Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1861-06-21
JUDGE DOUGLASS LAST SPEECH.

Fnans we cannot do beit0f than 10 give 10 the
GOrld oace more bis last speech---Bn effort by
which be placed himself boldly and uneauivo-
callg on The side of the right, and won 10 him
self The heart of the people, it was delivered
on the LIST of May 1861, at Na.iousl Hall. in
the city Of Chicago. Judge Douglas said
MR. CHARMAtI-I thank you for the kind
terms with which you have been ple4sed to
welcome ne; | thank the COMMITTEE, aud ]
thank the eiiizens Of Chicago, for this grand
aud imposing reception. But | beg you to
believe that do not do you the Injustice to
consider this ovation a personal one, but rather
that | rejpice in the knowledge hat it is an
expression of four devotion to tue consttu
tlcn and the laws Of our country. | will not
conceal nay qualification at the uncontr yerti-
bic testimony which this vast audianea pre-
senis, that whatever difference of opinion may.
have heretofore divided w, the conviction How
exists in your n.ind that 10 danger my loyalty
10 ms country may be relied upon. That dan
ger is imminent, lone caD conceal for then.
selves, no matter how they may desire to avert
the evil; but if war must be--if the bayeneI
must crush social order and liberty, then, De.
! fore God, feel my conscience clear. | have
struggled as long as there was hope, and even
alter hope bad almost disappeared, for peace
full solution of the trouble. / have not ouly
rendered full satisfaction and ample justice,
but have proffared Cancellation eycu To the
extent of nsgnauimty aud generosity. The
return which We receive is war on our govern
ment, tic march OF armies on our capital. the
obstruction of our trade, the issue Of letter,
Of maFque authorizing awless pirates 10 prey
up5n our comu,srce--iu short, a concerted
movement TO blot The United States fFom the
map of the world. Tue simple question is
whether we are 70 Saaiutsin ths Gogernneut,
or alloR it 10 be stricken out of existence BY
those who 40 longer acknowledge ito authori.
| ty, and seek ouly TO destroy it.
What excuse eau the dIsunonIsts give for
breaking up the best governmeut the sun ever
shed its light upon? They are dissatisfied
with the result OF the last Presidential cleo
ton. Were they never beaten before7 Are
/ we TO tolerate the idea that the defeated harty
Is to resort tc the sword! / understand il to be
fundamental principle that the voice of the
/ people mast command obedience. They as
sumo that 10 the election of party candidate
| their rights are not safe. What evidence have
we of it, | defy aRy man to show fact that
/ viii substantiate it. Whit one act has been
omitted that they can corgpidta ofl SOfar as
| the rights Of the Soqth are concerned tile
/ nights of Shareholders no act has been onlit-
| tel Of lUhich they caA complain. There has
neUer been the day since the hour of RaSh
ingtoAs inauguration doLn to thfs 1aoment
lrten the rtghts of The SOath have do9d firm
ef uadsrlthe iaps of the land Tfsre neer
LO4s The fine Wt0a they had not quit as gaod
cause for diSUnton note. What sp'c,ie
| grievance can they assign from n days OF
| Washington to this memeBt! If It"g rCfar
to the territorial question, IT is an fxtr "a IL
nary fact that there is now no act on our ss.t-
ute books limiting slavery in any m4nner.--
| Ii to this enforcement of the laws, the esiy
| complaint is that too much has brea don
that we have been too eager TO enforce the ~
gitise slave law. Then ask what exadsr las
the South for the scheme Whish thoy have
connected 10 wind up tue Uniunl Th- slavery
/ question is mere excuse, The elec.ion OF
/ Lincoln is but a pretext. Tha present
secession movement is The result of enora
| nous conspiracy which was matufod year
ago. This conspiracy was framed by the
| leaders OF tho secession movement about
twelve months ago, aud they have used every
means To urge it on. They have caused
tDan to be elected by a sectional vote, TO
| demonstrate that the Union @as divided; and
when the history of the country, from the time
| of the Lecomptnn Constitution to the date of
Lincoln's election. is written, it will appear
/ that scheme Was maturing meantime which
was for no end except to break up the Union.
/ They desired to break it up, and they used
| the sla very question as means. They desired
to create purely sectional vote, to demon
strate that the two sections could not live to-
gether The disunion card dictated that the
South was to carry its own election. aud that
the North was to elect lincoln Then uniS
| ted South w4s to assail Divided North, and
gain an easy victory. This scheme was defeat
ed by the overthrow OF the disunion candidates
40 Kentucky, Tennessee aud Virginia. Still
the grand conspiracy existed, and the disu-
nion movement was the result Of it. But
have no ttDc &c enter into details. Armies
are raised, sud war has been levied. There
are but two sides to the question, aud every
man must be either on the side of the Uaited
States or against it. There can be none but
patriots or traitors. Thank God, Illinois IL
not to be doubted on this question. They
couspired TO produce civil war among Re-
publlcans aud Democrats, expecting to step
! 10 and accomplish aD easy victory. Their
scheme will involve civil war and bloodshed 10
the United States, aud the calamity is only t.
be ayerted by united action.
repent that SO ION, as thire was possibility
Of settling The trouble peacefully, epery sacrl-
fee cus mqde and proposed, and now, when
the question is to be transferred from the cot
tou States to the cornGells Of Illinois, say the
farther off the better. War is a sad thing,
but ciyil war must nov be recognized ex-
isting ia the United States. We can no long
er close our eyes to the solemn fact. In this
exlgeney the government must be maintained,
and the uore stupendous aud overwhelming
are our preparations, the shorter viii be the
struggle But, my countrymeG, We are to
remember that ccrtlin restrictions are to be