The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-02-25

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discards the term loyalty" but unworthy
of one who holds seat in Congress Of the
United States. -r,-.-.,
Mr.. Speaker the friends of this joint reso-
luton look beyond the limits of this REBEL
ion. They do not expect an determination
of the people Of the Southern States. They
look for that submission which has always
followed the overthrow of military power
the submission of the defeated people to the
authority of the stronger side in the contest.
We have full faith in the principles of our
Constitution, and look with fall confidence
for the coming of the time when the people
shall enter upon the perfect enjoyment of
the rights, privileges, and liberties which
the Constitution, was ordained to establish
and perpetuate. !, We expect to meet. in the
onward and triumphant march of this re-
public, a!'rsdeemeds vegenerated. and dis
enthralleTc South. We expect to join haEds
with Il, and march forward!n the accomplish
ment Of the grand mission ofthis Republic.
We expect to see the power of the Southern
States taken from the hands of q cruel and
remorseless' aristocracy and resorted to -the
rightful possession ofa whole people, We
expect to labor for the elevation Of that peo-
pie, and knowing that the first step, toward
that elevation, is the destruction of that aris.
tocratic and semi i-feudal system which has
heretofore existed in the South, we favor the
pending resolution, favor it for, the masses
against the despotic and traitorons few, IA
ypr it for democracy against aristocracy.
We would make the mass land.holders. by
breaking up, the land monopoly of the reb-
ell shareholders of the South, and placing
land within the reach ofthe poor, and thus
add to the dignity and assert the individu-
allty Of every men. We are working out
the problem which the fathers bequeathed
to US, the establishment of pure Republic.
BY the reduction Of the great land power
of the leaders. Of the rebellion. through the
operation Of our system of sales Of land de-
linquent under the law for direct taxation,
and the enforc ement of the constitutional
pow er to forfeiture, we expect to reach the
grand result of general distribution Of the
land Of the South among the people. An
accomplishment Of this expected result
works the death Of that aristocratic power
which is compass ing the destruction of ithe
Republic, a -fG 8ol.H7 = Er
SIR, we are looking to the ultimate eleva.
ton of the common people OF the Southern
States. We expect to make them power
in opposition to that which has heretofore
crushed their spirit and made them political
slaves. We expect our policy to result in
the establishment OF those great industrial
economical, and educational principles
which have made the free States supreme
in this great contest between despotism and
liberty. We expect to realize as the fully
ripened fruit of onr policy the perfect es-
tablishment ola republicanism which has
ever lived in theory but never enthroned Il
self on the continent of America except
where the sway OF freedom was perfect and
no slave appealed to the God of justice. We
look forward to the time when the school
house, the academy, the college, and the
church shall in the South measure numeri.
cal strength with the same great guardians
of republicanism and morals in the divinely
favored land Of the North. e We look for
ward to the time when the child of the
poor white of the South shall possess the
same educational advantage which the free
spirit Of the North has accorded to the off.
spring of the rich and the poor in common.
We are boxing to the advantages of
whole people, and not merely to the priviIe-
ges efa caste, as seems to be the case wit b
gentlemen who oppose this joint resolution.
We keep pace with the measured steps of
the civilization of the nineteenth century
and urge those who are behind US to .ad-
vance to our position Whatever of good
we possess, we desire to extend to others
mot ~ towards to those whom they,
fesr, but IS "a ,magnanimous people to
those whom they can gconquer and for
give. ,5~t-.,s.a ,..,a....-
|. 1 will. consume no more Of the time Of
the House with this subject. The case is
made up and fully understood. Those who
oppose the passage Of the joint resolu ton
must stand before the country as opposes d
to the Constitution, opposed to the true inte.
rest efthe country, opposed to the elevation
Of the poor whites of the South, and IN ia.
vor Of shielding the leaders of the rebellion
from the punishment which their enor nous
crime deserves. They have made their own
issue, and all the speeches they have deliv.
ered-filled with hollow pretensions of de-
votion to the Constitution, low Of the Un-
ion, regard for the rights of the people, and
reverence for the teaching of our civiiza.
tion-w,ll not enable them to disguise the
true character Of the issue. Fine words
will not mislead the people, Talking for the
Union, and acting and voting for disunion
rebellion, is mask too thin to conceal the
complexion Of the face which II covers. Pro-
testations of loyalty to the Government,
coming from lips which. in regard to our
armed defense of the nation. ask, "When
shall this hellish crusade Of blood and fam
Inc cease ~ are no more sincere than was
the kiss of Judas. The latter was an act Of
betrayal, and the former are intended to ac-
colnplish no number end.
Mr.. Speaker, cannot close without call.
ing the attention of the House and of the