The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-08-24
se,.ator nongIas, Lnst 1870.

TIC NdLO4A4 luletlt 5tuGeI t0t puoiiOAItOH
a copy of the following letter from him on
The state of The coantrys
CmcAso, May 10.
My DEAR SIR Being deprived Of the
use of my arms for the present by a severe
attack of rheumatism, l am compelled to
avail myself of the services of an amanuen-
sis in reply to your two letters.
/ II seems that some Of nsy friends are an
( able to comprehend the difference 6et,ceen
/ arguments used az favor Of an equitable
( compromise, aelth the hope Of aDerting the
4 horrors o. sedT, and those urged in support of
\ the Government and the flag Of our country,
| lchen ardr IS being aoaged against The United
| States 3cith the aUotged purpose Of producing
a permanent disruption Of the Union and q
total destruction Of lis Government.
All hope of compromise with the Cotton
! States was abandoned when they assumed
the position that the separation Of the I'm
ion was complete and final, and that they
would never consent to a reconstruction in
any contipgency-no eVen y ave a0OuJd fur
nish them NTH a blank sheet Of paper and
permit them to inscTi5e their 0l0n terms.
I Still the hope was cherished that reason
able and satisfactory terms of adjustment
could be agreed upon with Tennessee,
North Carolina, and the Border States, and
that Whatever terms would prove satisfac-
tory to these loyal States would create a
1 Union party in the Cotton States, which
would be powerful enough at the ballot
box to destroy the Revolutionary Govern
ment, and bring those States back into tho
Union by the voice Of their own people
This hope was cherished by Union men
North and South, and was never abandon
ed until actual war was levied at Charles
ton, and the authoritative announcement
made by the Revolutionary Government at
Montgomery, That the Secession flag should
be planted upon the walls of the Capital at
Washington, and proclamation issued IN
Uitulg the pirates Of the aC0TLd to prey upon
the commerce Of the United States.
These startling facts, in connection with
the boastfuI announcement that the ravages
fwar and carnage should be quickly trans
ferred from the cotton fields of the South to
the wheat fields and corn fields OF the North
furnish conclusive evidence that it was the
fred purpose of The SeceSSioHists utterly Il
! destroy The Government Of our ./dLhers ana
o5literate The United States from the map @
the lgorld.
In view Of this state Of facts here loa,
bit one path IF duty ieft 10 patriotic men
+ It was not party question, nor question
!. involving partisan politics; ii 10as a question
&. of Government or no GoUerRmeRt; com!
trg or no country and hence it became the
: imperative duty of every Union man, every
: friend of constitutional liberty, to rOlly t.
B. the support Of orr common country, IL
: G00annaent and .fqg, as the only means d
checking the progress OF revolution and o
preserving the Union of States.
am unable to answer your questions IN
regard TO the policy of Mr.. Lincoln and hi:
! I rF,fi -, heir ,,s
: you and the whole country ought to know
/ am neither III. aI ,s,er OF the partisan
policy nor the apo ogisL OF the errors of the
I Administration. NY previous relations K
4 them remain unchanged; but trust th
I time lcitb aeVer come achen 1 shall not b.
ceiling 70 make sRy needtbL sacrifice q
personal feeling5 and party policy tor tn
: honor and integrity Of nty country.
n ! know of no mode III which a loya
I citizen may So weh demonstrate his devo
I. ton to his country as by sustaining tn
; p fuE tr5C tsv+s tr,i elf yrri uE7ytv
: all circumstances, and under every Ad
: mnistration, regardless Of purity politics
a against all dssaiIaRts at homc and abroad
The course of Clay and Webster toward
tie Administration ct Jackson in the day
l of Notification, presents Il noble and worth,
Z example Tor ahtrue patriots. At the very
5 moment when thai fearful crisis was pre-
cipItated upon the country, partisan strif,
: between Wings and Democrats was quite
? as bitter and relentless as now between De.
: mocrats and republicans.
The gulf which separated party leaders II
those days was quite as broad and deep a
that which now separates the Democracy
/ from the Republicans. B4t the moment a,
f enemy IN our midst, plotting he dis
aseplberment Of the Union and The destrue
ton Of the Government, the ooice Of parti
san strife 1cas h4shed IL patriohc silence
/ One of the brightest chapters in the history
! Of our country will record the fact that .dn
ring this eyentfnl period the great leadei.
of the Opposition, sinking the P7rti9o7 tn III,
. patriot, rushed to the support of the Gov
4 eminent, and became its ablest ANA braves
defenders against all assailants until The
conspiracy was crushed and abandoned
when they resumed their former positions
party leaders upon political issues
These acts of patriotic devotion have new
er been deemed evidences of infdelity OF
political treaehery, on the part Of Clay and
Webster, to the principles and organization
of the old Wing party. Nor have | any
apprehension that the firm and unani-
4 nous support which the Democratic leaders
and masses are now giving to the Constitu-
tiOn and the Union will ever be deemed ev-
{ denee Of inidelity to Democratic principles,
or a want Of loyalty to the organization
and creed Of the Democratic party. II zee
hope 10 regain and perpet,fats me asccudqncy
of orr Partg, are shouJd uercr forget Hat q
man can not BE- tTue Democrat tylless he is a
| togaL patriotl
With the earnest hope that these ms
conscientious convictions may coincide w.Ib
those OF my friends, am Very truly yours.
- SrEPHES a DOUGL4s
10 fiRGII HIcKox, Esq. Chairman State
DemocTatic Committee
r. X ra ct from * usseIl's Last Letter a
Il the London Times.