The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-10-25
The Issues Forced Upon Us.

The Issues Forced Upon Us.
Up to the time President Lincoln issued
his Emancipation and habeas corpus Proc
lamation, there was no point on which the
democratic party differed with the admin
istration in the prosecution of the war
The republicans Proper and the democrats
agreed cordially in supporting the admins
tratio.. and its war policy. The business
of lighting the administration was confin-
ed to the fanatical abolitionists, and all
knox they prosecuted the battle with a
bitterness and energy uncxampled in po
litical warefare. They did daily. openly
and boldly, that which the democrats
never have done aud never Will do-they
threatened to withhold troops from join
ing the army. The President said that of
them which he has never said and never
will say of the democrats, that he must
appease them, or we shall have a divided
north.
The President so far yielded to their pres.
sure as to promise, on the lst of January,
to declare the emancipation Of the slaves;
and, apparently TO enable them to dragoou
the country into acquiescence in this pro-
gramme, he suspended the writ of hGbeas
corpus, and gave them the powerful ma
chiueay Of martial law III the loyal states
to werk with.
| In thus yielding, the President has fore
ed upon the democratic party the simple
issues:
Has the President pewer te suspend the
constitution?
Is it just and proper that citizens should
be illegally arrested and imprisoned
And, God ~iilrsc, the democracy propose
to meet these issues,
In doing SO, no democrat proposes TO
threaten, as the abolitionists did, to with
hold troot s, or to swerve q hair from the
mos. earnest support df I, vigorous prose
cution Of the war, even on the abolition
programme. Oar motto is, tie rebellion
must be crushed come what may coun.
try is better than no country. We owe al
legiance to but one government, and the
head Of that is Abraham l. ncoln. We
make no reasonable threats of resistance
to the constituted authorizes We sup
sort the government right or wrong; but
when wrongwe will labor 10 right it. The
only weapon we appeal 10 is the ballot box.
That, thank God, is still our right That
20 and vote. If the thunder tones of the
expression that comes up from these fails
to reach the ears Of our rulers, then we
can bide our time and vote them out OF
Office. This is our purpose-this we hope
is legitimate and lawful. If this determi.
nation annoyE our rulers, let them reverse
their policy and return to the constitution
The peoplewill loyalty obey the President
in his place, but they are also his master
WHO'S TO BLAME ?-According to the re-
cent Chicago Speech of Judge Tumble
the reason why our armies have not adj
vanced long ago and crushed the rebellion
is, because the President, from fear of of
Tending the democrats and thus causing q
divided north, has been obliged to keeE
such inefficient generals at the head of the
army as Halleck, Mcclellan, and Ruell
Is that So? Didn't the President remove
Mcclellan from the head of the army .anc
put Stanton there when Mcclellan went t.
. tho Peninsula and after the retreat from
James river was not Mcclellan virtually
removed from all command, and the army
turned over to Pope an abolitionist aftel
his own heart ? yes, and beautiful work
Pope and Stanton made Of it. The ons
frustrated McClellan's plans for taking
Richmond, and the other laid such s
splendid scheme to entrap the Southern
cosfederacy, that Washington, the Presi
dent, and Pope himself made narrow es
e.crpe from falling into jeff Davis hands
SOLDIERS MoNIMEST-Tbat is q noble
, and patriotic movement, started by mum
. Der of Leading citizens OF this county, t.
ereo: "a monument to the memory of the
, braye volunteers from this county WHIT
may fall in defence Of their country The
contribution from each being limited fo sr