The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-01-28

claim upon this class of its people; and i
could not have done 90, with due regard 4
the peace and safety ofthe Union. No wis,
Government would permit large and per
manent population to reside within it's limit.
who are beyond its ultimate control. What
eyer may be tho character given them BY
mere local regulations, can not effect thu
authority ofthe sovereign power over them
These people are not only denominated q
perssns by the Constitution, but they hav,
80 been treated by the Government, for ai
purposes, during its entire history, In Ill
these respects, ct least, tho slaves were the
equals Of their masters they could psrpe-
trate the same crimes be tried therefor by
the same tribunals. incarcerasea in the san,
prisons, and hung upon the samc scaffolds
And while their masters commit atrocious
treason against the Government which
shelters oil, have not these oppressed sub.
jects, right to fight for it, and shed thei,
blood in defense Of its flag 4e
Ifby the offer Of freedom we cnuld in.
duce these bond subjects to leave their trea.
sonable masters, and return to their lsgiti-
mate sovereign. whom they have never wi3-
lingly offended, what 3prinoipjs Of. law. .,
right would be thereby contravenei 4 Has
not any established Government m, absolute
right to exercise this sovereign authority
over its own subjectsi lit be alleged that
this would be . violation of our faith with
the Southern States, tho conclusive answer
is. that they had already violated theirs
with US by attempting to dissolve the Union.
We could ~ rightfulIy do this - we could
induce the soldiers in the rebel armies to
leave their ranks and return to their allegi.
anee by the offer ofa general partop.. And
to deny that We can rightfully do either, is
to hold that that the individual claims Of
traitors, the rights and local regulations Of
insurgent States. are paramount to, the sov.
sreignty of the General Government.
The period at length arrived when, 70, IN
sure success 10 our arms, and make the
overthrow Of the Rebellion 4 speedy. and
certain event, an sffeokual blow at shia
formidable element Of rebel ppwer was i'm,
peratively demanded. Our authority exep
the subject was broal and ample, AMI tho
necessity for the step no longer doubtful
Why hesitate 10 terminate tho war, snd
save the Unio3, by iloosing slavery .. II
became obvious, that amid the threes az
this mighty revolution, ono or the other.
must 60 down, The Union and Slavery
cannot both be saved from the wreck, for
the same power which rescuss the ono must
inevitably crush the other. Which ia the
more valuable for preservation \ After Az
it's manifold crimes against liberty and hu-
manity, against God and His holy laws what
claim has slavery upon this Government
for protection and pcrpstuity To this
reckonining had the Nation como ON the
first day of January, 1863.
thank Almighty God, that at this mo-
mentous juncture, we had man at the helm
OF this Government who fully realized the
situation, and possessed the sublime cour-
age to perform his duty, and place the seal
of condemnation irrevocably. and forever,
upon this convicted criminal Of mankind
rba dead in done the ,;yhtens,s ;udrern.r.
has been pronounced, and from the honest
heart tho author tells Us, "it cannot be re.
tractsd." No earthly power can send back
to slavery these millions Of fresmen for be.
tween them and such power stand more
than twenty millions Of other men to defend
the broad seal which that proclamation
be srs:
In its diminished and attenuated form.
slavery still fingers But it is robed in the
habiliments of the grave. Waiting only for
the rites Of sepulcher. How these shall be
performed the world may not care for
over. its accursed remains the star Of free
dom shall forever shine. and the loud ho
sannas Of an emancipated race be sung
through all succeedingkges.
The victim Of morbid and reasonable
ambition. slavery has been murdered in the
house Of its friends. Upon them, not up
on Us, tie responsibility Of its death must
forever rest. The Union rs Il was, the
people Of the North wsrs wiling to maintain
and abide by; but, as the South have de-
tsrmined otherwise, 1t is our dnty now to
insist upon the Union ~ it should bs, and
as our fathers intended it.
My ardent wish is that this desolating
war may speedily close, and tho insurgent
States resume their political right in the
Union.
That We may properly understood the the.
ory of reconstruction, il is important to
avoid misapplication Of the term. The
rebellion having failed of success, the
Union is not dissolved /; and, therefore, the
disorganizsd States, only require to be 70
CONSTRUCTED. Had they succeeded ip achiey-
ing their separation, tho Union, To that ex.
tent. would have been dissolved, and the
question of reconstruction have presented
different aspect.
Having, by treason TO the General Gov.
ernment, and the inevitable consequences
Of civil war, accomplished the destruction
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