mr.
Douglas) III his views as to his question of
power; and that, with my views, should
90 fdv-fdr enough to accomplish he's purpose
TO prevent the forming of conspiracies in
one state to attack another. l did not I'M
derstand the Senator to say anything
about conspiracies to run away slaves
How should act in reference to that mat
ter do not know will meet it when it
comes.
So, after hearing the explanation, even
Mr.. Fessenden is willing 10 60 the whole
length with Mr. Douglas" far enough to
accomplish his purpose''-in suppressing
conspiracies. All he hesitates about is the
stealing of negroes-he isn't quite willing
to join in stopping that favorite republican
amusement In addition to this. we are
assured from Washington that Mr. Seward
has also expressed his determination tc
vote for Mr.. Douglas bill.
And this is that horrible Sedition Law
the last Ottawa Republican is SO frightened
about--tbat law which would imprison al