The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1861-02-01
NOBLE SENTIMENTS
STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS FOR PEACE 4!

The following extract from the great speech
recently delivered IN theU. S. Senate, by
Judge Dongas is worthy OF being preserved in
letters OF gold. 1t is passage toll OF the elo-
quence of patriotism, and breathes the spritof
man true TO the best and dearest interests of bis
country. Let every Democrat read it and pass
it around among his neighbors.
"The laws OF nations ana all the. laws of civ
ilIzation drmanded that The government de FAC
to be acknowledged. But the laws must be
enforced In our system of government the
laws are to be enforced by civil authority asss-
ted by the militia and posse Commitatus, when
TIE Marshal is resisted. II the colonies, or
State, revolt, the revolution is complete. When
the federal authorities are expelled and no one
man LETT 10 acknowledge allegiance to the Uni
1 ted States, how are you going to enforce The
! laws then How are you going to do IN South
Carolina She has passed an ordinance of Sc
cession | deny her right to secede, but she has
done It, The revolution is complete. She has
no human being IN her borders 10 acknowledge
our authority. This is al wrong, bat how are
YOU gong to help it =! You tell US we must
enforce the laws. ! am in favor Of that
Laws must be enforced according to the consti-
tuion and the laws. Under our constitution,
laws can only be enforced against criminals,
and those of as who are IN favor OF the ConstI-
tuition and the Union, must be careful that we
do not perpelrate the very things which we de-
nounce as criminal in these seeding States
And South Carolina does not stand alone. We
are told that seven other States will follow them.
The answer is, we must enforce the laws
4 L.,
countries not IN your possession. deny that
We have the right to make war IN orde. TO re-
gain possession, IN order 10 enforce the law
Are we prepared tor war do not mean
prepared IN the SENSE OF having soldiers, and
arms and munitions but are We prepared IN our
hearts for war with our brethren While
affirm that ths constitution was intended 10
form perpetual Union--while l affirm the
right to use all lawful means 10 enforce the
laws--yet | will not mediate war, nor toIer-
ate the idea, uDtIl after every effort at adjust
ment has been tried and failed, and all hope oI
the Union is gone. Then, and not till then
will delilberat and determine what course
my duty will require of me. am for peace
to save the Union. War Is dsunIon, certain,
Inevitable, final and rrepressib!e. Our own
very existence iorOlds war.
"A war between eighteen States 90 the one
side, and fifteen seeding States on the other, is
TO me a revolving thing. For what purpose is
the war 20 be waged Certainly not for the
purpose of preserving the Union. have toe
much respect for gentlemen on the other side o
the chamber, collectively and individually, tc
believe there is one among them who does no
. know what war is. You cannot expect to ex
r terminate ten millions Of people, whose passion
are excited with the belief that you mean te IN
, wade their homes and light the flames of Insur'
rection in their midst. You must expect Il
( externinate them, or subugate them, or else
when you have got tired OF war to make trea
] Ity with them. No matter whether the wa
/ lasts one year, or seven years. or thirty years
a il must have an end at some time. Sooner o
: later both parties will become tired and exhaus
d ted, and when rendered incapable OF fgbtin!
e any longer, they ~ill make a treaty of peact
: and that treaty will BE- one Of separation. Th
;. history of ibis world does not furnish an exam