The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-09-06
OTTUMWA, IOWA, SATURDAY SEPTEMBER g. 1862.

sentative from the so-called border Stntes
are slavefpsders themselves, and represent
communities ruled and governed by slave
holders almost exclusively. The first Incl
dent calling my attention to this fact was the
election of the one hundred members Of th~
recent constitutional convention IN the State
of Kentucky. These delegates represented,
poninaIly, commutity composed Of mary
hundreds of thousands Of non -slavcfroiding
whites, and a few thousand shareholders
only, and yet every delegate was slave
holder. The onsiavelioIding interests wore
without representative. From my sub
sequent observation am convinced that
this is but an illustration of the general rule
in slaveholdings communities. Shareholders
hold nearly all the Offices Of honor and trnst;
they control society, aud the local legislation
ofthe respective States, as absolutely as if
non- shareholders had no existence. They
are completely ignored in every discuss sion.
And until q very recent period the same i'm
perious policy controlled Congress And
even now Senators from slavehoIding States
demand that their suggestions
shah be blirdfy adopted; when, at the close
of discussion, they find themselves oc'
casionally in the minority--that they have
been treated only as peers, and not as SUI.
periors, some OF them manifest stolid ir-
difference to the fate of the nation by alb
senting themselves from the Chamber for
weeks in succession. and others denounce
the majority and predict the most dire corr
sequences as the fruits our of stupidity.
Nothing has been more peristentlv assert d
than the consolidation Of the population Of
all the slave States in opposition TO the Gov
ernment of the United States if their sngges-
tions were not implicitly followed. And yet
we have in no community realizsd any such
result. The passage ofevery Law on this
subject, enacted during the present Congress
has in my opinion made US stronger in every
border State. N 5s5H. 30 r76& %" hHaaF
The Shareholders of the border States
cannot have failed to perceive what Is patient
to the world that whatever remains OF Sec
ession within their limits is fostered and
cherished by shareholders. This has been
true since the commencement of the re-
bellion. Your policy and your arms have
met with stronger resistance from those
in authority, chiefly shvehollcrs. than from
any other class of'these communities. The
Governors Of all those States reused or de-
clined to comply with the Presidents re
QUESTION for troops to defend the Union. The
Governor of Kentucky. and a..large number Of
those at the head ofpublic affairs. are believed
to be still untrustworthy. This was true in
Maryland. Although the Governor stood
firm in his loyalty, your authorities were
compelled to arrest, believe, majority Of
the members of her Legislature, to prevent
that State from formally seeding from the
Union, while have no doubt nine tenths OF
her people are loyal to the heart; but the ru.
ling members of society were disioyal slave
holders. And this believe to be true in
every border State. Those from whom you
have most TO fear are those who have been
enjoying the patronage of the State and
national Government for ages. The most
obtuse cannot fall to perceive that slavehold
ers originated this rebellion, and are now sus
tanning and controlling it. How foolish then
, for this Government to ignore another class
Of white people in the slave States. tits m!
solemn conviction that their interests re
quire the termination Of slavery. 1t is my
duty, therefore, as Senator Of the Unitet
States, in legislating for the nation, to con
slider their welfare as much as the welfare o
their more wealthy slaveholdlns neighbors.
II the measures adopted bylthis Congress
and the one now pending should dimin!sl
the power of the few who have hitherto Lex
society, the policy will increase the powe
of the masses; and have not so poor Al
opinion Of those who do not own slave prop
erty in the slave States, as to believe then
incompetent to comprehend their own in
terest. When you adopt policy here 70
the welfare Of the whole nation, and es
pecially for. the welfare of the laboring classe
they will be no more slow to perceive thei
true interest than the population I'M you
State or mine. In my opinion, therefore
the adoption Of these measures will give tn
Union increased strength in the borde
States. p t'a'1 E' @
| It has been suggested. however, ! believ'
by the Senator from Pennsylvania, durin
this discussion, that the enlistment ofnegrc
es for companions in the ranks. would dis
courage the enlistment Of white men. Tn
amendments now pending do not cor
template such an association. The colore
men and white men will be organized int
separate companies and regiments.
| do not, then Mr.. President, anticipat
any bad consequences which can legitimate.
now from the passage Of this bin or tn
amendments proposed by my colleague.
think the legitimate effect will be to weake
slavery. have no doubt on this subject.
do not vote for this measure on that account
butt win not vote against the bin on tina
account. will follow the policy which ha
been suggested, not only by my politics
friends in iowa, but by my political oppc
ncnts. The Democrats Of my State urg
the prosecution of this war for the supremac
Of the laws, regardless Of the consequence
to slavery. They look on that institution