Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1860-10-12
A LETTER FROM JUDGE BATES

Hon. Edward Bates letter TO a Committee
Of Republicans inviting his attendance to &
Mass Meeting to be held at Keokuk, Iowa,
on the 10th, will excite attention II con-
demns. pointedly, the Democratic party,
and the attempts to save it from merited de-
feat by the stock-jobbing bargains Of politi-
cal traders. It is equally explicit IN its
support of the doctrine Of the Republican
party and Of the election Of LINCOLN to the
Presidency. lie rehearses the facts Of HIS
tory, that the dominant policy Of the Demo
cratic party is to establish slavery in the
territories and to get more territory in trop-
zeal regions "for the sole purpose of convert
Ing them into slave States ''-tbatit repealed
the Missouri CompromIse-''dida all it could
t pass the wicked Lecompton Bill, and did
certainly pass the dcspicable English Bill
and foiled in those dishonest measures, il
still keeps Kansas out of the Union, for the
apparent purpose of SURPRISING its vote IN
the pending Presidential election. IS Further,
Mr.. Bates says:
"Itlabors to establish as sound doctrine,
in law and politics, the monstrous heresy,
that the Constitution of the United States
establishes slavery in all our Territories, and
keeps it there beyond tie reach Of all hui
man pow as long as the country remains
in a Territorial condition, and large por-
ton Of that country, including Kansas and
Nebraska, has remained in that condition Tor
more than half century. 1t assails, with
violence. the freedom of speech and the
press, and violates the sanctity OF the Post
Office, 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 f.lsebood.
Such party, he says, ''is unfit 70 rule g
free people" and ought to be overthrow. As
to the scheme now on foot "to defeat Lincoln
but elect nobody, it seems, he says, "to be
based upon new principle in American
politics though well known in American
trade-the principle OF joint stock compa-
nv in which each subscriber is to draw
dividend, If there is any profit, in proper
sion scheme in New York, in which Doug
las is to have so many shares, Breo kinridge
SO many. and Bell 50 many; but as to the
profits Judge Bates doubts whether theIe
will be any to divide. at is far more like
II that the concern will have to Ego into
Humiliation before the middle of Novem-
ber."
The scheme avowediy to defeat an cleo
ton by the people," he says d" is factious
ana dangerous" Its real object can only be
to force on the country, by means Of the
present democratic Senate, a Democratic
President in spite Of the people, and TO re-
establish in power the now broken-down
Democratic party BY means of absorbing into
it the elements of the coalition. The Consti-
tutional Union Party, he says. has no distin-
gushing characteristic whatever, and cannot
live long. As to Mr.. Bell, he could trust
him on most points Of public poliey-but he
does not agree with him in regard to Slavery
in the Territories, and the power Of Congress
over it there.
''Mr Bell, understand, believes that the
Constitution carries slavery into all the Ter
ritories. Ifthat opinion be well founded,
then OF course it is the duty of Congress to
protect Slavery there for it were absurd to
say that there Is or can be any constitutional
right which the Government is not bound to
protect.
Mr.. Lincoln, on the contrary, believes
(and in that | agree with himl that the
Constitution does mol carry slavery into the
Territories, and that, in the absence Of local
law upon the subject, no man has or can
have constitutional right to hold slaves in
Territory, or to call upon the General Gov
eminent to protect his slave property there.
Here lies the main difference, if not the only
important difference between the opinions OF
Lincoln and Bell. In other things, as tar as
Know, they substantially agree But in
that difference is found the pivot of the Re-
publican party, the very hinge on.which il
hangs"
Judge Bates scouts the threats of disunion
made only for the purpose of frightening
mid men. by threats and bullying from do
ing what their unbiased judgement would
tell them to do. The whole letter is sharp
and vigorous, -more SO than anything we
have seen from its author, of late years.
The LEcIsLArURE.-Yesterday the Legis-
r.,