The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1863-02-28
For the Free Trader.
The Legislative Resolutions.

1T the Democratic party wlsheu tneiI
Federal Relation Resolutions defended,
Mr.. Editor, they ought to feel under great
obligations to you for the very handsome
manner in which you did 1T in your last
weeks article, partly in reply to my article
ON the same subject. But they don't want
them defended Mr. FIRE TRADER not at
all; they will hardly try to pass them
next June; they will not pass the house
at that time even, saying nothing about
the senate The Democratic party are
quick to see and retract an error when
they have committed one; and 1t will not
take them till next June to see that those
Resolutions are an error. The Republican
party are continually laundering, and
never see their blunders; they are blind;
lncuiably SO. Let them slide; they don't
know enough to take advantage OF the
error the Democratic party committed at
Springfield, and if they did, the error will
be repaired before they can take advan-
tage Of it, speak sT catkedra, it Is true !,
don't like that way of speaking but you
| see that l have aot space here TO enter
into reasons: don't think it will be nec-
essary to do SO; but if it should seem here
after necessary, perhaps you will be kind
| enough to iend me your columns Tor the
purpose.
,
that an armistice means that the Union ID
already irrevocably destroyed? No. you
| don't quite say that; what you say Is, that
the great majority Of the Democrats in the
| Legislature dom understand 1t SO. Well,
| that is true; more than three fourths OF
them dtd not understand it SO, and would
have repealed the Resolutions with indig-
| nation If they had. Our own excellent
| Representatives did not understand them
so; we all know where they would have
| been found if they had. Three worthler,
more patriotic nleE do not live among US ;
| they are utterly incapable ofdoing wrong
| knowingly, in any case But suppose 1t
| is not impossible, placed where they were,
/ and surrounded by the influences that they
were, that they Should commit an error.
| But they are men of intelligence, and my
! judgement for IT, it will not take them till
next Jund to fine out that they have com
mitted an error, and just exactly what that
error is And what | say Of these three
| excellent gentlemen, may alse he ssid, with
| more or less emphasis, OF more than three
| fourths OF the Democrats in the Legislature.
| No; the SesolUtlons were not understood
/ in the sense above stated, by more than
one-t!th, perhaps not more than onetenth
| of those who voted for them. But where
motives Of Dine-tenths Of the Democrats
vindcated, do you say ? very well, agree
to that ain even prepared to go further;
/ am not, whoever else may bel am not
prepared 10 condemn the notices of the
men who lQ4eTSt0od the Resolutions in the
sense have above imputed 10 them. |
have not time here TO vindlcate then mo
tives aud IL Is not necessary but they can
I be yindlca:ed ] condemn their cOnclu-
sion | condemn their remedy. Passion,
Justly excited TO be sure, misled their
judgment for the moment, but they Will
rectify their judgment before next June
without any help from me.
Without At all arguing the intrinsic in
admissIbility Of the arInIstice-and | could
call ygu for witness on that point If
desired to do so, Mr. E.litor,-and think
sue. essfdily submit nv case on your evil
dsnce-lct II. call attention to another
point that Is decisive.
VIII not Kentucky repel those Resolu-
tions? VIII not Dhio-Pennsylvan ia
New York-Maryland Missouri repel
them? What state will accept them,
Indiana accepted Illinois, if mistake
not. Is not ambitious TO be the first 20 pro
claim tina. the Union - destroyed, and
will repel such CONCLUSION until Inexorab!e
fat shall compel her to accept ii, But do
you tell me, gentlemen that this is an e.
post tGrtO arEument-thsti L was not before
the Legislature in February, however ii
may be now, or however It may be in June?
Very well let Us call it 20 II will be good
in June, whether it was in February or
not 1t Is true, have IN my pocked some
evidence. that Its conclusive .iiat II is not
e post factg SO far as I au concerned; Dut
that j. no matter-l ara nOt writing in my
own behsf-the orgument III equally good
whether il Is e. past ts,i0 or not.
And now, the question comes back,
poyientous and terrible. What SHALL be
done TO save our country more than
that-to save mans capaelty and right,
resulting only from capacity, ~ govern
himself from the terrible destruction that
seems ready TO overwhelm them? Ny
answer Is on Record People, the hand OF
history is about 10 insclibe your own upon
page from which it can never be etiaceG