Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-01-12
ADVOCATING SECESSION.

The Bourbon organ of Democracy
published at tho national capital. is
not pleased with the admission made
by Senator Mcdonald, of Indiana. in
his resolutions offered as q substitute
nmnn1essmsrrffaraa s.sr s.Aaa.e.. Merton,
viz: that secession is not constitutional
or rather, that the doctrine of secession
persisted with the rebellion. This
rebel organ is edited by a southerncr
and an ex-Confederate, and the fol-
lowing i'm the way he discourses
s'To say that the right Of any State
or any number of States TO seccde
from The Union was not reserved, is
to say that for which there is no war
rant in the Constitution, nor in any
cotemporary record or Interpretation.
None OF the rights reserved to the
States and TO the people are particu-
1arized all the powers conferred up
on the Federal Government arc enum-
Grated. THE powers not delegated
to the United States by The Constitu-
fion, nor prohibited by it to The States
are reserved to the States. respective
~ or to the people, That which was
not delegated in the form of power
remained in tho form of right. The
power to coerce State to continue in
the Union was not delegated; the
right to secedc was not denied. nor its
exercise prohibited. If. rs Mr.. Nc
Donald atfirms in his third resolution.
.thc rights reserved to The States and
,s.rl, rs
(which cannot be impaired without
iisul-paiion,' then, according to all the
rules of political or legal interpreta-
ton, The right Of secession is q sor-
ereiga sfght-a right qclich no pore,
ssable to ertiagnish, of which no COM
\ inunity is capable permanently to di-
vest itself, and the use of which can
mot be obstructed without criminality
on the part of those by whom the act
q is committed.
TO say that secession has been ex-
iinguisked by the results of the late
civil war. prepares the way for the
inquiry, (Which OF the results" Was
itafle battles and murders and rob-
berries and rayishmcnts2 Was ii the
victories and defeats, and the final
conquest and subjugation? Was il
s flfc hypocritical malignant farce that
was played throughout the South in
Y the name of reconstruction Is it in
the reign of negroes and carpet-bag e.
gers, through which society is disor-
dercd. government-local and gener-
ai--dcbanched. and the people plum
dered? Is ii in the sentence Of out
iawry that is continually pronounced
npon the Southern people by exemp-
larry Republican Journalists and aspir-
ing Representatives of AboIitionist
constituencies IT The right Of seces-
sion cscisted-oa,d the political Hterd-
hire Qfthe qcorld docs not afford the
means, either. bv document or by anal
nm. 10 demonstrate its non -elistcRce--
Sf still stands IN all its original iategyi-
tn, qtsadimi,aished and mjainpaired."
Thus, right nndcr the shadow Of
the national Capitol. with three Or
four score of ex-rebel officers Of the
late Confederate army, sitting as Leg
islators in Congress, is the right of
secession boldly and impudently an
nounced, and the leader of The Dem-
ocratic House, w. II. Morrison, chair
man ofthe Ways and Means Commit
Tee, cxpnnges his record of services in
the Union army from the Congress
ssional Directory, and appoints as
i clerk of his committee, a man equally
I Bourbon with the editor Of the afore-
said organ.
In 1860, man in the North who
prophesicd rebellion was denounced
ms crazy lunatie. We all measure
ably. dreamed in fancied security. We
are a nation of idiots, those of us who
are not knaves, il we indulge in the
dream again. Concession, free par
) don for great oflenses, an extension
of brotherly citizenship, fair dealing,
and the kindest OF treatment nercr did
saclstte The duty TO hand orer the Keys
OF ones eouH to The safe Keeping Of
The man qcho once yijqed II. So the ex-
tension Of fnn pardon and freedom of
full citizenship docs not include the
handing over into the hands of the
e.r-rebel Bourbon Democracy he con-
f,Dg Of the country. That this same
Bourbon element controls the present
Democratic party, there can be no
manner of doubt. lit does not show
all its claws a,oac, it is because it is a
matter Of policy not to do so. Those
claws will appear and grapple their
prey from time to time, as there shall
appear safety not only in graphing
ii, hut also in retaining il when once
caught,