The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1860-09-15
From the Iowa City Republican,
Gov. Kirkwooa 10 Mr.. ByingtOn.

FROM We Iowa OUy hepupuSau-l
Gov. Kirkwood to Mr.. Byington.
Iowa CRY, Sept. 8, 1860.
Le Grand BTngtOn, EsY 5rma
SrR-In your letter to me in the State Press
Of the 29th August, you make a speech and give
me challenge. Courtesy requires that should
reply 70 both. 1H S#ssas7 aslf
Ofthe Wing party have only this to say: i
is not > living organization. Tie time has not
come to write its history, FOR is either OF us its
proper historian. Its name and the names of
the statesmen and soldiers it has given our coun-
try will be cherished in our State, when your
name and mine viii be forgotten. The Repnbli
can party IL a living organization You either
misunderstood or misrepreseDt its purposes and
history. 1t is not thoroughly abolitionzed"
unless ''abotionism' consists ia q" earnest md
determined bit peacva2e and constitutional oppcs-
tioa 10 the exfeasioa Of sirry into free territory
Its Convention was National and not sec
tional one. True, all the States were not repre-
septed in that Convention, not because any were
excluded BY the call, but because some did not
choose to SEMI delegates, vet more States were
represented BY full delegations than in either OF
the remnants Of the Convention at Baltimore,
that nominated Mr.. Douglas Or Mr.. Breckinridge.
Its candidate, Mr.. Lincoln, is not nor ever has
been an s'abolitionist," unless the term is to be
understood as above stated; nor did he exhibit
.'factious hostility in Congress-" to the Mexican
war may not properly understand what you
mean by the assertion that Mr.. Lincoln ''ac-
knowledges his obligation" to the "higher law, y
but II YOU mean that il he shall lind hinself com.
manded by the law of man to do or not to do an
act under penalty, the doing Or not doing OF
which is expressly prohibited to or enjOincd upon
| him BY the law of God, be will, in such case,
.'obey God rather than man. and suffer patiently
what penalty mans Law may inAict, hope YOU
define his position truly.
I You say in substance that you and acted TO-
gether politically in lS4S, IS members Of the
then Democratic party; and that now, while YOU
are still member Of the same Democratic party,
am member Of the Republican party. You
err somewhat in this. You are member Of bu,
| 1 faction Of the Democratic party. and the mem
bers Of the other faction Of the same party, apply
to YOU and your associates the term ''ab0lition
ist" as Rippantly, unctuously, and as justly Al
you apply II to the Republicans. You are !
Douglasitc and not Democrat.
Why am not the one or the other will stat,
briefly. believe that the men who made th,
Constitution, and the men who received it from
their hands and put it in motion, understood th,
meaning Of that instrument better than Nj
Pierce and Mr.. Buchanan, than Mr.. Douglas IN,
Mr.. Breckenridge. know that those men am
the men who for many years followed them il
lieved and acted upon the belief that Congress
had power 10 prohibit slavery in the territories
and therefore cannot accept the teachings Q
the new men Of the Democratic party who den
} to Congress that power. The Breckenridge fat
ton directly fayors the introduction of SLAYER
into all the territories, while the best that can
said for the Douglas faction i, that it .don
care whether slavery be 20 introduced or no
} In my judgment, neither faction occupies u
! ground held by the Democratic party in lS4S Q
this question, nor does either faction occupy th
right ground, and therefore cannot act Wit
either; but can and do cordially sympathse an
act with the Republican party; which. while earl
I esely deprccating and opposing the extension I
slavery into free territory, seeks 70 use no meat
to that end. not sanctioned by the fathers Of q
1 Constitution and the Union.
So much for your speech, nov for your cha
. lenge. II very much regret that ! cannot acuel
1 Lie. Nv entire time for the next two weeks 10 Z
J. ready engaged. have also accepted several j
!. vitationa 10 attend Republican mass meeting
after that ti,ne NJ poiats quite distant from eat
: other. and with several DAYS between their date
~ Besides do not desire to confine myself Who'll
!, % ..counsies south OF the line OF the n. 4
I Railroad" nor would be willing % waste
!. much time, ~ would result from allowing =,
= interval Of at least fortyeght hours between 4
!. different meetings, west Of Keokuk county" |"
4 For these reasons must respectfully decli
I your challenge. Very respectfully,
SAMUEL j. KIRKwooD
I SrArn1ics o. fas REauLAR BAPrlsrs IN AMI
I ucA S-ThA American Baptist Almanac, for l6t
!. gises shsr following summary Of the statistics
= Che several Associations Of the Calyinistc Ba
j. tisk Church for the current ycar:
l. NJ 4 Churchea Bartisms Membe
United States, 1851 79,0So ,O9O.4 =
= Nova Scotia, lSS l,oSV 10y
r New Rrnnswick n3 $50 A@ Ia