The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1861-12-25

There is no Disgusting or dispuiins the
fact that the reputation Of the North for
character and courage has been depreciatns
for many years. At the South, the people
Of the North have hecn regarded as mean.
spirited and cowardly. and the basis Of tie
rebenions adventure Of the southern traitors
wss the pcstulate that the North would not
fight. As people, we have been held by
the South in contempt We have been
looked upon as set Of thrifty and unscrr,-
pnlous peddlers and shop keepers. wi,h"nt
centlemanlv breeding OF bearing, and ccn-
trolled either by brawling infidelity and fa-
nat;cism. or by horde of psalm. singing and
whining hypocrites in white neck -cloihs,
and .xith anything but immacnlnte hear,S.
We have made shoes for them, spun their
cotton, taught their children 20 read ard
write, furnished them with school books,
newspapers and the higher grades Of liter
ature. and ye' thev have never acknowlede.
ed our equality with them in any single res.
poet. a a 4i7ao3
It has been the custom Of Americans "a
suppose that their countrv Is as much res.
pected abroad as II is loved at home bv the
loval North, hnt this is very great mistake.
An Englishman holds an American in thor
ourh contempt One Of the greatest sur.
prises that an American meets with IN trav-
el is the cantemptuous estimate IN which
his country is held 'Iv the SUI iects Of the
mon,rchies If the old world. II is impossi.
hle for England tn understand how her old
time colony shonld become go soon a first.
class row,r, and how she should hold a.,v
formidable 'rnmpefi,icn with her in the mar.
knts and the mind of the world. Every
EncliSh traveller who has visited us basev
tometical'y abused us. from Dickens to Rus
sell: ,nd the more they have abused us the
more welcome have heen their writings at
home. and the more have they been horor.
ed. II is rsoless to inquire into the csuscs
of THE; hot we have the fact, and we are to
make as much or little Of it as we choose:
A the Sou'h, and among the countries Of
Europe t',c peop'e Of the North feel !hat
thev are misapprcc'a,ed and misunderstood
We know that We are neither cowardlv nor
mean. We know that in the free States of
America thero IL as mrch genuine manhood,
in.c'l @erce. rood b-eed;nc nrosrcritv. e3ri-
rat;on md hirh personal honor, ns can be
found among anv twenty mi'lins Of rcop'e
on the face oe the earth. and that tho pnwer
ard coursge and gallansrv Of the North are
cutrageonslv helied The Southern people
have already had an opnortunity 70 change
somewhat their opinions touching northern
conrare. and viii probably have all the op-
portunitv they wish before the war is end
ed. It was impossible that We should live
together in peace So long as they held us In
contempt, and. five would have peace in
all the fiture we must prove to them, upon
the field Of battle, that the Northern heart
is the brave heart which all history has re.
corded it to be- The North is on trial be-
fore the South, and we are to prove to them,
not only that We are their superiors In cour-
age, power and resources, but that we are
capable If governing ourselves in wisdom
and moderation. and Of protecting the gov
ernment from oil its internal foes.
Before the nations Of the world, the North
is on trial. as the upholder. and only repre-
sentative, Of free democratic institutions
Democratic government. and the nsmc and
n.xa>c.1ltws cf f~oo A Ar,or;c~ sro ,,cov ia
shoulders OF the North; and we are to de-
fend these agairst fees at home and enemies
abroad. We are very apt to depreciate the
issues ef tho contest which Is now upon us.
The putting down Of this gigantic rebellion
settles not only the question as it lies I've.
tween freedom and slavery at home, but Il
settles the question touchinr the strength
and weakness of democratic government,
for all the nations nf the earth. This rebel.
lion put DOWN. and the American govern
ment stands proved and confessed the very
strongest the world has known. Are We to
expect sympathv from the monarchical gov
ernments of the old world. when our success
will prove so much to their disadvantage.
We cannot doubt that we have entered
upon the enoch when the civilization Of the
| Northern States Of America is to receive its
| vindicstion before the civilization Of the
Southern States ard tie civilizations Of Eu
rope We have m,de great progress in the
arts, in popular education, in science, law
and letters. and we are now to prove wheth-
err. with all this, we have retained or devel-
oped the power to govern, and the courage,
prowess and military genius to enforce our
ideas and defend our nationality Tho
North has now before it the most splendid
possibilities the most magnificent opportu-
mites. A vcar-two years-five years--a
shorter or lcnger space Of time--wili he suf-
hcient to decide whether we are to sit down
beneath Southern contempt which has been
visited upon US so long. and the decision of
the great nations Of the earth. or whether
we are to emerge from the war the object Of
universal admiration and respect. No sac
rifice must be wanting tn enable ns to settle
this question Alright. We arc to settle it for
ourselves not only, hat for the uneountcd
generations of our ros;erity. Springfield
Mass Rep. 8 -
|
Ga man who'll maliciously set fro
to barn." said Mr.. Slow, sand burn