Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1861-01-03
Patriotic Speech OF John A. Me-
Ncrnand.

Ill Tes spOHSe W u COu piltiehtaiy ooichouo
rendered him upon his arrival at Wash
ington, Hon. JOHN A. MoCLERNAND, Of
Illinois, spoke as follows:
GENTLEMEN: Only having arrived in
this city to-day, and claiming nothing of
public consideration, either for what
am or for what have done, am equally
surprised and complimented by this dem
onstration of numbers and music on SO
inclemant night. For seventeen years
it has been my fortune to visit this city
at constitutional intervals, as represent
ative of portion of the people of Illinois,
and throughout the protracted period /
have always been kindly and Hospitality
treated by you, for which, as well as for
the honor of this call, beg to return to
you my grateful Acknowledgements, my
heartfelt thanks.
AS often as / have visited thist grea
capital, never before did l visit it under
circumstances so portentious of evil to
the Republic. What do we see? Society
disturbed, political parties disrupted, and
sectional menaces pushed almost to the
extremity of civil war. This is deplor-
able state of things, having no parallel
in the history of the country. The strife
between the partizans OF Jefferson and the
elder Adams soon subsidized within the
limits of moderation; so the strife between
the partizans of jackson and the younger
Adams; and so the contest in regard to
the tariff in 1882; but such are lot the in
dications of the times in regard to our
present unhappy differences. Our dissen-
sions are growing more and more violent,
and dis,lnon itself is threatened-nay, is
impending.
If am asked what is the provocation
to all this, ! answer the election of Abra
ham Lincoln, Black Republican. to the
Presidency. This is the particular reason
assigned in the South for these hostile
demonstrations. Now, gentlemen, l re-
gret the election of Mr.. Lincoln as much
as any man in America-nay, more, l
deplorc his election as great national
calamity. and did all could to avert it
from the country-to pass this bitter cup
from our lips. l labored zealously, dill
gently, and with all the energy possess
ol to prevent it, I opposed Mr.. L., al
though he was my neighbor, living in the
same town; and he and his friends and
relatives opposed my reelection to Con-
gress perhaps with no more zeal than l
opposed him, but certainly with much
less scruple. Nevertheless, cannot agree
that his election is sufficient cause for
breaking up the government. On the
contrary, | deny that it is. Having been
elected by the verdict of the people, ac-
cording to the forms of the Constitution
and laws, it is our duty to acquiesce in
his election; if not respect to him, in re-
spect tor the people and Constitution
itself. CheclS-mated as he is now by the
Senate, and as he will be by the next
House of Representatives, he can do nc
serious harm, even if SO disposed. And
! the fear of impeachment and of the con.
/, sequences of on aggression by him, or
+ the rights of any section, would restrain
even if he possessed the power and dispo
sition to do wrong.
S To-day, thousands and tens of thous
/ ands of Republicans are undeceived in re
Q gard to the nature and tendency of thei
political doctrines In view of curren
y manifestations, they have discovered tha
!, their leaders have misled them-that thei
c doctrines cannot be enforced consistent.
s with the peace of the country. They ar
ready to admit that the government can
: not be, and out not to be administered Of
It a sectional platform. With this chang
of Northern sentiment, let the South max
&c distinct issue of repeal of those law
n in the North ,pullifyiny the fugitive slav
e law; let her make this issue, and WI
give my head for football if the consel
vative men in the North do not eithe
force the Republican party itself to repe'
=. those obnoxious unconstitutional laws,
=. otherwise wrest from that party the powt
n which will enable the conservative me
" to do it. And in ellecting this repeal,
N revolution of public sentiment in II
q. North in regard to the rights and relation
a. of the States will have been necessari
- effected, which will be another great en'
ID AS for myself, l am Union man, an
n the Democracy of the Northwest are a
,t Union men. We are for the Union, b.
d cause we regard it as sure means OF col
re tinuing the career of prosperity whi1
: has hitherto distinguished us as natio
J. above any other people. We are tor Il
N Union, too, in the fullilment of the mi
hc sion assigned to the Northwest by the ia
ii seeing Jefferson, who said that the intere
ne and the disposition of the people of Il
m Northwest would be to preserve the Unit
Il and to restrain the excesses of the old
r. sections as a means of doing so; that
=, ono respect their function would be tn
III of balance wheel in the machinery
OF the federal system.
90 The Northwest cannot afford to subn
", to dsunion. What, in that event, won
nd become of the jurisdiction of the ma
n. Mississippi, of the Gulf Of Mexico. of t
Eastern Atlantic sea-ports? What won
become of all these? Will the you
as giant, the Great Northwest, submit to
no cut off from the Cult of Mexico, by ,
lis naming with tho North?-or will s
~ submit to be cut off from the Mississippi
IA from the Gulf Of Mexico. by remaini
IS with the North?-or will she submit
be bo cut off from the eastern Atlantic sc
or board by adhering to the South? New
IS. no never! [Great applause.
he And what. too, will become of ii
re proud and opulent city in the event
of dsunion9 Is it to become a how'll
waste, like Balbec or Palmyra? Are
id people here to become beggared by t
4 Al lol