The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1860-11-01
ClOsing the Books.


excited canvass. A vast amount of labor
speaking, persuasion, documentary matter
and time, has been expended, in the
effort to place before the American people
the principles and measures to be voted for
or against at this election. The end of this
has at last come The time for argument
has passed by. The day of final trial is al
hand The present is the last opportunity
we shall have, as journalists, to appeal to oul
readers. Let us then, s, far as space viii
admit, review the ground we have gone over.
Practically, there are but two principles
now at issu, before tn, people Of ths Re-
puLl'c-two antagonistic principles. One is
the principle that negro slavery as it exists
in the southern States of the confederacy, is
right, just and christian; that it is good
where it exists; that it may of right be ex,
Sended; that it has constitutional rights Of
protection at the hanls of tn, Federal Gov
eminent, as any other species of property
has. In short, that slavery, as an interest,
an institution, is National.
The opposite principle is, that slavery,
though local interest and institution in
some of the States, and as such, exclusively
within the control of those who maintain it,
who are solely responsible for it, is yet a
moral, social and political evil; that being
dependent upon local law, it cannot be ex-
tended outside the limi and jurisdiction of
the States where the laws are enacted that
consequently, slavery canro OF be taken into
the Territories of the Republic; that it is the
duty both of Congress and the courts to see
to it that the Territories are protected from
this curse Of Slavery. .......
The Republican party hold the doctrine
that slavery ought to be restricted; that it
is best for the whole country that it should
be; that the power exists in Congress and
in III, Courts, and that it ought to be exer-
cised that this can b, done without Impair
ing the integrity Of the Union, or infringing
upon the rights of the slaveholding States.
All parties opposed to the Republican
Party hold substantially the reverse Of this
doctrine; they are all either positively a lvo-
Gates of slavery or Indifferent to it; they
all can be and are, with perfect consistency
supported by the slave interest. They only
differ in regard to the mode OF attaining the
same end. They are all unworthy of the
support of a single sincere opponent of slave
ry agitation and extension.
There is as much difference between the
measures advocated by the Republican party
and those of their opponents as there is in
regard to the paramount issue of slavery
The Republican party is the champion of
human rights; OF free labor of economy ia
the expenditures Of the government; of Free
Homes for the Million; of Central Pacific
Railroad; of the Constitutional rights of all
sections of the country; of respecting and
enforcing the VII Of the majority; Of main
tanning inviolatc the rights Of opinion, Of
speech and the press, and the purity Of the
ballot box. Their opponents are really and
practically anita gonistic to all the &c, not OK
cepting thu Douglas Party itself.
Now, voters of Iowa, these are the issues.
We cannot here elaborate them The time
for argument has passed. No one of you
ought to be ignorant of them. The FREE press
Of the country has been scattering facts and
arguments broadcast over the land, so that
it would seem to be next to criminal for a
single voter of Iowa, to be uniformed at
this late day, this list day of November, in
relation to The principles, measures, designs
and purposes of any or all the parties, claim =
ing votes at their hands.
Ifthere is one solitary reader Of our paper,
who is not yet fully decided how he ought
to cast his vote, we beseach such one, to
devote the remaining few days 10 candid
and impartial examination Of the platforms
of the several parties Vote int r .,gee,o,,lv
independently aud Sc. 6, .ae good of your
eoantryegg 'ae-~
rs Fl &