The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1871-07-27

"Der Den,okrat" on the Situation.


On tho first page of the present is
sue will be found the strangely fam
ous letter of DIR. Newman, of Wash
ington, TO some friend in Iowa, rela.
tive 10 the reelection of Senator Har-
Ian, together with Mr.. Harlan's let
tef to the Davenport Gazette, reply.
ing to structures upon himself, made
in certain editorial quarters. The
feverish excitement Of the fret sur
prise which followed the tirst ap-
pearance Of DR.. Newman's letter, has
abated, but interest In the matter has
by no mems subsidized. Various CON-
ments continue to be made by the
press of the State, some roundly de.
nouncing Senator Harlan, while
others, seeing no reasonable grounds
for such denunciatiol, pronounce it q
game to make capital il favor Of W.
B. Allison, and against Harlan. For
ourselves, we have no preference to
express at present between Messrs.
Allison and Harlan, for Senatorial
honors, and hence what we say we
say upon the merits Of the case, as
they appear to Us,
The Dndudue HsrdA was the first
paper in the State to publish the let
ter, from what is said to have been a
lithograph copy, many similar copies
having been circulated. clandestinely
among numerous reliable parties
throughout the State. The letter is,
probably, genuine; but that il is o
circular lsttof, has not yet been t1ade
to appear. That it Isl remarkable let
ter, we should never have supposed,
had we not heard it 90 styled by
those who ought to know. II must
have been an idiot who offered q
thousand dollars for an authentic copy
else, he felt very sure ono could not
be produced. We say the letter Is a
very ordinary thing, and docs not
disclose the scctarian proclivities of
the writer, the person addressed, or
the party to whom reference is made.
We can conceive of but one con.
struction which II is possible to place
upon 1t, whereby 1t might be made
an extraordinary document, to-wit !:
it says certain things which it does
does mean at all; it leaves much un-
said, all of which 1t means. Here is
the key which unlocked the myster-
les which lie hidden in the un-written
portion Of that wonderful letter; DR..
Newman ia a Methodist: tho nDear
Brother" is supposed to be . Metho-
dlst; Senator Harlan is Methodist,
and it is we'll known that Iowa
Methodism is something Of power,
in it's proper sphere; ergo, 1T must be
areligio. political campaign docnmeut
Suppose the church relationships Of
mono of the parties had been known,
what would then Nave been thought
of it ? The letter would have been
extensively copied by the press, as
complimentary to Mr.. Harlan, aud
nothing moro. Mr.. Harlan's reply
to the structures upon himself, has
called forth much comment from the
press. Some accept the plain, fair
meaning of his language, while others
discard that, having discovered an
unwrittsn mystery in the letter.
We need not call particular attention
10 the document, except. perhaps, to
the last paragraph. IL Mr.. Harlan
stands fairly and honestly upon that
platform, rs religonist, mo objections
can be Urged on that score, at least.
But, Mr.. Harlan, nor any other man
who attempts TO ride a sectarian hob
by into Office, deserves to succeed. -
He should be spurned with contempt
BY all lovers of religious and political
liberty.
The reply of" Der Demokrdt" which
we publish in connection with the
other letters because IL relates di.
rectly thereto, is a more remarkable
document than either of the others,
for the reason that it squarely states
tthe position of, at least, portion of
the German Republicans Of Iowa
directly antagonistic to tho Admin
istration. Ard on the ground that
Senator Harlan is strong supporter
OF the Administration, that paper,
and some other German papers in
the State, will oppose bis reelection,
Der Demokrat is Republican, or at
least Processes to be, but we do not
believe that majority of the Ger
man voters of the State believe the
political doctrine which it breaches
Senator Harlan's chances are not
likely to be tho less because he is q
supporter of the present Administra-
tion.