The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-01-29
The Political Pcrils Of the Crisis.


principle that the party iszstill manipulated
by the same old leaders who have by their
mistakes, made it minority in all the free
states. Such blowing of hot and cold, such
mixing up of loyalty andtreason, disappears
in the new platforms promulgated, is enough
to disgust all men of sense and patriotism
We have recently published the resolutions
adopted by the New Hampshire and Indiana
democratic conventions. They profess loyal
support of the administration in the prose
cution ofthc war, and they-denous,cs treason
ahdIsecession, and yet they justify both by
endorsing the unfounded pretense, put forth
by the rebel leaders, that the constitutional
rights Of the South have been invaded. They
reiterate the false charges made by the Sc,
cession conspirators against the present adj
,ninistration, and end by affirming that the
war can be brought to an honorable close
ard the Union maintained only by the sue,
cess Of the. democratic party. The truth is,
that mall these conventions tn, re was a
strong secession element--a class of men in.
real sympathy with the southern leaders
and to satisfy them these half REASONABLE
sentiments were put into the party platforms,
while the attempt was made to cover up and
disguise them under lofty declarations Of
patriotism. sfNt o. SCI EaE fa@
VI These decl sations; coming from large
and influential party at the North, are chief
~ 10 be deprecated on account of their effect
upon the rebels. They will infer, and they
have right to infer, that the democratic
party is virtually on their side, and that they
viii yet be able to compel terms that will
amount to the surrender Of the government
into their hands. These democratic reso-
buttons tell them plainly enough that if they
win but stop fighting, the traitors who have
made wal upon the government shallgbe re-
stored again to its control, and therebelc con-
stitution shall be made in substance, if not
in form; the supreme law The only real
maintenance ofthe Union now possible, in.
wolves the defeat of the rebel armies and the
punishment of the chief oonspirators The
policy Of the democratic leaders looks to the
Cancellation Of the rebels by compromise and
concession and the restoration of'ithe chief
conspirators to the power they have abused.
We do not doubt that many honest demo-
Gratis assentcd to the resolutions we have
noticed, without pereeiving the treason, i'm
Piled in them or the substantial aid ard com
fort they give to the rebels. But the mis-
chief is none the less real. The. efforntery
of the charge that the republican party insti-
tuted the rebellion is as gross as its falsehood.
d, these men forget what party had pos
session Of The general government when the
rebels were allowed to talk treason openly,
and to gether their arms to assail the gov
eminent p Have they SO soon forgotten
what party placed in power the Cobbs and
Floyds, ard the hosts, Of lesser villains BY
whom the treasury was robbed, the govern
ment disgraced, AND. everything skllfully
prepared that the rebellion might march on
to triumph. without resistance, Do these
men recollect who voted to place the infa-
nous Breckenridge in the presidential chair
when his REASONABLE sentiments were just
as evident as they are now that he is at the
head of a gang Of, rebel guerrillas, robbing
and murde,ing the1oyal men Of his own
state! Fangh l. The,whole record is fresh
and disgusting in its monstrous deformity
and crime, and vet the men who are respon.
sible for it now have the face to turn upon
the party that opposed and defeated the
great Kentucky rebels election to the presi-
dency, and attempt to lay at their door the
sisin Of irstigainc the rehellion Doubtless
jeff Davis and Breckenridge will lay down
their arms and make peace if we will agree
to put them at the head. Of the nation and
allow them to dictate constitution, laws
and policy for us. Is that what these old
Breckenridge leaders mean, when they say
that only the democratic party can restore
the Union And do they propose to do it
by putting the conspirators again in power
Ifthey do not mean this it is difficult to see
what they are after.
We care nothing about the republican par
ty, as party. 4 1t has done most import
ant and necessary work in driving from pow
er the enemies Of the constitution and the
Union, aud in vindicating the first princir
pie of. democracy, that the majority shall
rule. And that is the real issue on which
we are fighting The southern leaders have
made the rebellion because they would not
submit to the viii ola constitutional majority.
That is the whole oft, and being SO it il the
first duty of patriotism to sink all mere party
issues till the fundamental principle of the
government is fully vindicated and re-estab-
lished.,i For this reason we go for a Union
party, on this sole issue, and the course now
taken by democratic state conventions makes
the necessity for such a union Of patriotic
men more imperative than aver. The sue
cess ofthe democratic ty on the platform
laid down by the dem ocratic conventions of
New Hamps shire and Indiana can onlytresult
in the permanent dissolution of the Union,
or the formition Of a new Union, with sub.
tstantially the rebel constitution and the chief
rebels at tee head of affairs--a consumation
no more to be desired than disunion itself.
To avert these new perils to the Union,
eontrived by corrupt politicians, who seem
ready to make any sacrifice of the welfare