The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1860-10-16
From tie KeokHk Gate City, Sept %.
LETTER FROM JUDGE BATES.
Another Able and Powerful Review
of the Politics of the Day.

LETTER FROM JUDGE BATES.
Another Able and Powerful Review
of the Politics of the Day.
ST. LOUIS, Sept. Is, 1860.
To the Republicans Committee of Keokuk, Iowa,
Messrs. J. N. RANKIN, VIM. IS. MoGAvIc, j. b.
HOWELL, GEO. w. MCCRARY, and JOHN n. NOBLE:
SIRs A few days ago, had the honor
to receive your letter of Sept. 3, informing
me that mass meeting of Republicans of
Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri is expect
ed to be held at Keokuk, on the 10th
day of October next, and inviting me
in urgent terms to be with you on that oc-
casion, and "aldress the multitude" which
you expect to be very large.
l thank you, gentlemen, for this mark of
your respect hut beg you TO excuse my non
attendance.
The simple truth is that I cannot afford
to attend. | answer you as l have already
answered many others, that | am under a
necessity TO return tony professional labors,
which for more than year have been too
much interrupted by the excitement of pol
itics. l was unwittingly drawn into the
discussion of public affairs without any
wish or intention to take an active part in
the canvass for the Presidency.
In so far as l may be thought able to
exercise any popular influence, suppose the
work IS already done.
Five letters of mine, bearing upon the
subject, are already in print and before the
public. Those letters, as far.as they go, ex-
press my opinions of men and measures in
all sincerity.
l stand by the doctrines which they de-
clare, and when they fall (if fall they must)
am willing to fall with them. l never
was willing to make the question of Negro
Slavery in the Territories, and, consequent
ly, the Government of the Territories them
selves, the dominant question of the country,
overriding and swallowing up every con-
sideratiOn of popular interest, national poll
cy, and constitutional law.
But the Democratic party would have it
so. 1t has pertinaciously agitated the
Slavery question, in its most dangerous
form, by using all the means in its power to
acquire tropical countries, with their mixed
and ungovernable people, for the sole pur-
pose of turning them into Slave States.
1t wantonly repealed the Missouri Com
promise, which had been the bond of peace
for the third of q century; and ii destroyed
the compromise of 1858, under which the
nation rested in quietness and peace. 1t did
all it could to pass the wicked Lecompton
bill, and did actually pass the despcable
English bill, and foiled in those dishonest
measures, it still keeps Kansas out of the
Union, for the apparent purpose of sup
pressing its vote in the pending Presiden-
tal election. 1t labOrs to establish as sound
doctrine, in law and politics, the monstrous
heresy, that the Constitution of the United
States establishes Slavery in all our Terri
tories, and keeps it there beyond the reach
of all human power us long as the country
remains in a Territorial condition, and a
large portion of that country, including
Kansas and Nebraska, has remained in that
condition for more than half century. 1t
assails, with violence the freedom of speech
and the press, and violates the sanctity of
the Post-Ofice, because it is either conscious
of guilt, and therefore afraid to face the
truth, or is too timid and weak to meet and
put down error and falsehood
1t has not learned what Jefferson taught
-" error may be safely tolerated when
truth is left free 10 combat it." But, in
blind zeal for the defense of opinions
and ideas, in themselves indefensible, it
strikes boldly at those fundamental rights
upon which all our hopes of civil and re-
ligious liberty are based-free opinion, free
speech, free locomotion, and free press.
l have long believed that a party whose
character is masked by so many disqualify-
ing vices is unfit to rule free people; and
therefore, it was my earnest wish to see all
inc tlSLl6ulS VI OppOSltlOH drought III mar
moniOus action for it's overthrow, by the
election to the Presidency of some safe and
patriotic man, untainted with the habitual
vices of that dangerous party.
Ny efforts is that direction have not only
been unsuccessful, but a result exactly oppo-
site is now sought to be brought about bycom-
bining the most opposite and hostile parties
and factions for the avowed purpose of de-
feating Mr.. Lincoln's election-not for cleo
ting any other man by the people, for that
under existing circumstances, is hardly pos
sible. This scheme to defeat Lincoln but
elect nobody, seems to be based upon a
principle entirely new in American politics,
though we'll understood in American trade
1t is principle of a joint stock company,
in which each subscriber lin case there is
any profit in the adventure) is to draw a
dividend in proportion to his stock in trade
Thus, in the political company lately formed
in the great commercial State of New York
land it is rumored that there are other like
companies in other States), the stock of
which is divided into thirty-five shares, it
has been publicly gazetted that Mr.. Douglas
owns fifteen shares, and Messrs. Bell and
Breckenridge ten shares each and of course
by all the laws of honest trade, the division
of the profits, if any, must be in that ratio
But it may be we'll doubted whether there
will be any profits to divide. 1t is far more
likely that the concern will have to ago in
I to liquidation before the middle of No
Vember.
The scheme, indeed, is attractive, by its
novelty and boldness, and is characteristic
j of the daring enterprise Of our trading peo-
pie; but then, the stockholders are such in
veterate enemies and are so justly suspicious