The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1871-08-31
ANOTHER GREAT folITICAI,

Honorable and Frank Avowal ofWhat
IN to be Attempted When the Demo.
Gratis Come Into Power - Seuthern
slaves 70 BE- Paid for, and tho Money
oAvotsrs.
From the Richmond Wing, Aug. III
The Southern States, under any
fair apportionment that may be
adopted, will have twelve more than
third of the representation in Con
gress and in the Electoral College,
United and harmonious, this would
constitute power adequate for self
protection, If not sufficient to control
the action of the government. We
have common ntereats--one cspeci.
ally Of towering and controlling in.
fiuence, capable of welding the whole
southern population, black and white
into ono solid mass for joint and
common action. Slavery has been
abolished. But Slavery has never
been paid for. 1t was a constitution
al and vested right, if there be such
a thing. No government ever con-
fiscated such property and of such
magnitude without compensation to
the individual. 1t would be mon
strous if it did, and it would unsettle
and contound and jeopardize all other
rights. The blacks can be made to
have tho same interest in this right
as the whites. The market value 81
the property at the outbreak of the
war was estimated at $4,000. QUO. 900.
The half of that sum might redress
the whites. the othe, half could con.
sole q. G. bribe) the blacks and prove
a far more substantial blessing than
the imaginary "mule and 40 acres
of land. !" ,
We have no idea of pressing this
reclamation at the present time. But
it is a shot in our locker, which we
are unwilling to surrender, and wo'd
DO ready to use Whenever an oppor.
tunity presented itself. A Southern
Conference, either the coming win.
ter or at some future time, can ar
range the programme, the mode,
measure, and time for urging this
claim. We would not hurry lit is
permanent bulwark and source Of
safety and harmony to all distracted
elements Of Southern society,"
Whenever the signal is given it will
bring white and black together.
shoulder to shoulder. The North
sold the slaves and pockcted the
money, and then confiscated the
slaves of the South, for what they
pretended was the public good. They
must pay for it. tbs only question
Of time-aLd though we are all,
white and black, very poor,..we are
not impatient. They turned the
poor blacks out of house and home.
with the delusive promise of mule
and 40 acres, and left them to the
cold charity of the world. The
blacks must be paid for their confis-
Gated home and right TO protection.
But as already stated, we do not
urge 1T at the present time. We.
however, are unwilling to abandon
it, or jeopardize it's recovery by dis.
banding an independent party organ.
ization. That Independent party
may save US when all other expedi.
ents shall fail. Gen. Grant himself
might be willing to achieve re-elec
ton by according to us all and more
than we ask. At any rate, it is the
best trump out, and if judiciously
played may win tho game. The
weather is too warm for elaboration.
Hints must suffice. Wise mon can
take and ponder them and if there
be good in them, like bread cast upon
water, it will return to bless us after
| many days.