St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1860-09-06
Political Discussion.

Political Discussion.
Col. Fitz Henry Warren, Republic
can candidate for Presidential Elcctor,
and Hon. Lincoln Clark, Democratic |
candidate for Presidential Elector,
held Joint political discussion in this
place on Monday last. From certain
remarks which they made, we infer
that the line of argument of both gen.
tlemcn somewhat differed from what
it had been on former occasions.
Judge Clark scarcely touched upon
those topics which have usually been
dwclt upon in the present canvass.
Indeed it did not seem to be congcn-
ial to his feelings to be defending or
explaining the numerous tergivcrsa-
tions Of the Little Giant :" and as
TO the institution of slavery, he ad
mitted that it was an evil and curse,
and frankly stated that il should re-
ceivc no defence from him. Still he
valued the Constitution and its com
promises, and believed in unfolding
it, (who does not in this community p .
it having cost so much to make it.
The Judge declared that he would
not catch nor help catch a fugitive
slave, and presumed his friend Col.
Warren would not He did, however,
make one statement which appeared
to please the pro-slavcry portion of
his audience nightly. Col. Warren
had drawn comparison between the
institution Of slavery and the small
pox, to illustrate the absurdty of
claiming all the Territories for slave
ry Notwithstanding some physician
may have found doctoring the small
pox to be profitable, and notwith-
standing in a certain cXigcncy it was
agre ed that it might remain, would it
be policy or obligatory, that the dis
case should be propagated and spread
! lust for the benefit of the doctors who
had found it profitable to iiicm TO
this Judge Clark answered, q If you
have agreed to permit the small pox
among you, shouldn't you be held to
your bargain 7" This "point " of the
Judges brought out enthusiastic APP
plausc from the little knot of Demo
Gratis who had collected in the rear of
the hall-in fact it was the only hear
ty cheering they gave during the dis
cussion. Such arguments they were
accustomed TO, and were to their lik-
ing. They could understand and APP
preciatc them But to all the Judges
free soil talk, in which he spoke Of the
evils Of slavery, and his illusions to
the free and happy homes here on soil
which our fathers in their wisdom had
consccratcd to free labor to this kind
of talk our good Democratic friends
looked glum enough.
For ourself we liked much of the
Judges speech. Some passages in it
were beautiful in their conception and
utterance, and marked both the gen
tleman and the scholar. IF the De-
mocracy have any more such can
vassers as Judge Clark we hope they
will send them along.
Col. Warren showed himself to be
a logical aud sound reasoncr, and al
together too much in argument for
his opponent. He showed the fallacy
of Judge Douglass principles aud the
utter absurdity of the "squatter sovc,
rcignty doctrine. He showed how IN
: no instance has the doctrine been car
ricd out in practice, although Demo
Gratis have ruled /; and how utterly i'm
possible it is that it should be carricl
out under and by virtue of the con
stitution. If "my great principle,
:, (Which belongs not to Douglas, but It
Gen. Cass,) is to be set up, it mus
, be set up outside of, and in violation
5 of, the Constitution.
! Reviewing the history Of Drce
= Scott, Col. Warren showed how i
was the policy of the Calhoun junt;
!. to extend, perpetuatc and rationale,
e slavery. If bred Scott could he hel,
). two years by his master in the FIRE
y state of Illinois, and two other year
+ in the free Territory of Wisconsin
$ and afterward be sold and held as
!, slave for life, how long would it b
IS before this fair and fruitful NortI
&C west wonld be blackcned with slave
In and their unpaid labor be put in cor
nc petition with the labor Of the fir,
ID, white settlers 7 Men of Iowa +!