The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1861-01-30

subject to vote on every law, and for or
against every agent who expounds, admins.
ters, or executes. Unstable and JEALOUS con-
federacies, constantly apprehthding assaults
without and treason within, formidable only
to each other and contemplate to all beside:
how long will it be baf,re, on the plea OF
public safety, they will surrender all this in.
estimable and unequaled liberty, and accept
the hateful and intolerable espionage of mill
tary despotism?
And now, Mr.. President, what is the
cause for this sudden and eternal sacrifice OF
so much safety, greatness, happiness, and
freedom Have foreign nations combined,
and are they coming in rage upon us? So
far from being enemies, there is not mt on
on earth that is not an Interested, admiring
friend Even the London Times, by no
means partial to us, says: .....r
at is quite possible that the problem Of a
Democratic republic may be solved by its
overthrow in few days in spirit of folly,
selfshness, and short sightedncss"
Has the Federal Government become ty-
rannical or oppressive, or even rigorous or
unsound? Has the Constitution lost its
spirit, and all at once collapsed into life
less letter 7? No; the FEDERAL Government
smiles more benignantly, and works to-day
more benefcently than ever The Consti-
tuition is even the chosen model for the or
ganzaion Of the newly rising confeieracies.
The occasion is the election of President
of the United States who is unacceptable to
portion of the people. state the case ac-
curately. There was no movement Of dsin-
ion before the ballots which expressed that
choice were cast. Disunou began as soon
as the result was announced. The ju stitica-
| ton it assigned was that Abraham Lincoln
had been elected while the success of eli
ther one of the three other candidates would
have been acquiesced in. Was the election
illegalg No; it was unimpeachable. Is the
candidate personally offensive? No; he is
man of unblemshed virtue and amiable
manners Is an election Of President an un-
| frequent or extraordinary transaction? No;
we never had Chief Magistrate otherwise
designated than by such election, and that
| farm of choice is renewed every four years.
| Does any one even propose to change the
mode of appointing the Chief Magistrate p
No; elections by universal suffrage, as mod.
flied by the Constitution, is the one crown
ing franchise of the American people. To
save it they would defy the wsrld. Is it
usurp despotic powers? No; while be is
of all men the most unambitious, he is,
by the partial success Of those who oppos-
ed his election subjected to such restraints
| that he cannot, without their consent, ap-
point minister or even police agent, nego-
| tiate treaty, or procure the passage of a
! law, AMI can hardly draw musket from the
public Al sena!s to defend his own person.
| What then, is the ground of discomfort
! 1t is that the diSunionists did not accept as
conclusive the arguments which were urged
! in behalf Of the successful candidate in the
canvass. This is all Were their own argu-
ments against him more satisfactory to his
/, supporters? Ofc urse they were not; they
could not be. Does the Constitution, in letter
or spirit, require or imFly that the arguments
of one party shall BE- satisfactory to the other.
No; that is impossible. What is the constr
| tutional remedy for this ineviteble dissatis-
faction. Renewed debate and ultimate re-
hearing in subsequent election. Have the
now successful majority perverted power to
purposes of oppression? No; they have
never before held power. Alas: how prone
we are to undervalue privileges and bles-
sings. How gladly, how proudly, would
the people of any nation in Europe accept
on such terms as we enjoy it, the boon OF
electlng Chief Magistrate every four years
by free, equal and universal suffrage How
thankfully would they cast aside all their
own systems of government and accept this
Republic of ours, with all its shortcomings
-: rs disappointments, maintain it with
their arms, and cherish it in their hearts
Is it not the very boon for which they sup,
! ii, CI,l, nd
| war, with internisSions only resulting from
exhaustion How strange are the times in
which we live! The coming spring season
on one side Of the Atlantic, will open on a
general conflict, waged to obtain, through
whatever indirection, just such system as
ours; and on this side orthe Atlantic, within
the same parallels of latitude, it will open or
fraternal war, waged in moment of frenzied
discomfort to overthrow and annihate the
same institutions. Do men, inded, live only
] for themselves, to revenge their own wrongs
or to crafty their own ambition? Rather Dc
not men live least Of all for themselves, anC
chief y for posterity and for their fellow mem
Have the American people, then become all o
sudden unnatural, as well as unpatriotic
and will they disinherit their children of tn,
precious estate held only in tlust for them anC
! deprive the world of the best hopes it ba:
enjoyed since the human race began its slow
and painful, yet needful and wisely appoin
ted progress
Here might close my plea for the Amer
ican- Union; but it is necessary, if not to ex
haust the argument, at least to exhibit th'
whole case. The disunionists, consciously
unable to stand on their mere disappoint
ment in the recent election, have attempted
to enlarge their ground More than thirty
/ years there has existed considerable
though not heretofore formidable-mass o
citizens in certain States situate near o.
around the delta of the Mississippi, who be
lieve that the Union is less conducive to tht
welfare and greatness ofthose Staes, than
smaller eonfederacy, embracing only slav'
States, would be. n.
! This class has availed itself Of the dis
contents resulting from the election to pu
into operation the machinery Of dissolution
long ago prepared, and waiting only for oc
casion. In other States there is soreness
because of the want Of sympathy in the FIRE,
States with the efforts of slave
! holders for the recapture of fugitive
slaves from service. In all the slave
4 States there is restiveness resulting from
the resistance which has been so determin
edly made within the last few years, in tn,
free States, to the extension Of slavery il
the common terrific les of the United States
The Republican party, which cast its votes
for the successful Presidential candidate OF
the ground of that policy, has been allowed
practically, no representation, no utteranc'
!. by speech or though the press, in the slav'
States; while its policy, principles and sen
timents, and even its temper, have been s.