The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1871-07-13
REPLY or DER DEMOCRAT". 70
SENATOR HARIAN,s LETTER.
From Der Democrat, July 2, Is

SENATOR HARLAN'S LETTER.
From Der Democrat, July 2, 1871.
The Gazette produced, yesterday,
an article embracing two columns,
from the pen of Senator Harlan,
which was especially devoted to us,
and upon which we therefore com.
ment. The Senator, in the first place,
denies having anything to do With
The letter Of Roy. Newman TO She
Methodist clergymen 81 Iowa, and
further denies that he intended TO be
reelected u. s. Senator by the special
influence of the Methodist church.
If the Senator declares this under the
signature Of his name, then we only
refer to what the writer of the sLet-
ters from Iowa" and the press Of
Dubuque have communicated 10 the
public in regard to this matter. We
SEQ then, also, that the Senator is BY
no means willing to sock his support
only through the Methodists, but also
through tho total clerical element Of
Iowa, OF BY means of that section
thereof known by the collective name
Of "Puritanism." This is also more
practical. sn 4 ., iG.'ffl5
We must, however, confess that
the Senator IL pretty good strate.
gian, and that he understands how
to vancouver. For he tries to give
his case the turn as though the total
injidel German element, Der DemoErat
at it's head, were arising against him,
the pious man, and as though the
Same were united upon Mr.. Allison.
The public will be astunishOd 70
learn this-they know that there is
no word Of truth In all this. But
they will have observed at once that
tho valuation is good. But let the
Senator speak for himself. He says:
Here follows the extract from
Senator Harlan's letter abiding to
Der Demokrat and other German pa.
pers.-Editor Of Gd.ette.1 A3 III
Mr.. Harlan having dwclt upon this
"manouver," upon religion, upon the
clerical confession of Mr.. Allison, and
upon the improprioty of carrying
religion into politics, he continues.
There follows an extract from the
letter addressed particularly to bis
citizens in Iowa Of German
origin" ending with the question,
"Would not the support Of candidates
for Office from such considerations
engender and cultivate hypocrisy 2"
Editor of Gazette.
With this word Hypocrisy" we
| will close up the cffusions of the
Senator. IL is not our Task to defend
Mr.. Allison against the insinuations
or charges of MIR. Harlan. To Soma
tor Harlan wo have to say the fol-
lowing:
Does the Senator not know that
within the Republican party there
are two branches, namely: The adj
ministration or government party,
and the "liberal I" party? Does the
Senator not know, that in Congress
it is up, and that the whole press of
the country make this distinction !?
Since the Senator boasted SO much Of
his duel with Mr.. Scburz, he will
probably know this distinction.
Does the Senator furthermore not
know, that this distinction has moth
ing at all to do with religious ques-
lions, that among the liberal Repub.
licans there are as. many believing
and pious men, as among the admin
istration Republicans, and that all
the distinction rests only upon the
position Of tho Republicans towards
the present administration and Ger
tain questions-as San Domingo An
noxation, protective tariff, reform in
civil Office, amnesty, etc? Tho Sem
ator knows this. Why, then, does
the Senator give another twist of the
word g Liberal" when he talks of us
and the German Republicans of
Iowa? What entities him to this
arbitrary showing up of tho case ?
We have not used the word "liber-
al !" in another sense than in the Gus
tomary political meaning of tho
Same, and referring to tho tiles of
our papers, challenge everybody to
show that our expressions in the
foregoing matter will admit of two
Interpretations. Mr.. Senator, Jug
Cling tricks are unworthy Of you.
We will hope, therefore, that you
were misled by others.
As for your philosophical views,
we openly confess that We belong to
tho realists. But, Mr.. Senator, we
do for all that, not less respect the
pious man. The true religious man is
and ever was venerable appearance
to us. Only the religious hypocrite
we do despise, who uses religion
for his personal objects, and who
would place the religious constitu-
tional liberty of the people as a sac
rificc at the feet Of the domineering
priesthood.
During our political life we have
never inquired into the religious
views of a man or candidate for Office
but have treated every enc in &C.
cordance with personal character
and actions. err
If we, Mr.. Senator, in our small
circle, oppose your vo-election to the
u. S. Senate, it is because you are a
member Of the Administration party
because you oppose the measures
or propositions Of the liberal Repub-
licans in Congress-, and lastly, since
we now, if not before, hold in our
hands the full evidence, embodied in
your article, that you will stir up
and misuse clerical influence and
clerical prcjudices, for tie purpose of
being reelected U. S. Senator.
AS for Mr.. Allison, We are obliged
TO take the following declaration on
honor and conscience:
We never have in any way stood
in any combination with Mr.. Allison
neither directly or indirectly. We
do not know whether he 10 u Method
ist, Baptist. Presbyt rian, Catholic,
or Intidel. As far as we know him,
We know him only from the press,
and by the proceedings of Congress.
From these sources we learn, how
ever, that no belongs to the liberal
Republicans, and he that esteems his
liberty and his convictions, and
knows how to preserve them.
Whether Mr.. Allison or another
person be elected to the United
States Senate, is all the Same to us,
if the elected candidate is only
man, who will represent the interests