Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-01-05

vi tnt Qu;tuTlIdicidi COlitcSt now Delnf
waged between Belknap, Kirkwood
Harlan and Price, ii would certainly
be very apt to follow that the Sixth
Congressional District would avail
itself Of the opportunity and strike
for its distinguished citizen.
IT is conceded that the power Of the
Speaker Of the Lower House Of Con.
grcss wields great influence in de.
termining the character Of ma
tional legislation in appointing the
committees Of the House. II is APP
parent too, in the recent appointments
of the chairmanships by Speaker Kerr
of twenty-four chairmen out of the
forty-eight, from the old slave States,
that the Democratic party is again
fast yielding to the demands of the
Southern Democracy in giving to 1t
the control of that party. II isappar-
cnt that for the vast number of South
ern outrages and barbaritics commit
ted by the southern wing of the par
ty, the whole party has become ex-
susers and defenders. Ii is plain
that the extreme doctrine of States
Rights and want of sound, sub
stantial, self-preserving nationality in
the Union of the States, are yet doc
trines of this same old Democratic
party. In other words, in all this
there is seen the governing and over
shadowing power of the old pro-
slaveryites again capturing the lead
crship of modern Democracy. II will
be interesting i'm these times, when, in
SO far as the Democratic party re-
gains power, we are drifting back
under the rule of those men who re-
belled and fought, or sympathized
with those who did rebel. to destroy
the nation, to read from the lips of
one of the most distinguished men,
just previous to the rebellion, as to
how the South, through the Demo-
cratic party, then controlled and had
controlled the government of the
country. The speech was delivered
before the State Convention Of Geor-
gia, assembled for the purpose of TAX
ing The State out of the Union, in
January, 1861, by Alexander II.
Stephens. Speaking of those who
had had the national government in
their hands, he said:
aWe hare dl,cays had The control of
ii, and can yet, If sce remain an al, and
are as united as are hare been. We
have had n majority Of the Presidents
chosen from the South, as well as the
control and management of those cho-
sen from the North. We have had
sixty years of Southern Presidents to
their twenty-four, thus controlling
the Executive Department. So, of the
Judges Of the Supreme Court, we
have had eighteen from the South,
and but eleven from the North; al
though nearly .four..tifths Of the Judi
cidl business has arisen an the Free
States, yet q majority of the Court
has al,c0yS been from the South. This
we have required so rs to guard
against any Interpretation Of the Con-
stitution apfdroTdhle 10 as. In like
manner we have been equally watch
fnl TO guard our interests i'm the Leg
islative branch of the Government.
In choosing the presiding Presidents
(pro tenn Of the Senate, we have had
twenty-fonr to their eleven. Speak
ers of the House, we have had iwen-
ty-threc and they twelve. While the
majority of the Representatives, from
their greater population, haze ai,cdys
been from the North, yet we have gem
orally secured the Speaker, because he,
to great extent, shapes and controls
the legislation of the country. Nog
have we had less control i'm every 9TH
er Department of the General Gov
ernmcnt. Attorney Generals we have
had fourteen, while The North has had
but five. Foreign Ministers, we have
had eighty six and they but iifiy-fonr.
While Mree-toarths of tie business
,ehich demands diplomatic agents
abrodd Is Clearly from the free States,
from their great commercial interests,
yet we have had the principal embas-
sizes, so as To secure the world markets
for our cotton, tobacco, and sugar, on
the best possible terms. We have had
a vast majority of the higher offices
of both army and navy. while n larg-
cr portion Of the soldiers and sailors
were drawn from the North. Equal
~ so with clerks, auditors. and comp
trollers filling the Executive Depart
ments. the records show for the last
fifty years, that of the three thousand
thus employed, we have had more
than two-lhirds of the same, while We
have had but onc-third of the white
population of the Republic.
Not one single one of the above
statements made by Mr.. Stephens
could be refuted, but it was of nc
avail, and because they had then bee,
defeated in thus controlling, for tho
time being, the government of thu
country, they chose rcsolniely, delib.
erately, and wickedly to be traitors
In the present organization Of the
House they have chosen a man from
the North only by scratch, or rather
by the width of The Ohio river, The
one chosen, too. is one of the simon
pure, bunker, anti-War men, one o
those who raised no hand TO suppress
rebellion. but, on the contrary, Whose
heart, and deeds, so faras he put fortl
any, were in sympathy and aid of hi
Southern Democratic allies, and righ
well he has acceded to their demands
land We have no doubt, most willing
! lly,) by giving to the South, with onl!
about one-third of the population, on'
| half Of the chairmanships Of commit
tees. giving to such States as Nilsson
ri and Kentucky, in these positions
even a better showing than the State
Of New York and Pennsylvania, ant
not giving all New England singh
Craftsmanship. If il shall be the pur
pose Of the people Of the United State
to give the country back into the con
troll lof the South, through the Demo
cratic party, as portrayed by Mr
Stephens, then shall we lose faith il
their ability for sclf-government.
The Isater-Oceaa, on Saturday. pub
lished in its local columns what pui
ported 10 be disclosures in the whisk
ring business that reflected strongl
upon Secretary Bristow, and eve