The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1861-05-30
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A True Statement Of the Issue.
A STRONG AND ELOQUENT SPEECH

A great Uuion Prayer Meeting for tn
country was held by the people of Racine
Wisconsin, and its vicinity, 10 the Firs
Baptist Church on Sunday week, at whicl
the Hon. James Il. Doolittle, u S. Sena
tor from that State, spoke as follows {:
FRIENDS. NEIGHBoRs AND FELLOW
CITIZENS The extraordinary state o
our beloved country, is my only apoloe,
for responding to our invitation to sfea!
upon that subject in this place and upol
this holy SABBATH day. We are in th'
teeiuning of pew crisis in AmerioaI
afairs-a great crisis, the end of whie!
God only knows. We stand in the pres
euco OF great events. We are, indeed
euacting a history; and for all time
We are about TO scttle the great profile II
of u ans capacity for self government, aDc
settle it forever. 1t is not therefore 1
party question, at all, upon which sPeal
to-day. It lies deeper, far deeper. 1t i:
no less than whether the Union and tbl
Constitution csp be maintained; whether
we now have, or have ever bad govern.
ment, ubder which any man should de.
rire to live, or for ehich be should dare
to die; whether the will ofthe people con
stitu,ionalIy expressed shaII rule; il short
whether Presidcuts shall be chosen by
the peaceful ballot, OF be forced upon Us
by the bloody bayonet.
That's the question; and, upon that,
rejoise to say. Wisconsin, speaks but oDe
voice to day. FrOm town and hamlet
fron native and foreign born, from old
and young. from Republican AMI Demo
crnt, there comes bat one re.Pouse, The
Constitution aDd the Union aust he main
taincd Liberty and UDicn shall be enc
and ineeparable, now and forever; what
ever stands in the way Of their preserva,
ton, BY Gods help. wo will tranPle in
pieces" Before such an issue, all nere
party issues sink out Of sight. Mere po-
liticaI ties are suudered like fax at the
touch of Ere. Henoeforth there can be
but o0e issue, Cor or against the Consti-
tuition, and upon that there can be 10
neutrality. He that is not for them is a.
gaiust them.
Without trespaa,iug, certainly without
intending TO trespass upon the feelings Of
any one, | uaY be permitted to 6ay.what
ali must now concede, that fer H-ore thsu
tHo-,birIs OF the last pear Of Bucbansn's
Administration, vascillstion and iubecili
". to use 10 harsher term. presided at
the White House. Traitors sat in
Cabinet Council, aye, traitors, con-
pared with whom Burr aDd Arnold were
patriots aud saints. Treason, open mouth
ed, defiant aud unretuke6, sta!ked the
streets of the Federal Capital; infested
every Department.; aud at tines in Ian
guage not unsuited to PanGem onium.
beiched out its insolent rawlings in both
Houses of Congress Our forts and ar.
senals we're le!i unprotected, i'll utter dis
regard of the prophetic warnings AID ear
nest remoDstrance of Gen. Scott. Large
quantities of arus and ammunition were
sent south. on purpose to be seized By the
rebels. The army was posted beyond
reach; the army 10 Texas placed in CON-
nand OF traitor; every ship of war rca-
dy for service, except the BrOOklyn, was
sent to distant seas; and even the gallant
Anderson, when pent up in Fort Sr2ter,
was held powerless while traitors were
binding bin fast, and with the arms sto-
len from the government, girding him al!
around with batteries to destroy him.
That compelled bin to evaeuate.
o, my fellow citizens, no language can
give utterance to those emotions which
swell every true Ae;ericau heart ct the
evacuation Of that fortress; at the taking
down of the Stars and Stripes which foa-
ted over it, and euferiug it to 60 into the
possession of traitors. But, great as is
that Gala nifty, it has done still greater
good. 1t has opened, at last, to the eyes
and brought home to tie hearts of the
American people, Of all parties, in all its
length and breadth and depth, the dam
ming Calhoun treason, which for years.
has been plotting the overthrow Of the
best Government upon earth, and With it
the last hope of Constitutional Liberty
for mankind.
Let US not deceive ourselves. This
thing is not the growth of day or year;
it is the studied and persistent work of
many years. Its leaders now, throw off
all disguises, aud declare for more than
thirty years they have been steadily at
this work. The tariff was its pretext 10
1880. Then, thank God, there was a
man at the helm. Gen. Jackson was
there to put down By coercion. He placed
in due tine regiment in Castle Piekney.
Though quelled By him then, it was only
time. He saw, with prophets eye, that
it would still live. "lts pretext, theD,
said be, "was the tariff question; its next
Pretext will be the Slavery question"
Calhoun found that be could never u