The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-09-03
SPEECH
OF HON. JAMES HARLAN.
AT OTTUMWA. IOWA,
Aug. 9th 1865.

I ing election, and in which he aad
: personal interest different from /
!. interest that must be felt BIZ eve
other citizen. Ifthey should ma
q mistake in the selection of Sts
and Federal officers this fall it won
9 affect him perhaps as seriously
! any other person present. He cou
not, therefore, entertain any acrim
Dlous feeling towards any one wi
might differ from him in opinion. al
IT was not probable that III so lar,
an audience there would be enti
: harmony of judgment in relation
the best course to be pursued. a
far as he had had opportunity
hear end understa nd the views DR.
sented by those who differed wit
him IN political opinions, they di
not raise any State issues. The
seemed like sensible men to take
tor granted that the Republican
Will elect their State officers In low,
and with this expectation they seen
ed to be comparatively well pleased
ana we'll they might be, considerip
how poorly they had managed th
interests OF the the State when up
der their control and how well the
have been managed by the Republi
cans 1t would not be his provinc
to deal with State questions in sci
thng the only practical question ii
TINS election, whether it is wise I,
turn out the representatives of tn,
Republican party and TO put in til,
representatives Of the Democrat,
party, If politics were out OF IN,
way and the interests Of Tho peopl,
alone were to be consulted, he hae
little doubt that he Republican can
dIdates would be elected BY nearly .
unanimous vote But their opponents
said they thought ii would be wise
to make q change in the National
Government; and it was that prac
llcal question that was to be settled
~ this election. LII proceeding to
present his views he would say in ad.
Vance that IL Was no part OF his du.
y y INSIST that every law that may
have ueen enacted by congress after
Inc itepublicans obtained c htrol was
the wlsest that could have been
aiopied. All that was necessary was
70 sl Nv that prob ID j.. il tbs change
shoald occur in the government that
''ur u mocratic iiirnls deSire. these
affair, would nut be mauas red more
wisely than they have been man.
aged. Fur he was sure very busi.
TINS ihal 1t wodtd De eAttethsLjn- in
Ege6aa 5pffH ray his Gle. K at,orneyss
set OF me,l 10 aid IL. 1a ~ q new
unless some evident beiieisUostnesss
result nnm the change. If fhJF
now in his service were doing as
well us probably would be done by
the lew employees change would
be very foolish. And SO all mus
agree IN relation TO change OF the
mon who are ia future to manage the
affairs of the nation. Ii the Repub
hcans have been dong or are now do
my AS we'll rs the Democrats would
do, ii they were installed, no good
would result from the change, and
you would loose the advantage OF
the experience that the others may
have acquired. who have been en-
trusted with these responsibilities
for brief period.
When the Republicans obtained
control OF the National Government
they were the successors OF the rep.
reseniatives of the Democratic par
ty. Ii occurred March Atm 1861
The peopleat that time decided upon
change. The incumbent of the
Presidential chair at that time was {
leading Democrat, by the name o
James Buchanan, now gone to hi'
long home. The heads of the ex
ecutive Offices agreed with him po
litically, a majority Of the Senate
| were Democrats. There was not
clear majority of any party in tb
House Of Representatives. The Su
preme Court was Democratic. s.
| that those who had had control wer
our opponents; and when they band
ed over the government to the Re
publican party, q war had been inar
gurated, and several states had, a
they said, seeded. Open, fragrant wa
had been commenced in the South
ern States; the public property ha
been seized in all those states; fort
arscnals, armories.p -ofices, custom
houses, court houses everything =
longing to the national governmer
in those states, with the exception {
two orthree forts, had been captu
I'd by force of arms by those wn
had ariayed themselves under til
administration OF The Democrat
party against the federal flag. TIL
occurred before the 4th of Marc
1861. This vas the fruit of q Dem
cratic &C ministration Of the nation
government; and before the Republ
can Congress convened, as they d
III extra session July 4th ofthat yea
some ten oreleven States had as tht
said seeded and two or three othe
had done 40 practically. Missou
Maryland and Kentucky, were giviI
more aid aud comfort TO the rebe
than to the national gov ernment.-
The same might be said Of Delawa
also. So the Republicans did n
come into power ander auspieious q
cumstances Now in this situation
atialr- did the Republicans act
, wisely as the Democrats had reas'
TO expee, them TO at.t3 You Dem
crats may LAY they oaght TO ha
| compromised these dlfficaities. WI
, in tne alne of he GOD of truth d
you not comp, omise il yoarselv
| when you h,ui thepower The les
: ers of he Rebellion were yoartrien'
: why did not you compromise it wi
| them !? A voice "was not capable
i it."l Perhaps that was the reas
/, youcither lacked the brains or {
! disposition | do not care on whi
0 horn OF the dilemma the party is p
J. ched. Yoa may say that their 70
ishDess did not justify the Repul
cans for not effocting this very dc
rable end. He would therefore {
quire OF every candid person prcst
whether the Republicans did not
a all that honorable men could be
v pected 10 do to quiet this spirit of
k volt. The Rebels pretended that th
Q began this war on account of the f
= that their slaves would bo liherat
l. and because the people had decit