Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-05-10
Donglas' Speech at Chica 60.

For the first time in his history, Senat'
Douglas was, last week, welcomed by men
bers of all parties on his return to Illinois. 4
Chicago, Wednesday night, he was honore
with magnificent and highly patriotic ov
ton, at least ten thousand persons bein
present to hear the speeches. Mr. Dougla
remarks are thus reported:
Twill not conceal qualification at the VI
controvertiable te,t this vast audiance prt
sents-that whit political differences or pal
ty questions m y have divided US, yet 70
all had conviction that when the countr
should be in danger, my loyalty could be r,
lied on That the present danger is imm
nent. no man can conceal. Ii war mus
come-if the bayonet must be used to main
tain the Constitution Il say before God, m,
conscience is clean. have stru .gled lonI
for peaceful solution Of the difficulty.
have not only rendered those States wha
was theirs Of right, but have gone to tn
very extreme Of magnanaimity.
The return we received is war, armie.
marching upon our Capital, obstructions ane
dangers to our navigation, letters Of marqu'
to invite pirates to prey upon our commerce
. concentrated movement to blot out tn.
United States of America from the map O.
the globe. The question is, are we to main
tain the country Of our fathers, or allow i,
to be striken down by those who, when they
can no longer govern, threaten to destroy
What cause, what excuse do Disunionists
give Us for breaking up the best Government
on which the sun OF heaven ever shed its rays!
They are dissatisfied with the result Of .
Presidential election. Did they never get
beaten before? Are we to resort to the
sword when we get defeated at the ballot box
understand it that the voice OF the people
expressed in the mode appointed by the Con-
-titution must command the obedience of
every citizen. Tney assume on ths election
Of particular candidate that their rights
are not safe in the Union. What evidence
do they present of this. l DEFY any man to
show ny act on which it il based. What
act has been omitted to BE- done? appeal
to these assembled thousands that 50 far as
the Constitutional rights Of the Southern
States, will say the Constitutional rights OF
Shareholders are concerned, nothing has been
done and nothing Omitted of which they Can
complain.
There has never been time from the day
that Washington was inaugurated first Pres
ident of the United States, when the rights
Of the Southern States stood frmer under
the laws o: the land. than they do now
there never was . time when they had not
As good . cause for Disunion as they have to.
day. What good cause have they now that
mas not existed under every Admins ration?
If they say the Territorial Question
tor the first time there is no act Of Congress
prohibiting Slavery anywhere. If it be the
non enforcement Of the laws, the only com.
plant that | have heard have been Of the
Fugitive Slave Law. Then what reason have
they? I .-.--
The slavery question is mere excuse
The election Of Lincoln is a mere pretext.
The present secessi movement is the result
Of an enormous conspiracy formed more than
\ year since, formed by the leaders in the
Southers Confederacy more than twelve
NON hs ago.
They use the Slavery question as q means
TO aid the Accomplishment of sheir ends
They desired the election Of Northern
by sectional vote in order to show
that the two sections cannot live together.
When the history of the two years from the
Lecompron Charter down to the late Presi-
!entia election, shall be written, it will b.
shown that the chime was deliberately made
TO break up this Union.
They desired Northern Republican to he
elected by purely Northern vote and then
ssign this fact as reason why tie section'
may not longer live together. If tho Di union
candidate in the late Presidential con ct
had carried the united South, their &C EN-.
was, the Nor hern candidate successful, to
seize the Capitol last spring, and BY united
,ufh and divided North hold it. That
sch me wa defeated IN the defeat OF the dis
aaion candidate in several of the Southerr
States.
Bu, this is 30 time Tor detail of causes
The conspiracy is now known. Armies
have been raised, war il LEVIED 10 accomplish
it. There are only two sides to the ques-
ton. Every man must be for the United
States or ag inst it, There oan b. NO -. u
il ais in III 8 wa, o"ly pstriots--or traitors
ihans God. Illinois is n" div ded on this
I estion. [Chsers. know they expec;
10 o, esent-,u unite.. South against divided
North. They hoped i" the Southern Stares,
tsrty questi' MS wou d bring civil war be-
tween Democrats and Republicans, when the
south would step IN with her cohorts, aid
one party to conquer the other, and then
make easy prey ofthe victors. Their scheme
wae carnage aud civil war in the North.
there is but oae way 10 defeat tits. In
Illinois it is bling 80 feated by closing up
The ranks. War will Thus be prevented on
Dur own sell. While there Was a hope of
D ace was ready for Any reasonable -a"ri.
Zee or conpromis to mainta n it. But when
the q .estion comes of war in the cotton-felds
# thu South or the corn-felds o! Illinois,
say the farther off the better.
We cana.,t close our eyes to the sad and
solemn fact that War Ores exist The Gov
must be main aimed, its ene,ri. .
over brown, and the mere sfnpendous our
preparations the less the bloodsbed, and the
horter The strug le. Bot we must remen-
Der c rain restraints on our action even III
me of war. We are christian people, and
the war must be prosecuted in q manner re-
cognized by christ an nations.
We must no, invade const tn 'ional rights.
The innocent mnst not suffer. nor w.,men
aud child, en- be the victims. Savages must
not be let loose. But willie l sanction 10
war on the rights of other, will im-lore
my country uen not t. lay down their ARM
untll OuF oWu iiSusS oH0 HooV6H'AoO'-
[ hers.
The Consultation and its guarantees are
our bir bright, and nm ready to enforce
that inalienable right to the last extent. We
"annot recognize se ession. Recognize it
once, and you aave not only dissoI, ed The
government, but you have destroyed social
orier, upturued the foundations of society.
You have insugur ated anarc y in its worst
torm, and will shortly experience all the
horrors of the French Revolution.
Then We have solemn duty to maintain
the Governm- Mt The greater our unanim :
ty the speedier the day of peace. We have
prejudices to overcome, from the few short
months since of fierce PARTY contest. Yet
these must be allayed. Let us lay ASIDE all
criminations and recriminations as to the
origin Of these difficulties. When we shall
have again a country with the United State
flag a ating over it, and respected on every
inch Of American soil, it will then be time
ounnOh IN ask who and what hrOupht all