The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1861-05-08
McGREGOR, IOWA, WEDNESDAY, MAY s. 1861

concerned, as they are now. Can any man
tell me OF any one act Of aggression that
has been committed or attempted since the
last presidential election, that justifies this
disruption of the Federal Union9
The first duty of an American citizen, or
of citizen of any constitutional govern.
ment, is obedience to the constitution and
laws of his country. [Applause.] have
no apprehension that any man in Illinois
or beyond the limits of our own beloved
State, will misconstrue or misunderstood
my motive. So far as any of the partisan
questions are concerned, stand in equal,
eternal and undying opposition to the Re.
publicans and the secessionists. [Applause.
You all know that am a good partisan
fighter in partisan times. Laughter and
cheers And you will find me equally as
good y patriot when the country is in dan.
ger. [Cheers.l
Now permit me to say to the assembled
representatives and senators Of our good
Old State, composed of men of both politi
Cal parties, in my opinion, it is your duty to
lay aside your party creeds and party plat.
forms to lay aside your party organiza.
tions and party appeals; to forget that you
were divided until you have rescued the
government and the country from their as
>ailants. Then resume you. partisan posi-
tons, according to your wishes. Zap
plauSe.] Give me a country first, that my
children may live in peace, then we will
have theatre for our party organizations
to operate upon.
You have all the elements of the French
revolution surrounding the capital now, and
threatening it with its tremors. Not only
is its constitutional government to be strick-
EN- down; not only is our flag to be hlotted
cut, but the very foundations Of social order
are to be undermined and destroyed; the
demon Of destruction is to be let loose over
the face of the land, a reign of terror and
mob law is to prevail in each section Of the
Union, and the man who darcs to plead for
the cause Of justice and moderation in either
section, is to be marked down as traitor to
his section. If this state of things is allow
ed to 60 on, how long before you will have
the guillotine in actual operation?
Iappeal to you, my countrymeu-men
of all parties-not to allow your passions to
get the better Of your judgm ats. Do not
allow your vengeance upon the authors o!
this great iniquity to lead you into rash and
cruel, and desperate acts upon those who
may differ with you in opinion. Let the
spirit Of moderation and Of justice prevail.
You cannot expect within so few weeks af-
ter an excited political canvass that every
man can rise to the level of forgetting his
partisan prejudices and sacrifice everything
upon the altar Of his country but allow
me to say to you whom have opposed and
warred against with an energy you will
pact, allow me to say to you, you will not
be true to your country il you ever attempt
to manufacture partisan capital out of the
miseries of your country. Much applause.
When calling upon Democrats to rally to
the tented fi Id, leaving wife, child, father
and mother behind them to rush to the res
cue of the President that you elected, do
not make war upon them and try to manu-
facture partisan capital out ola struggle in
which they are engaged from the hottest
and purest of motives. Renewed applause.
Then | appeal to you, my own Demo
cratic ends,-those men that have never
failed to rally under the glorious banner of
the country, whenever an enemy at home
or abroad has dared to assail ito you
who believe to be the purest patriots that
ever liyed--do not allow the modification
growing out of defeat in a partisan strug-
gle, and the elevation Of party to power
that we firmly believed to be danger
Gus to the couatry-do not let that
convert you from patriots into traitors to
your native land. Long continued ap-
plause. Whenever orlr government is as.
sailed--when hostile armies are marching
under rude and odious banners against the
Government of our country, the shortest
way to pace is the most tremendous prep
ara,ion for war. The greater the unanim-
ity, the less blood will be shed. [Applause
have struggled almost against hope to
avert the calamities of war and to effect a
reunion and reconciliation with our breth-
rem in the South. yet hope it may be
done, but am not able to point out to you
how it may be. Nothing short Of Frovi.
dcnce can reveal the issue of this great Strug-
gle. ody--calamitous-If fear it will be.
May we so conduct it, if a collision must
come, that We will stand justified in the eyes
of Him who knows our hearts, and who will
justify our every act. We must not yield
to resentments, nor to the spirit Of ven
geance, much less to the desire for conquest
or ambition. ~.
see no path of ambition open in a bloody
struggle for triu,.phs over my countrymen.
There is no path Of ambition open for me
in a divided country. Hence, whatever we
may do must be the result of duty, Of con-
viction, of patriotic duty--the duty We owe
to ourselves, to our posterity, and to the
friends of constitutional liberty and self
governmcn, throughout the world.
My friends, can say no more. To dis
cuss these topics is the most painful duty
Of my life 1t is with sad heart--with a
grief that have never before experienced,
that have to contemplate this fearful strug
gle; but believe in my conscience that il
is duty we owe to ourselves and our chill
dren, and our God, to protect this govern
ment, and that flag from every assallant, bt
he who he may. Tremendous and pro
longed applause.