The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1861-04-27

q morning dream from the minds of men
and now men Of all parties, by thousands,
are begging for places in the ranks. The
blood Of twenty millions Of freemen boils
with cauldron heat, to replace our national
flag upon the very walls whence it was in
suited and by traitor hands pulled down.
Every village and hamlet resounds with
beat of drum and clansor of arms Three
hundred thousand men waid the click Of
the wires for marching orders, and all the
giant energies of the Northwest are at the
of the government. Those who
have supposed that the people of the free
States viii not fight for the integrity of
the Union, and that they will suffer an
other government to be carved out OF the
boundaries of this Union, have Rugged a
fatal delusion to their bOsoms; for our peo-
pie will wade through seas of blood before
they see a single star or solitary stripe
erased from the glorious flag of our Union.
The services already rendered to me, IN ,
my efforts to organize troops, provide
means, arms and provisions. by distinguish
ed members of the party hitherto opposed |
to me in political sentiments, are beyond
all praise, and are, by me- in behalf Of the
State, most cheeriully Acknowledged
There are now no more companies received
than are needed under the Presidential
call, and almost unlimited numbers have
formed and are forming awaiting further
orders A single inland county LA Salle)
tenders nine full companies, and our prln
cipal city (Chicago) has responded with
contributions Of men and money worthy
of her fame for public spirit and patriotic
devotion Nearly million OF mouey has
been offered to the State, as loan, by our
patriotic capitalists and other private citi-
aens, to pay the expenses connected with
the raising of our Stale troops and tempo
rarily providing for them.
Civil war, it must be confessed is one of
the greatest calamities which can betail a
people. And such war. 1t Is SAID when
Greek meets Greek, then comes the tug Of
war" When American shall meet Ameri
can--when the fiery, impetuous valor Of
the South shall come in contact with the
cool, determined bravery of the North,
then blood will flow TO the horses brides
Would that the calamity might be averted,
But the destruction of our government is
a far greater evil A government which is
the hope Of the word-promsirg moe Of
happiness 10 Us and our children. and the
millions who are To come after Us and TO
the struggling free in every land, than any
government ever Invented by man, must
not, shall not, be destroyed
A government that submits 10 peace9ble
secession signs its own death warrast-
What would be left OF our Union I No
matter how many States it might for the
present still compriSe-thIs weuid give Us
not momens guarantee against further
dissolution, if the right 10 secede once
peaceably tolerated Government is es-
tabli>hed for the protection OF rights and
property, and when built upon tho princi-
pie of voluntary dissolution, it ceases 10
be a 60 eminent under which rational men
can 1--we.
We draw the sword, then, not in a spirit
Z OF Indignation or revenge, but clearly aud
Enthusiastically in self-detense. and III the
poe ,ion OF our own rights our liberty
and security, Cor our property, IL word,
for the nearest and dearest Interests OF our
selves and our pos,crity. have thus so
ken, because an impression may still pre-
vail III the minds Of some, that this conf ct
was one OF our own seeking, and one which
might have been avoided without any lnI-
mineat danger 10 the Yet loyal hearts o;
the country. tbs IS M, SO. Secession has
G,ougM a6"an ITS taoritIbts results and l0oS.
+ crush At AMI troas0n ichcTerr Mey RAISE tier
+ ,nsishfiy hoaLs. or psri5h osrSetces.
/ In this sudden emergency, when the cali
/ was made by the national government, !
found myself greatly embarrassed, 10y what
still remains on our statute book, as u mi
/ liiia law. and by t.!e entire want o. organ
fzation of our military force. A great por-
ton o: tbs law has grown entirely obsolete
al d can not be .rricd out, and moreover
is IN conflict with tie instructions OF the
war department, which latter are based on
( the variour military laws Of the United
+ States now III force. But a far a. possible,
+ have made an effort 10 keep within the
/ provisions OF our laws.
/ havs- to G: II YOUR attention most en-
phatICaily to the .ac;ment OF a practicable
militia iaw, a. recommended N my Inaugural
Address whi Ia should recoguoze the prin-
ciple OF volunteering as one of its mos,
prominent features. 1t ought To- be plain
and ineligible, as well as concise and com
prchensiye. 1t ought 20 provide for many
many emergencies and future contiige
cies, and not for the present moment alone.
trust that our conflict will not be pro-
tIacted one but if il unfortunately should
be, we may well expect that what Is now
done by enthusiasm, and in the first ef-
fervesence of popular excitement, may
hereafter have to be done by stern sense
Of duty, to be regulated by an equally
stern law Trials may come, which car,
only BE- met by endurance and patient
performance Of prescribed duty. / deem
the passage Of a well dicested militia law
the more necessary, as it seems 10 me, that
the present levy of troops, which will soon
pass under the control of the General Gov
ernmen, Is insufficient to protect our State
, against threatened invasion, and: UGH com
} motions as frequently follow in the train OF
} war wonld recommend to keep ac
tive militia force. consisting of infantry
) cavalry and artillery, for some time to come
Laos oil
, against dangers of any kind, and for the
purpose of readily complying from time tc
, time with the re9usitions of the Genera
3 Government
1t is for you, representatives Of the PEG
3 pie, If Won coincide with my views in thi
2 respect, to pass the proper laws to accom-
: plish the objects recommended to you
1 most earnest consideration.
In the organization of troops, the colec
a ting Of provisions, arms and munitions o
: war, pr eparimg camp employing variou
= ag nts TO car Y out the orders which had t
J. be given for these purposes, some expense
have already incurred, which cannot b,
met hy tie contingent fund, which yo,
aresaware is very limited one. The es
penditures which will have to be made be
fore our troops are mustered into the Servic
e of the United States, though they will al
( be refunded by virtue of the new eyistin
e laws of Congress, and consequently vii
It not burthen our treasury ultimately, vii
s have to be borne for the prese mt by u
y Should you, as l earnestly hope, provid
@ for an active force of militia, to be kept II
: for time to be limited by your wisdom,
II considerable expenditure will have TO b
n provided for by loan, the taking of whicl
t, is already secured by the generous patriot
If and ample tenders Of our own fellow
l. citizens
n To this end, recommend the appropr
l. alton by the Legislature of a sum not eS