The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1860-03-29

interference whatever with your slaves
Surely this does not encourage them to re.
volt. True, we do, in common with our
fathers who framed the Government under
which we live, declare our belief that slavery
/ is wrorg; but the slaves do not hear Us de.
4 clare even this For anything we say or do.
/ the slaves would scarcely know there is
! Republican party. I believe they would not,
/ in fact, generally know it but for your mis-
representations of us in their hearing. In
your political contests among yourselves,
each faction charges the other with syrnpa-
/ thy with Black Repubiicanism and then to
give point to the charge, defines Black Re
| publicanism to simply he insurrcction, blood
and thunder among the slares. Slave insur-
rectiOns are no more common now than they
were before the Republican party was organ
izod. What induced the southampton in
surrection, twenty weight years ago in which
at least three times as many lives were lost as
! Mt Harpcr'S Ferry? You can scarcely stretch
your very elastic fancy to the conclusion that
southampton was got up by Black Repub-
/ licanism. In the present state Of things in
the United States. do not think a general.
or even a very extensive slave insnrrection is
possible. The indispensable concert of ac-
ton cannot be attained, The slaves have no
means cf rapid communication nor can in
cendiarv free men, black or white. supply it.
/ bn l..
parcels but there neither are nor can be
supplied, the Indispensable connecting trains.
Much is said by Southern people about the
affection Of slaves for their masters and
nistresSes; and part Of it, at least. is true.
\ plot for an uprising could scarcely he de-
viScd and communicated to twenty indiyid-
uals before some ore of them. to save the
life ola favorite master or mistress would
divulge It. This is the rule; and the slave
revolution in tIavti was not an exception TO
it, but.a case occurring under peculiar cir
cumstances The gunpowder plot of British
History, though not connected with slaves
was more in point. In that case. only about
twenty were admitted to the secret: and vet
one of them, in his anxiety to save friend.
betrayed the plot to that friend, and, by con-
sequence, averted the calamity. Occasional
poisonings from the kitchen, and open and
stealthy aSsassinations in the field. and local
revoltS extending to a score or so. will con
tinue 10 occur as the natural results of slave
ry; but no general inSurrect.on on Of slaves. as
think, can happen in this cruntry fora long
| time. Whoever much fears, Or much hopes
for such an event, will be alike disappointed
In the language Of Mr.. Jefferson, uttered
many years ago, sit is still in our power to
direct the process of emancipation and de-
/ portation, peaoeably, and in such slow de-
gEees, as that the evil will wear off insensibly
and their places be, pari passu filed up by
/ free white laborcrs. If, on the contrary, it is
left to force itself on, human nature must
shudder at the pl aspect held up Mr.. JEFF
ferson did not mean to say, nor do 7. that
| the power of emancipation is in the Federal
Government. He spoke of Virginia; and
as 20 the power of emancipation, speak Of
( the Slaveholding States only. The Federal
| Government, however, as we insist, has the
power restraining the extension of the
institution-thc power to insure that a slave
/ insurrection shall never occur on any Amer
lean soil which is now free from Slavery.
John Browns effort was peculiar. 1t was
, not slave insurrcction II was an attempt
by white men to get up revolt among slaves
in which the slaves refused to participate. In
! fact, it was so absurd. that the slaves, with
all their ignorance, saw plainly enough it
could not succeed. That affair, in its phiios-
/ ophy, corresponds with the many attempts.
related in history, at the assassination of
, kings and emparOrs. An enthusiast broods
over the oppression OF people, till he fan
cies himself commits stoned by Heaven to lib
crate them. He ventures the attempt, which
ends in little less than his own execution
Orsinis attempt on Louis Napoleon, and
John Browns attempt at Harper's Ferry.
were, in theirp philosophy. precisely the same.
! The eagerness to cast blame on old England
/ in the one case, and on New England in the
other, does not disprove the sameness Of the
two things. And how much would it avail
you, you could, by the use ofJohn Brown.
| Helpers book, and the like, break up the Re-
| publican organization? Human action can
be modified 10 some extent. but human ma
ture cannot be changed. There is a iudg-
ment and feeling against Slavery in this
| nation, which cast at least million and a
half votes. You cannot destroy that iudg-
ment and feclng-that santiment--by break
! ing up the political organization which raj
lies aroun! it. You can scarcely scatter and
| lisperse an army which has been formed into
| order in the face of your heaviest fire; but
if you could, how much would you gain by
| forcing the sentiment which created it ont of
the peaceful channel? What would that 9th.
er chaanel probably be- Wouil the number
II Joan Browns be lesscned or enlarged by
1 me operation?
/ DISSOLVE TUE USroNs
Rat ~nu win breakc up the Uuion rather
I than submit TO denial of your Constitution
al rights. That has somewhat reckless
sound but it would be palliatetl, ifnot fully
justified, were we proposing. by the mere force
numbers, to deprive you of some right, plain
ly written down in the Constitution. But