The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-03-01
LETTER No. l.


letters, and thus to give to them the weight
| of his authority:
LETTER No. /.
To Abraham Lincoln President of the United States;
RrsrLcrED SIR-I do not addres you for
the purpose OF censure or advice. From
boy mood to old age | have belonged to the
democratic party of the country. Ny
political creed in common with that OF my
party thrghout the North, has been and
now is devoted TO the constitution as it came
from the hands of Washington and his
compatriots and to the rights of the States
! reserved by them on the adoption of that
instrument ~
We look upon the structure composed of
the States and the Union as our temple OF
liberty, of which the States are the pillars
and the Union the roof. Remove the
pillars and the roof will fall; remove tie
roof and the pillars will be overthro~n ~
the storms Of anarchy and war, and ouf
country will be strewed with ruins more
melancholy than those which lie PROSTATE
or stand shattered on the sites OF ancient
cities
Ruthless hands have seized upon and
are attempting to remove portion OF the
pillars of our temple, at the hazard of
and in the insane hope of building new
temple for themselves out of the ruins.
though the democratic party of the
North are always wilii.e to make all rea-
sonable or even tolors,ble concessions to
sati.fy their allies in the South, yet, as a
body no party Is more devoted to the
constitution and the Union 1t was devo-
ton TO the Union which induced them to
make concession after concession to quiet
the apparent apprehensions OF their south
ern friends So vital in their view was
the preservatisn of the Union and the con
stitution TO the interests and safety OF the
southern States in particular, that many OF
them could not, until the assault on Fort
Sumter be conyir rced that the leaders OF
southern agitation had anything in view
beyond further guarantees Tor their local
institutions Under this de.usion some oil
them raised their voices against coercion,
and ,the;eby Euwit.iaely rendered material
service to the cause OF rebellion. But
when convinced. by the thunder of rebel
cannon and the flames of Fort Sumter,
tnrt revolution. and not redress or security
within the Union, was the object OF the
southern Leaders, they did all that honest
men could do to retrieve their error, and,
Notwithstanding their political autagonism
the North rallied round the administra-
t5on ~ tine only means OF saving their
country. Your armies abound wife them /;
none are more ready 10 sacrif &c all that is
dear, even life itself, for the preservation
OF the Union and the constitution; and to
them it is cheering, though but just, that
you have recently piyen them a represen
tatiye in your Cabinet
Be assured SIR ,nat the democratic party
OF Tie North, with the exception Of . few
semi traitors Is hom they repudiate. cordi
ally approve the objects Of the war against
rebellion IS declared By ycu in your uottie
ayov. ais. They rally around you with
devotion to the cause lot exceeded byRny
class of your original Supporters, and they
will spare no sacratice 10 save the Onion
and the constitution. la this great object
they are already consolidated with the
great mass of The fepubl can party, and
will be an on the last ito despair. Indeed
these two parties for all present purposes
constitute but one, which may be appro-
priately called the CONSTITUTIONAL USIoN
PARTY The object Of this party in the
pending war Is to paeserve the Union and
the constitution as 1t is 1t is the constitu-
ton and Hat oahy. which makes Us nation !;
destroy it, and the nation will cease to
exist, being re>olyed into thirty four indie
pendent States H. fighting forI the con
sttution. Therefore, we fghl for The life of
the, MT or tor al that can make Us honor
ed and expected abroad.
The iunda ms ntsl principle of our gov
eminent tiiat principle which has enabied
the H-Iubiic 10 extend itself from the
Atlantic the Pacific, and endowed it
with a capcity t. embrace continents and
and cimes within It's dominion, is, that
everything which relates exclusively or
mainly to local affairs shall be left TO be
regulated by local governments, while the
powers of The general government shall be.
only Sucn a. are requisite 10 promote the
peace, happiness, and prosperity ot the
people, whatever may be Their peculiar
customs, laws, ur domestic Institutions
An attack Vi on this principle Is an assault
upon the constitution 1t Is undermining
the foundations of the Republic; it is
divesting it of that attribute, almost divine,
which. like the government of heaven,
protects alike error. and truth, allowing
man 10 work out his own happiness in
peace by the free exercise of hisown pow
ers.
But we have class of men among US
who are not content with such a govern
ment. They are not content with the
privilege oi shaping the laws and institu
tons of the States in which they live ac-
cording TO their own sense of right and
eXpediency but wish To compel other men
and other communities. over whose local
affairs they have no rightful control, to
adopt their notions, and utterly regardless
of essential differences in circumstances,
remnde! all local institutions by their pro.
ustean standard. Aud by d concerted
( effort these nj, n are attempting to divert
the military power OF the country from its
legitimate object. ths preservation Of the
constitution IN. its Integrity, and direct it
to the subverson of the fundamental
principal on which it is based. Such a
sckeine is virtually a conspiracy against
/ the constitution and the Ubion in the
North, giving effective aid to the rebellion
I in the South. 1t would present the loyal
{ States to other nations. not as at present,
defending an established government
! . ga nst wanton rebellion, but as Themselves
rebets against tie rery q cernmett they profess
! 10 be drfensiinq i 1t would cast the North
also on the stormy ocean of revolution, not
/ fighting for any existing government, but
for such 4 one as may rise out of the waves
it may be many warring States or con
/ fcderacies, or !. military despotism based
on conquest, and swallowing up the whole
In another letter shall eIdeavor more
fully to expoee the danger and folly oi
such scheme.
ANds KExDALI.