The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1861-07-10

suppress n rebellion, that ballots are the
rightfll and peaceful successors of bullets,
and that when ballots are fairly and consti
tutionally decided there can be no successful
appeal except back to the ballots themselves
ri u succeeding election. Such will be a
great lesson of peace, teaching men that
what they cannot take by an election, nei-
Their can they take it bya war-teaching all
the folly of being the beginners of war.
Lest here be some uneasiness in the mnls
of candid men as to what is to be the course
Of the Government towards the Southern
States after the rebellion shall have been
suppressed, the Executive deems it proper to
say it shall be Lis purpose then, as ever, to
be guided by the Constitution and the laws,
and that he probably will have no different
understanding of the powers and duty of the
Federal Government relatively 10 the rights
of the States and the people under the Con
stituton than that expressed in the lnaugu-
raj Address. He desires to prescrv. the
Government, that it may be administered for
all as il was administered by the men who
made it. Loyal citizens everywhere have
the right to claim this of their Government
The Government has not the right to with
hold or neglect it, and it is not perceived in
giving it that there is any coercion, any
conquest, or any sabjugatien, ia any Just
sense Of tksse.tcrms.. The Constitution pro-
vided, ISf all the States accepted its provis
ions, that the United States shall guarantee
TO every State in this Union, a republican
form of Government but if a State may
lawfully 60 out of the Union, having done so
il, may also discard the republ' can form Of
government; so that to prevent its going out
is an indispensable means to obtaining the
| ic 10 w
full and obligatory, the indispensable means
to attain it are also lawful and obligatory
1t was with the deepest regret that the Ex-
ecutive assumed the duty Of employing the
war power in defense of The Government
Forced upon him he could but perform this
duty or surrender the existence of the Gov
erument. No compromise by public servants
could in this be a care-not that compromi
SEES are not often proper, bat that no popular
Government can long survive marked pre-
cedent that those who carry an election can
only save the government by giving up the
main point upon which the people gave the
election. The people themselves, and not
their servants, can safely reverse their own
deliberate decisions. AS private citizen
the Executive could not lave consented that
these institutions shalt perish, much less
could he, in betrayal of so vast and sosacred
trust as these free people had confded to
him. He felt that he had no moral right to
shrink or even count the chances of his own
life in what may follow. In full view Of this
great responsibility he mas so far done what
he has deemed his duty. Will you not, &C
cording to yosr ow n judgment perform yours?
He sincerely hopes that your views and ac>
lions may so accord with his as to assure all
faithful citizens who have been disturbed of
their rights, of speedy restoration to them
under the Constitution and laws And hav~
ing thus chosen our course without gui 1t
and with pure purpose, let us renew our
trust in God and 60 forward without fear
and with many hearts.
July 4th 1861 ABRAHAM LINCOLN.