The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-04-17
An TurCre>tinC I.ettcf.


Y An Harvesting Lettet.
!, The following letter was written by Capt
Cloutman. at ST. Louis, and was evidently
intended for publication in this paper, hut
for some reason twas not forwarded. Mrs
Cloutman found it among her husbands pa.
pcrs. and It is by her permission and request
that it is mad, public. 1t will be very in
teresting.
CAMP BENToN, St Louis. Nov. Z, 1851.
Mn. EDITOR - The war in which we are
now engaged to a superficial observer, might
seem to he a mere strife Of personal or sec.
tonal ambition or controversy about the
negro, or an instruction Of local prejudiccs
because Mr.. Lincoln was elected president
rather than Mr.. Douglas or Mr.. Breckenridge
or Mr.. Bell or as some viii haveit because
Of the persistent intermeddlng Of the Nortl,
with the peculiar institution ofthe South.
All this may show itself on the surface but
in fact the war is, at the bottom, no such
thing and whoever takes this view only,
altogether fail, to comprehend the contest
and the real questions and interests at stake
The contest is not of persons or sections,
as such. but of Principles. The election Of
Mr.. Lincoln has served as the occasion. but
not the cause Of the disturbance. It is no
strife between the North and South merely !;
it is conflict between two hostile and ir-
reconcilable theories of gorarument and Of
human rights. II is two distinct types Of
civilizati Nor rather it is civilization and
barbarism graphing in ahand to hand fight
for the possession Of this continent The
negro is but the representative Of the essen
tial equality and absolute rights Of man.
The South stands to-day upon the same
platform on which absolutism has always
stood. It enunciates the same philosophy
and puts forth the same arrogant claims
1t sets up banner and inscribes on it that
old lie of tyrants, that "might makes right"
| It SCOTS at the idea Of human equality. 1t
renounces the sentiment of absolute justice.
1t despises the masses as fit only toll ruled.
! 1t affirms that capital sustains its true rela-
ton tolabor, only when it owns the laborers.
| 1t builds its sham confederacy on the doc.
| trinc that one class of men are born to be
trampled upon and chattclized BY another.
! In word, it snears at the fathers Of the
republic as dreamy and fanciful enthusiasts;
it denounces the Declaration Of Indepen.
dence, rejects every principle Of the Revolu-
ton; despiscs the doctrines of genuine
Democracy substantially plants itsclfupon
the assumption of the divine rights ofkings,
and represents ideas as thoroughly and cru.
ely despotic as ever sat upon throne or
ground people into the dust.
We shall not stop to produce the evidence
sustaining the above assertions. Let those
who question the fairness Of the representa-
tons. consult De Bow Review for 1860 and
/ 1861, and We think there viii be no mista-
king the premises upon which the South has
planted herself. There IS no mistaklng the
principles or logical results of the political
philosophy which we are thus furnished. II
these are granted, then must the Republican
constitution and government which our
fathers framed be thrown away. All that
the faiends offreedom have through the ages
been contending for, must be given up
Austria and Naples must be accepted as the
only just interpreters of political science
Every popular movement which has ever
made despot tremble, or tyrant shake in
his seat, is proved wrong, and our vaunted
Bill of rights are only so much lying paper
that should as soon as possible be committed
to the flames.
Seventy years ago, VIM. Pinckney, Of
Mary Ian himselfa STAKEHOLDER, foretold that
unless Democracy destroyed slavery, slavery
would destroy Democracy and this IS aohat
it Is noc trying to do. This conflict, we
repeat, is one Of principlc, and not of persons
or of sections. We have no quarrel with
the men Of the South as such. They are
our brethren, our friends. We have cat
with then, al their tables, they have eat with
US at ours. We are linked together, not
only by the memories Of common history
but by the ties ofbusiness and by the sane
titles Of domestic and social affections. and
we should be thus linked together as ONT
people. 1t is fratracidal strife, and We
would fain be relieved from the necessity o
drawing the sword against them. We love
not Caesar less, but Rome more.
The war is none of our making. ",
have done nothing to invite or justify it,
Wehave claimed no authority to NEEDLE witt
slavery ia the States where it exists. W.
have simply exercised our American Righ
lof free discussion and carrying our principles
to the ballot box Believing slavery to b'
wrong, morally, politically, economically ant
socially, we have said 50. This is all. De
feated at the election, the South has rebelled
They have protested against the doctrine
that m. jorities have the right to rule, ant
unable longer to control the government
they have resolved to disorganize and des
troy it. They have d-icd the governmen
and commenced tho war. The doctrine 0
sliberty, the principles of justice, the govern
mcnt reared by our fathers toll and cement
ed by their blood, standing amid the throne
and despotisms Of The world the grand asse,
tons alike Sf the peoples right and the pee
Pies ability to govern, these, and the fla
which has symbolzed them, we are Gale