The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1870-04-14
Republication.

henry Clay Dean has sent to Judge
Claggett of the Constitution, his re
puiiating resolutions, adopted at
ottumwa recently. requesting their
publication. The Judge does 50, and
then proceeds deliberately to repudi-
ate these repudiators, saying among
many Other pertinent things, the FOL.
lowing
"Ihe first resolution adopted at
the Ottumwa meeting is rs follows !:
THAT we will,usc every mcsts In
our power, for the republication of all
obligations in every form to pay the
present bondcd debt of the United
| States."'
"That assertion is tho basis Hpon
which the Whole aapcrstructrrc of
Reputation is attempted ta te rcar.
cd. 1t is nothing mort horlcss than
the affirmation of the right of a state
| to Sccedo from the Union oi her own
vol'i'on, and denial of the right OF
the government from which tho state
attempts to Withdraw to torcibly
prevent hef IRON accomplishing her
premcditated purpose, 1.-THE Tight.
iulncss OF secession is admitted, the
wrongsulncss of coercion is thereby
established and consequently tho
debt created by The government in
iorclbly coercing tho southern states
to remain ,n the Union against her
consent was am Just, SIS we'll as illegal.
ut Is sufficient FOR lis TO state that
we 10 not no,o nor nccey did believe
the right OF secession ia one of tho
reserved rights contemplated by the
founders of our republican form of
government, which arc referred to in
the federal constitution. The recon.
milton OF the right OF a state to with.
draw from the Union of her own vo-
litlon, would render our present form
OF government as weak for sclfprcs-
ervation as tho old confederation was
and which the present government
was designed expressly to obviate.-
But, whatever may have been the
honest differences Of opinion between
citizens Of the United State on that
point, prior to, and during our late
civil war; the result of the war has
forever settled the question against
that political doctrine or heresy, or
by whatever name it may be called;
and we have positive proof that Gen.
Robert h. Lee, Alexander III. Steph-
ems, amp other distinguished citizens
in the south, who were mast promi-
nently connected with the rebellion.
have since the war publicly expressed
their assent to the doctrine. that tho
warfnalsy se5tledthe question against
the right Of secession as a peaceable
| remedy against evils complained of
under the federal government lit
will be observed that che right of
revolution is not herein contempIa.
ted And the democratic party of
the WHOLE Union, in It's last national
convention fully and unequivocally
recognized that fact also, by pledg-
ing the organization in favor Of
paying the debt created by the war
against secession ''dccordiaq to the
terms q the contract The demo
cratic party of this State, and of
every other State in tho North East
and West, has, over and over again
proclaimed the same doctrine in
State conventions.
with all due respect, therefore,
tor the opinions of those citizens who
constituted the meeting at Ottumwa
and voted for the rcpudiating resolu-
tons, we are constrained to differ
with them, both asregards the policy
as well as the honesty of the meas
urc."
Hon. John p. Irish, of tho Iowa
City State Press, has taken substau-
TALLY the same position, and Irish and
Claggett and tho Press and The Con-
stttWfon, are the ablcst and most re.
spectacle exponcnts Of Iowa denoe-
racy.
Evidently the Dcanitc faction of
the democratic party in making this
appeal to the party at large, have
over-cstimatcd its dishonesty and dis
loyalty, and have, AS u consequence,
under estimated the clements of hon,
esty and patriotism, still prevalent in
that organization, if VIC may regard
Mcssrs. Irish and Claggett speak
in.e as men having authn1itx