St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1860-03-22
poIititaI.
Judge Bates Political Opinions.

DuttD I'll oIlltibuOs
We do not wish to cxaggcrate the
magnitude of the Bates movement for
the Presidency-to impart any ficti-
tious Importance to it, but we may be
permitted to say it has Enthusiastically
assumed national dimensions. 1t is,
therefore, no wonder that we, as well
as some of his intimate personal
friends, should be in receipt Of COM
munications daily in relation thereto,
and for the purpose Of learning, exact
Iy, what manner Of man Mr.. Bates is.
In answer to inquiries from various
quarters, we take occasion to repeat
what we have frequently said in the
columns of this journal. We speak
not 10y authority, hy suggestion, or by
request, but Of our own motion not
from rnmor, conjecture or inference,
but from knowledge. Shonld what
We are about to say be insufficient to
satisfy the inquiries made, we shall
nevertheless have performed our duty
in the premisrs-havc done all in our
power to satisfy very Legitimate de
sire
Since the dissolution Of the Wing
party, Judge Bates has been identified
with no political organization, but,
nevertheless, he has not withheld the
public expression Of his opinion on
each of the questions which has been
debated since that event. He was
Free soil Whig, and was DESIGNATED,
recognized and prescribed as such in
his State Were il not for his undis.
yuiscd anti.slavcrv opinions, he would
in all human prnbabilitv have boon
one of the REPRESENTATIVES, of Missouri
in the United states Senate for wears.
He is welded to the causc Of Free
Labor. both in opinion and practice,
He denies that the Constitution ex-
tends slavery over the Territories . he
declares that slavcrv sbnuId NOT hn
ncrmittcJ to enter any territory which
was free soil when acouircd Ly the
United States or which became free
at any ncriod subsequent to its acuui-
sition =: that no power but Congress-
can plant slavery on such soil and
that the bred Scott decision merely
defines the constitutional status of the
negro, the discursivc essays Of the
Justices which accompanied the rem.
dering' of that decision. being, in his
opinion, mere leather and pruncla.
possessing no intrinsic weight, and
entitled to no extraordinary cUnsdera-
ton, either legally or politically.
But Nj. Bates rejects the motto No
MORE SLAVE STATES. He argues that
neither public policy, precedent, or the
Constitution authorizes Congress or
the Executive to discriminate between
Free and Slave States, in their appli-
cation for admission into the Union ;
and in this we full V concur with him.
The policy which received the sane
ton of the founders of the Republic,
and which was carried out by Jefftr-
son himself, needs no defence, and may
dispense with culugy.
Such are the opinions Of Mr. Bates,
on the relations Of slavery to the Ter
ritoricS, from their organization, to
their admission as States into the
Union. For the rest, his opinions are
such as might be inferred from his
former political associations. He is a
protectionist, which we regret in ia,
vor of the Improvement OF lake and
river navigation 10y the General Gov
crnmcut cmphatcally in favor Of a
railroad to the Pacific, on any route
which Congress may choose opposed
To the consolidation of the mongrel
populations Of Spanish America with
the pc ,plr of the United States and
ia favor Of governing our iutcrnation-
al relations Ivy the principles of pub.
lie law, not by the code of pirates.
He has all that horror of slavery agi,
tatiuu and all that devotion to the
Union which distinguish old Wings
who have not turned National Demo
Gratis. This in conjuction with his
dislike of slavery, will explain why
he is willing to leave the redemption
of Missouri to natural causes exclu
Sively, although he has given freedom
to his own slaves, clevating or re
ducing whichever You may
choose to call ito the rank of non
slavcholder We dissent from him in
relation to the question of slavery in
Missouri Like the physicians, we
think it is wise to aid nature i'll hel
efforts to cast off disease. However
potential may be the causes which ar,
abstractng slaves from the border
slave States and concentrating them
in the cotton, rice, and sugar region
we do not doubt for moment that
emancipation with compensation woult
accelerate that salutary movcmcn,
and rebound not only to the glory, bu
to the material profit of the whole Con