The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1863-01-15

/ But have not so conducted On the CON-
trary, the worst punishment inflicted, except
for criminal acts punishable by every law,
has been hans'rnsnt with labor to barren
isInd, where enos,naal my own soldiers
before marching here.
rebel and paid out nearly haf.a million of
/ dollars tn fesd forty thousand Of the starv
ing poor of all nations assemhl ID here, made
saw that this rebellion was . war Of the
aristocratic against the ,nidding men; Of the
rich against the poor; a war Of the land
owner against the laborer; that it was a
struggle for the retention Of Eawer in the
land of the few against the many : and |
found no conclusion to it save in the subju-
CATION Of the few and the disenthrament Of
the many. therefore felt no hesitation in
taking the substance Of the wealthy, who
hid caused the war, to feed tha innocent
poor, who had suffered by the war. And I
shall! now leave you with the proud con-
sciousness shat carry with me the blessings
of the humble and loyal under the roof Of
the cottage and in the cabin Of the slave,
and so am quite content to incur the sneers
of the salon or the curses Of the rich.
| ! found you trembling at the terrors of
servile insurrection. All danger of this
have prevented by so treating the slave that
he had no cause to rebel
| found the dungeon, the chain and the
lash your only rnslls of anforning obedience
in your servants. leave them peaceful, Ia
borious, controlled by the laws Of kinlpess
and justice. 3.
| | have d.ln onstrated that the pestilence
can be kept from Your borders.
| have added million Of dollars to your
wealth in the form of new land from the
batture of the Mississippi
| have cleansed and improved your streets,
canals and public squares. AMI opened new
avenues to unoccupieI land
haze given you freedom OF elections,
greater than yoa have ever enj.yed before.
| have caused justice to he administered so
Eimpartially, that your own advocate, have
unanimously c'mplimented the judges of my
appointment.
You have seen, ,hercfere. tbs bana.it Of
thu laws and justice of the Government
against which You have rebellsl
Why, then, will you not all return to your
allegiance to the Governinent-aot with lip
service, but with the heart?
/ conjure yon, If you desire ever to see re-
ncwed prosperity, giving basiscss to your
streets and wharves If You hope to sec
your city become again the mart of the Yes-
tern world, fed by its rivers fol I.ore than
5000 miles, draining the commerce of a
country greater than the mind of OF man
hath ever conceived cd--return to your allc-
glance.
! II you desire to leave to your children the
inheritance you received of your fathers-a
staple constitutional goyernncni-if you de-
sire that they should in the future be por.
ton af the greatest empire the sun ever
shone upon--return to ysYr allegiance.
There is bat one thing that stands in the
way.
There is but one thing that at this hour
stands between you and the government, and
that is slavery.
The institution, cursed of God, which
has taken its last refuge here. in His provi-
dence will be rooted out as tho tares from
the wheat, although the wheat be torn up
with it,
I have given much thought to this sub
ject.
! came among you, by teachings, by habit
Of mind, by political position, by social ATTN.
ity, inclined TO sustain your domestic laws
if by possibility they might be with safety
to the Union.
:. Months Of experience and Of observation
have forced the conviction that the existenc
Of slavery IS incompatible with the safety
either Of yourselves or ef the Union. AS
the system has gradually grown to its pres
ent huge dimensions, it were best il it could
be gradually removed; but it is better, fal
better, that it should be taken out at once
that it should longer vitate the social, politi'
cal and family relations Of your country.
am speaking with no philanthropic views as
; regards the slave, but simply Of the effect o.
slavery on the master. See for yourselves
Look around you and say whether thi.
saddening, deadening influence has not, al
; but destroyed the very .iramework Of your
society.
lam speaking the farewell words Of on,
who has shown his devotion to his country
at the peril Of his life and fortune, who ir
these words can haye neither hope nor inter
est, save the good Of those whom he address
es; and let me here repeat, with the so!em
nifty Of an appeal to Heaven to bear me- wit
ness, that such are the views forced upor
me by experience.
Come, then, to the unconditional supper
Of the government. Take into your owr
!. hands your own institutions; remodel then
according to the laws Of nations and Of God
and thus attain the great prosperity assured
! to You by geographical position, only por
ton Of which was heretofore yours.
BBNJ +. BUTLER.
GEN. BANKS ON THE WAR.
On the Gath Of December, Gen Banks Off
: cially promulgated the Presidents Enanci
. patton Proclamation of September, and issu