The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1860-10-20
Extract from speech of Judge Randall,
ELECToR FOR THK THIRD plsrRICr


published in the Times and HeraM W
make room for few extracts:
But, my friends, ! have expended al
the time in the discussion Of the shaver,
/ question which it is proper for me TO give
( to it to night. ! can, think, occupy YOU
attention more protitably by calling you
recollection to some OF the great question.
of public interest which are continually
falling victims to this angry slavery con
troversy. \ few facts which exist in the
history of our candidate afford the best il!
lustrat!on of these evils which can give
you to night. | wish to call your recoll-c.
toh, back hut a few short years to glance
. AT the condition of this country, in its
rude, Wild state, and to remember that
rude and wild as she then was, she was
struggling with . State debt. which hum
upon her neck with the fearful weight OF
a milestone You all recolect that, at
that date in her history, Lyman Trumbull
who was then in the State Legislature, had
no other remedy TO offer to his State than
a reputation of debt He argued with
truth, that emigration was then avoidius
her as they would a deadly contagion.-
That if compelled to cross her borders,
they would harry through to the States or
Territories beyond, a. if accelerated by the
apprehension that some calamity might
oyertake them which would compel them
u remain in a prostrats and taX-ridden
State. You recolloct the deSpondency
which had possession Of the pUbiic mind
How men Of less cenius and more limited
forecast were appalled, at the prospect of
the future Oh remember how many
thousands, overcome with these apprehcn-
sions gathered up the little they had
about them and removed 10 other States
and other Territories. where they did not
perceive such porteu"ing evils II was.
indeed, day of sore trial TO the pioneers
OF our State and many good men faltcred
IN their hopes. We are short gltcd rnrr.
God, IN hi= Providence. has given t. Us
hut narrow vision 10 behold the grandeur
Vi A.- hyuuu.e>s pun poses Ia ti!at dis
mai hour, how d.d the people need a su-
per!or genius 10 guido them wisely in their
progress 10 the future OF which in the
darkness Of that hour they could obtain
hardly the i4.ntcst glimpse But God i
mercitul IN his mysterious Proyidencos -
The people found their light in the hour
of need They found their guide in the
champion who i now teariu- cur standard
forward towards a glorious victory lie
Wa not in the Legislature, bat Young as
he wa~. he saw the crisis that was closing
IN upon his adopted State. H.. saw the
terrible DANGER which hung over the fl-
ture of her hopes. lie saw the despond-
ancy Of her people His clear eye pOr-
trayed to hln the great stake that then
hung upon their action. He was able.
with the far seeing intellect with which he
had been blessed by Providence hey ond
any living man, - behold in the future
-..o -, II
gle, and an uniIl;cring integrity. He or
gained at the seat of government what
was termed the third house, meeting in
the evening after the adjournment Of the
legislature, and then he introduced and
discussed the question of Reputation in
such a mastery manner that he was ena-
b!ed TO arouse the nerve and energies Of
the people, and they put their foot upon
the neck of the hydra-headed monster
and crushed its power
Now, let NE ask YOU. my friends. if
Trumbulls ideas had then prevaied-if
the State had gone through the olious
forms Of repudigtiug her honest and just
debts, what man would ever afterwards
have thought of going into the eastern
money market, or 10 Europe, 10 ask sub
-criptiOns OF stock to the railroads. which
are now the material agents OF our pros
perity? Could any man be 50 blind as TO
suppose he could get capital in any part OF
the world TO build a railroad in a repudi-
at!ng STATE Bot must not stop here 70
nor4.ze upon the effect Of this act be-
cause the history Of our champion does
not stop here. lie did not suppose lie had
performed his whole duty when lie had
aroused the people from iAe.r d->ponien-
cy-portrayed to them the priceless value
d
sured them that il they were true to
themselves they had the inherent energies
and capacity to achieve glorious triumph
over their embarrassments. These were
but starting points III his career You
well remember the great efforts he made
III Congress TO obtsin through eou@ression
al aid the enlargement and deepening oi
our canal, then the great channel Of ouI
commerce. Iou well rcmem Der how his
measure fell Powcrless III Congress through
angry sectional excitement, produced by
the slavery question
But 1t Is a characteristic Of Stephen A
Douglas that be does not allow his rejects
to fail lie had undertaken to pilot the
State out ef her difficulties and embarrass-
monts-he had determined to see her
energies developed and lead her to the
high road Of prosperity, and if one means
failed he sought another. lie saw the
great difficulty which lay in the path of
her progress. With the clear eye of a
statesman he comprehended her obstacles
| and the means of their removal. lie
sought the cOuusels of a Clay, a W Webs;er,
a CasS i Crttenden, and others OF largest
capacity and undoubted patriotism, and in
a iraternal spirit they counSellcd together
and laborsd together for the settlement OF
this disturbing question. and III the Com
promise Measures OF lSjl, gave temporary
peace 10 a distracted country.
Ny countrymen. how plainly do we find
our property III the road of national
peace and well being! At the same ses
sion ot Congress when those Compromise
measures We're proposed, Senator Douglas
was able to bring forward aud carry thro
successfully his great measure Of relief to
his own State, the grant OF lands 10 her
for TIE construction of the Central Rail
road. And tliis, let it be understood, was
no begging proposition addressed To the
generosity OF the national government, but
wise and ;udicious disposition of the
public domain by the grant OF alternate
sections, while the retained sections were
doubled in price, and brought Immediately
into market by running channels of com
mcrce through those wild prairies, which
had been shut out from settlement for the
want Of such channels Need | tell what
an impulse this grant gave to our State
Do YOU need to be reminded how tartly
capital, wary and calculating, was in find
ing It's resting place, rushed with unwonted
impetus to our State to construct our rali-
roads, as if by magic, to open tarinS-to
build up towns and villagee-to cover all
these prairies with the evidences OF on
ward growth and uniaiing enterprise :
! Though that grant was obtained but ten
wears ago, vet our State debt, which was
! then over Si1,OOJ,UUO, is now reduced Ia
| less than $4,000, ,0OO-excepting that por
| ton provided for by the canal fund BY a
| contract which the State was able to max
with the Central Railroad Company, she is