The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1860-02-16

AHe H1dpVy FdHlllys
When the great leader of the democratic
party-Stephen Arnold Douglas-consum-
mated his grand fraud upon the people of the
territories by the passage of the Nebraska
bill, then all the little democrats threw up
their hats and shouted hosanna! Hereafter,
if they emigrated to any of the territories be-
longing to the United States, they would
have the inestimable privilege Of governing
themselves in their own way, subject only to
the Constitution of the United States
Douglas has said it-he has discovered the
principle, and bequeathed it to us as an ever
lasting heritage! Things went on 'merrily
as marriage bell" until old Buck, looking
through the spectacles of the Supreme Court,
discovered another principle-that the Con-
stitution of the United States carried slavery
into all the territories; and that neither the
people of the territories OF Congress had any
right to abolish it.
Citizens of the different States emigrated
to Nebraska-of course to govern themselves
in their own way-but, behold! when they
get there and 60 to work to enact laws, they
find that they have been sold-that the Gov
ernor, the tool of the prc-s.avery democracy,
says they are not the people, and hence, can
not prohibit slavery Is not this governing
themselves with vengeance? Why did not
the father of this new principle Of self govern
ment incorporate into the Nebraska bill a
clause empowering the people of said terrific
ries to elect their own Governor and Judges :?
Simply because the bill was cheat and a
fraud Douglas, nor the doughfaces who
voted with him on the passage of that bill,
had any intention of granting the power of
selfgovernment. If they had been acting
in good faith, they would have voted for the
amendment offered by Chase of Ohio.
But Gov. Black says the members of the
Nebraska legislature arc not the people; and
If they were, could not pass an act in conflict
with the Constitution of the United States,
and the Supreme Court. The Court says
that the Constitution carries slavery where
ever it goes; and Of course, neither the peo-
pie Of the territories or States, can enact laws
which would conflict with that instrument,
and the obiter dicta of the slave Court. This
being true, every State which has adopted
constitution prohibiting slavery, must be in
conflict with the Constitution of the United
States; and, therefore, null and void Yet
in the face of all these facts, we have men in
our midst, who seem to be men Of sense and
honesty, that declare the democracy are OPP
posed to the extension of slavery!
Top prove that these assertions are not true,
cite the facts, which have lately discover
ed, that the leading democrats are very bust
ly engaged in searching their Bibles to find
a Ithority from Heaven for their sins--to find
a balm for their uneasy souls-some sove-
reign antidote for their guilt Persevere gen.
tlemen, there is some hope for you yet.
'while the lamp holds out to burn,
The yest sinner may RETURN"
But, seriously, do the democracy endorse
this new principle, that the representatives of
the people, legally elected, are not the peo-
pie? 1t is verify true, that 1.-The way of the
transgressor is hard" Do not the intelli-
gent democrats blush when they tell their
more benighted brethren. that in voting the
democratic ticket they are voting for liberty
and se!fgorernments Do they not know
that squattcr sovereignty is delusion-a
fatal lie?'
There is an irrepressible conflict between
the members Of this harmonious, happy fam
lily, which will never terminate until one par
ty or the other obtains control-until the
southern members secure slave code for the
territories, or the northern, a slave code for
the free States. The arbitrator, Stephen,
has at last told how he intends to "subdue"
us-that there is to be new plank added to
the democratic platform, to make free speech
felony. This seems to me to be very neces-
sary, in order that the Heavenly appointed
patriarchial institution of the happy family
shall not suffer reproach at the hands of the
lpnOIaIlt uluu-SllS OI tnc FTec CIatcS.-
"When these things begin to come to pass,
know We that the end is near at hand" l
do not mean the end Of the Union of the
States, as some other prophets have predicted,
but the end of the union Of the "happy fami-
ly." This new doctrine is to be preached to
all the people of the States, beginning at
Charleston; and those who repent and be-
lieve, shall receive abundantly Of tle good
things of the family, but those who believe
not, are to be turned into Republicanism
with all those who do not worship the beast,
or who forget the "nigger." Then will
that happy time come, when the devil
Douglas) is to be loosed for little season.
so that he may open the prison doors and
show us the cells where we may rear the re.
ward of our treason! May the Lord Gov
Wise) hasten the good work.
FESTUS.