The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1860-10-20
1859, July Ii, S5S,l37.6S.
lS6o, March e, S13,966. 1S.
1870 I,lr g. GSn cIDEc

ANNUALLY paying INTO the treasury more
than one million of dollars year! These
results, my friends, grow out of the states
manshIp OF stephen A Douglas | cannot
OUT pause an instant to pay respectful at
tention to the answer which the Republi-
can Journals give to this portion of his
history. have seen but one, heard but
one, and think but one, can be given. It
was first gwen, believe, by the Chicago
Journal, one OF the most bitter Laters of
Mr Douglas, published in "a city which
owes one-iIalf its growth to this Central
! Railroad. The answer is that MI Douglas
did IL good thing in this, but he got fi>
/ pay for it-that he received the wages of
a Senator; and any other Senator or Rep
! resen:ative would have felt under equal
obligations to do the same thing Now,
my friends, IL is perhaps not quite digni-
I li"d, but | cannot help saying to you that
the author of that idea would have made
a capital pedler Of wooden nutmegs He
must he Yankee all over. HIS whole
vision seems TO be occupied with dollars
and cents 1t syery true Mr Douglas GOT
his pay as other officers got their pay for
! doing public duties. | am not cemnis-
stoned here 10 night 10 ask your votes for
. him from mere sentiments OF gratitude
nor am | prepared TO say the wages he got
constitute the compensation he received
for hls services. HIS great compensation
grows ont OF the glorious position his State
BOW occupies among her sisters. 1t grows
out Of the prosperity which now surrounds
us-the glorious character we have as Z.
debt paying State-a State which, amid
her seycre,t oInbarrassments. could not 10
shaken from her great principles Of integ
rty. be gets hi, compensation iii the
shouts which 20 up from the enthusiastic
crowd, all over our country. crying Well
done. good and faithful servant" Let us,
as th. free will offering Of AN admiring
people. add this other shout. Thou hat
been faithful over n few things we viii
make thee ruler Cvermany things Vow
what Is the voice of that journal? 1t
says, as we DO, Well done. good and
faithful servant" you did good thing
then, you did good thing when you kept
JOY OF the Lord
Bat must hasten on. History is too
eloquent OF the greatness of our cham
pion 10 allow II, much time for iurrIlnient
or remark. He has not stopped with the
Contra! Railroad, nor with its advice a. 10
is proceeds He has the capacity to COM
prehend the result Of great measures.
Having relieved hi, tate from immediate
embarrass ssm.nts by the wisdom Of his
couusel- and the force of his statesman
ship. We next fad him grasping with giant
strides ut new and great schemes. have
time now ou!y TO name the Pacific Rail
road. c. II do no better than give YOU
iu his own graphic language his ideas up
on this great prClecr. Two wears ago, 18th
April. ISIS. in q speech iii the Senate, we
find him making the remarks here eX-
tract
: l.. =.
any other mea-'IIe you can devise certain
" more than other measure you have now
in contemplation. Tho people are all an
xioUs for the annexation Of Cuba a. soon
a. i; can be obtained on fair and honora-
ble term.-aud why? In order 10 get
the small. pititul trade cf that Island
We all talk about the great Importance Of
Central America in order To extend our
commerce; 1t Is valuable 10 the extent il
goes But Cuba, Central America, and all
the islands surrounding them put toseth-
er arc not a thousandth part OF the value
OF the great East India trade that would
be drawn first TO our western coast, and
then across the valley of the Mississippi,
if this railroad be constructed. Sir, If We
intend to extend our colnmerce-if we in
tend to make the great ports of the world
tributary 10 our ealth, we must prosecute
our lTair eastward or WESTWARD. as YOU
please: we must penetrate to the Pacific,
is islands and It's continents. where the
great mass OF the human family reside
where the articles that have built up tho
powerful nations OF the world have always
come from. | care no. whether you look
~ 1t In a commercial point Of view as
matter OF administrative economy at home,
a. n question of military defence, or in
reference to the building up of the nation
al wealth, and power, and glory; it is the
great measure OF the age-a measure that
in nv opinion, has been postponed too
long
Let rs pause q single moment my friends,
to look 1T the importance of this India
trade. proposed to be reached by this Pa
citic Railroad Built up by l., the ancient
city Of Palmyra proudly sent its bviStl!ng
spires to the skies at first grove Of
palms, in the midst of a wild and track
less desert of burning sands. whore the
traders of the Indies pitched their tents
TO refresh themselves beneath its cool
shades, and quench their thirst from its
springs, the magic power of this trade of
India forced it into city which command
ed the admiration OF the world. Constan
tinople, Lisbon, and other great cities of
renown. tlouri-hei with wonderful pros
peritv during its continuance with them
and entered upon the gradual process of
decay when that trade was withdrawn.
Dondon, now proudly claiming 10 be the
queen OF the world gets her wonderful
power from the magic influence of this
trade, and would begin the melancholy
course OF dilapIdation and ruin the mo-
ment that influence is Withdrawn.
Is it nothing to Us that the eye of Scna-
tor Douglas has canght the importance of
this trade. and is endeavorIng TO sieze up
on the imstlumentalities by which it can
be drawn across the American continent
to build up new cities, and aid our nation
in its generous rivalry? Is it nothing 10
us, that from geographical position We
must of necessity bc in the thoroughfare
Of that mighty trade if the Pacific Rail-
road is constlucted2 Can any ima.ina-
tion picture to us the grandeur, wealth,
and prominence OF this Mississippi valley
if this work is accomplished? Through
out sur entire limits not one acre of waste
land will be found; fertility of soil and
variety OF production exceeded by no sec
tion upon the face of the habitabIe globe;
a cline vieng in salubrity with the choi-
cest sections Of sunny Italy.
Now. let me ask YOU what has become
! of that great Pacific Railroad project from
which our country has Just right to hope
50 much /; lies strangied and powerless
beneath the angry excitement OF the
slavery issue. 1t has been assassinated by
the madness of sectional strife In the
name of kind heaven can no appeal be
made with sufficient power to allay this
rage, and permit our country once more
to go on toward the completion of the
great mission for which she was created.
| No man can scan the record of Senator
/ Douglas with impartial eyes without see
/ ing the wonderful comprehensiSeness of
/ his views. While advocating the Pacific
! Railroad with all his power-whie giving
his great energies to the settlement Of the
slavery issue, so that tire country may once