The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-10-20

!. very would sound its knell. We were tol
that the institution Of slavery owed to tn
y government ofthe Unhed States ,au the to
}. eart:or and consideration which it ever ha
in the civilized world---and that, II LIFT I
n combat the public Sentiment Of mankin
e alone upon its merits II would 60 down, til.
' whatever might be the intention Of the lead
( ters Of the rebellion, they would ultimatel
? be- forced % the alternative Of making th
B new government adespotlsm, that the peopl
!, would not long tolerate so disastrous
t change in their interest and happiness un,es
! compelled BY force We said that cotto
| was not King that bread had ever been
, and would ever be the Chief necessary of in
dividuals and Of nations; that none Of IN
, governments of the old world could affor,
to jeopardize their moral status hy openl,
aiding iu the ssasaishment Of governmen,
for the perpetuity Of. slavery, but that Frame,
and England would avail themselves Of ev ery
opportunity to encourage civil war here, in
the hope that the power and influence OF re
publican government on this continent
might be broken and Destroyed Mexi
20 would be victimized by one or both Of
these governments whilst we were engaged
in domestic st-ife. We said the revolution
would soon prove to the non-slaveowner that
II was not a war in the interest Of his class
but in the interest of the slaveowner, and
destined to result in the observation-disclosures
Of the poor, and thus compel them in self
defence to become the stern and uncompro:'
missing opponents Of slavery. The Union
men told the secesh that the boasted wealth
Of the South was not and could not be made
available in the contemplated strugsle-that
the institution Of slavery, unlocked by the
clash of arms would deliver within the lines
Of the South, as the Grecan horse did wi thin
the walls Of Troy, hostile force at it's very
citadeI-that the government was strong
and would exert it's strength tor" tn, sup.
preston ofrebellion. and that the issue would
at last be between a slave aristocracy aud
democratic republic.
Here will say to the people Of Texas. for
trust that some Of them will have chance
TO read my letter yet. are you more free-
more prosperous-tnore happy than in for
mcr years are you more free to remain at
home in the enjoyment of the society of your
wives and childrcn-more free to engage
fro day to day in such avoc.tiops as are
most congenial to your tastes. and conduct.
iveto your interests, are you more free to
express ycdr own opini6ns, and to listen to
those of your neighbors and friends-more
Sss g ssps ana sps Gs n psss E
the past. Ask the members Of your house.
hold, your neighbors and friends, what they
have gained by the rebellion. Where is now
the suiiies once seen on every face in our
verting our Silent rrairies into settlements
of busy industry, and filling them with the
homes Of happy and. cootented citizens,
wher, all waS peace, security and content.
ment, now all is strife, decay and wretched-
ness. You know that you are the victims
Of an odious despotism, slaves to the few who
would crush the brightest hopes Of humanity
to perpetuate slavery. Soon after the war
commenced our ports were blockaicd, ex.
Guiding Us from the markets. and the COM
forts and necessnr,es Of life, our substance
was demanded in exchnge for a worthless
paper currency, which was forced upon US
bysthe inost insolent threats, in the form of
preclamationa' by military commanders, de-
nnnncing AS enemies to the new government
all who refused to take It as equivalent 10
gold and silver. In this form we have been
daily ropbed, while At the same time upon
thousand pretexts and by d. many devices,
we have either been denied the right to take
our cotton and other products to the only
market open to us-the Mexican border. or
We have when there been shamelessly plum
desed by government agents and military
commanders, wh1 have thus secured for
themselves fortunes, now safely deposited in
foreign countries. and which they expect to
enjoy while we suffer the evils which they
have entailed upon us Taxation in some
form has been visited upon as day by day
until we are no longer able to meet the de-
mands OF our masters, and at lastwhen every
appliance 10 extoft money fromius had failed
"a extort money from US had failed to satisfy
them. because of the worthlessness of the
currency they had compelled us to accept,
agents we're sppointe1 to call upon US At our
homes iot one tenth Of our crops. the pro-
ceeds Of our honest toll. Martial law has
bsen visited upon tis. and in every town and
village add mel shborhood. some petty despot
appointed, to whose edicts We we're yeqarsd
to bow in meek submission. We have been
denied the Tight 10 travel through the CON-
munity near our homes on the most necess.
W business, without the written permission
sf one OF thbss tvasl d syfansny. we dare
not, opnvey 10 market the products of our
farms without permission. Our wagons and
teams btye been seized BY government
agents both at home and on the. road to mar.
kst, in order to compel ito sch to them our
crops for nominal price in worthless paper.
No interest has been sscurs, and 40 right
Scared. Law and order NO longer exist
among ps, Ppblc and social charity have
disappeared. and in place Of confidence. sls.
picion and distrust gil every mind, in,ole-
rahce.p pbigotry and ba,barity. under the fos
herring .hsads ofgignoraocea and tyranny, are
| eyerYwhere dominant. Virtue in no longer