The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-06-28
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ssAbolitiOnistsand Secessionisis.''
There is a sort Of onc-horse loyalty which
attempts to sweeten the. bitter task Of con-
demnins treason, by classifying seeosionists
with abolitionists, as equally enemies Of
the government. There is, a class Of politi-
clans who have been engaged for years in
abusing abolitionists as the enemies Of the
Union. All at once, they find their obi as
sociates turned traitors, and learn that they
have been made the tools o. the, only men
in the country. who had any designs against
the government. What to do? How to
get out of their most uncomfortable and
mortifyng predicaments They cannot give
up their pet notion that the abolitionists
are very black traitors, for they learned that
of the southern traitors, who were the only
truly :. national men," only year ortwa
ago. 1t is not safe for. them, any longer, to
uphold the southern traitors. It might put
them behind grated windows, or bring them
to a consciousness Of living, in a very dan
gerous neighborhood. So they insist that if
they are obliged to abuse their good friends,
the rebels, the abolitionists shall be, yoked
with them, and 80. to infpmy in their COM
pany. ssl,s-s.., ,......t. Il !. 80. ..,s,,
There are others, however, who take up
the cry less intelligent'y and less maIignan-
tiy. They are men who are very honestly
and very reasonably afraid Of extremists of
every class secession,st il an extremist.
An aholitionist is an extremist They there
ore see no special injustice in bringing both
into the same Classification, and join in the
cry of the sympathizers, with treason
against secessionists and abolitiohists to-
gether Are they either wise or fairs We
think not ~ yssst''.f' sis = ts7ns
What is a secessionist? He isa man
who believes that the Unitei States govern
has no rights which a single state is bound
to, respeet-one who believes that state
rights override United States rights-who
believes that at any moment when she
chooses, any state can secede from, and
break up, the United States government
He not only believes it, but he practices ac.
cording to his belief, He is, moreover, an
advocate of human slavery, aud a holder of
slaves, and he ssoedes. from the Union for
the simple purpose Of benefttins his pet in
sttntion., He is a man ,who,not, only hates
the Union, but he hates all who love it,-and
not only hates them. but approves Of. or en-
cages in, schemes for rohbins and murder
ing them. Thesgenuine ,secessionist is an
enemy to. his. country, an ,oppressor of the
poor and the helpless, and a foe to every
thing which we hold most sacred in our
free, American civilization. He it is who
has taken the responsibility of this war.--TT
He knew his interests were in no danger.
He knew the govcrnmenti never had OPP
pressed him He knew that the present
administration had no intention to injure
him or his favorite institution. He struck
wantonly for power, and the murder of
hundred thousand men, the bereavement Of
million others, the impoverishment ofhalf
a nation, and the utter ruin Of the other
half, lie at his door.
Now what Is an abolitionist9 Literally
and briefly, he is a man who advocates, and
labors for, the abolition Of human slavery in
this country. In one sense. every decent
man is an abolitionist, provided he has been
bred in region where his judgment and
conscience have not been corrupted by dir
ect interest in, or association with, the in
stitntion of slavery. All human persons =
all, who believe in the DECLARATION af .Indeg
pendence all who believe in, a pure Chris
tianity ARE, in their hearts, .ateli,ionists,- =
That is, they wish thore were some safe and
proper way for freedom to come to every
human being We all go as far as this, but
those who are technically known as aboli-
tionists go further. They believe il to be
their duty to agitate for the Immediate abol-
ition of slavery. They have, in limited num-
bers, cursed the constitution. Some of
them have been willing to see the country
divided rather than see the free states sad
died with any responsibility for, slayery. =
But these men have beepafewi AMI power
less. Fheir zeal has outrun their discretion
and their indiscretion has destroyed their in
auence; but their original impulses We're
good, and they have only loved the niger
/. not wisely but too we'll" But where are
the abolitiopists to-day Almost all OF
them are supporting the government, while
secession. born of slavery, is demonstrating
the deyilish spirit q that institution to be
precisely what they have always represented
it to be. .f, 80. f...s..,- .-, .s-,
The abolitonists will bear us witness
that We have. .heen far enough from synpa-
|thizing in their peculiar schemes, or their
mode Of speech and operation; but we beg
leave to say that we hear no coupling ot
1.-THE names of seccssionists and abolitionists,
as men who are equally guilty in the eye OF
nat;onal Justice, and equally responsible for
the evils Of the present war, without anger.
Such an association Of names, which are In
tended to be disgraceful epithets, is a mean
cowarily act, no matter who per forms it.
The attempt to .shift the responsibility Of
this war, with all its burden of blood and
crime and misery upon abolitionists, is an
outrage upon the plainesi historical truth,
established by the voluntary boasts and con.
sessions of the secessionists themselves. -