The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1860-03-08
For the Courier.
For the Courier.
The Irrepressibie Conflict :"
Agaim-and Thomas Jefferson.

|
subject, bounced upon my article i'm regard
to the "irreplessible conflict" and made it
the object Of a .faming, terrific EDITORIAL
Having no desire to initiate his bombastc
display, or to follow him in his sensclcss YER
bosty, am contentcd to let his efforts at ar
gument pass unmoestcd, believing that my
positions still remain as solid and firm as
ever.-suggestlng merely to his consideration
the fable of the snake biting the file
shall spend ink, paper, and time in mott
cling just two things in this huge editorial,
and leave the balance to its meritcd fate
LIST. The assumption of the name of a Jeffer-
son Democrat, by one holding the positions
do, is to his thinking as arrogant as that of
the ass that donned the lions skin and at
tempted to play the lion, but betrayed him
self in attempting t" roar Now; this fable
is very good and the gentleman exhibits a
desire to re witty by telling it, but he seems
to be remarkably unfortunate in this instance
in his selection. Let us see if Thomas JEFF
i
taken the very same positions which we have
taken If he could have or did, then GER
tainly the gentleman will perceive his sad
mistake in calling the genuine lions roar an
ass bray. We say that we are Jefferson
Democrat and nothing but Jefferson Dem
ocrat on the slavery question and that what
the gentleman took for bray was the roar
Of that great lion, Thomas Jefferson. Hear
| him:
- "The whole commerce between mastor and slave is
perpetual exercise of the most boiserous passions
the most unremtting despotsm on the part, and
degrading submission the other" y "And
with what eNecration should the statesmen he loa
who permitting half the citizens thus to trample
the rights of the other transforms those into despots
and these into enemies destroys the morals of the
part, aud the amor patrin of the other = With
the morals the people their industry is also destroy
ed For in warm climate man win labor for him
self who can make another labor for him. This is
true that of the propretors of slaves very small pro-
portion indeed seen to labor. And can the
liberties of nation be thought when we have
removed their only firm ha.is. conviction in the
minds of the people that these liberties the gift
God? That they not to he violated but with his
wrath? Indeed, tremble for my country when re-
feet that God is just; that his justice sleep
forever that considering numbers, nature and natu-
raj means only, revelation of the wheel of fortune
an exchange Of situation, is among possible events
that may become probable bv interior
ence! The Almighty has attribute which can take
sides with us in such contest, Think change
already perceptbe, since the origin of the present
revolution. The spirit of the master is abating that
of the slave rising from the lust his condition notify
ing the way hope preparing, under the auspices of
Heaven, for total emancipation, ahd that this is dis
posed in the order of events to be with the
the masters, rather than by their eNtirpation."
! Are you satisfied, my editorial friend p
How does this sound to you2 Do you per-
| ceive anything like an irrepressibIe conflict
doctrine in this?' You will find all have
quoted on pages 80, ITO, and III, of Jcffer-
sons notes on Virginia, published in 1929.
If this is not sufficient to satisfy you, can
lquote more extensively from the writings of
Thomas Jefferson. have quoted more en-
tensively than otherwise would have done,
did | not wish to show how your vianous
party leaders have polluted the name of De.
mocracy, and shamefully dcf,meta the char
Facter Of Jefferson by placing him on level
with yourselves, and thus representing him
as favoring the extension of slavery. defy
any man to find one word in the writings or
speeches of Jefferson that conflicts with the
above, and yet your Democratic leaders in
State Convention had the shameless impu-
dence to represent themselves as standing
with Jefferson. Here you have the irepress-
ible conflict doctrine, as you cali it, in more
emphatic terms than expressed by Seward or
Lincoln. Dare you deny that Jefferson, in
these extracts, affirms substantially that there
is an irrepressible conflict between slavery
and freedom, and that slavery is in the
course of ultimate extinction" Is there no
| irrepressible conflict where there is "the most
| unremitting despotism on the one part, and
degrading submission on the other''-where
one portion are ''dcspots" and the other zen
emies"-where "with the morals of the PEG.
pie their industry is also destroyed" Tell
US, too, what but belief that there is an ir-
repressibe conflict between freedom and
| slavery could cause Jefferson to say ''that
considering numbers, nature and natural
means only, revolution of the wheel of for
tune, an exchange of situation is among POS
sible events; that it may become probable by
supernatural interferencew What contest"
but "contest" between freedom and slave
ry, does Jefferson speak of when he says,
'the Almighty has no attribute which can
ttke side with us in such a contest 90
What do you think of the lion skin fable
now, sir! You and your negro propagating
party claim to be supporters of jefferson
and have the knavery to attempt to blackcn
the character of that great statesman by
placing him with that artful politician, Doug
las. If you support the doctrines Of ,Jeffcr-
son, then you cannot support Douglas If
you support the doctrines of Jefferson, you
are not only opposed to the extension of
slavery, but you are opposed to its very ex-
istence, and you believe with Seward that
there is "anirrcpressible conflict between free
dom and slavery" and with Jefferson that
1.-The Almighty has no attribute which can
take side with us (the slave hpders) in such
q contest" But do you so believe with JEFF
ferson, No! You are body and soul in the
hands of the shareholders your southern
masters. Your whole object is to support
and extend $ avery, and you will certainly
stoop to anything to do 1t, when you do not
histate to traduce Jefferson in your unholy
zeal. You know that no man can take the
positions taken by Jefferson above, without
being read ont of your party as an abolition,