The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1861-06-27


cession was formed, which escorted Mr..
Doueias to National Hall, where he was
welcomed By Thomas II. Bryan, Esq, on
behalf of the citizens of Chicago. In re.
sponse to the address of welcome, Judge
Douglas delivered the following speech /:
Mr.. CHAIRMAN / thank YOU for the
kind terms in which you have been pleas
ed to welcome me. | thank the commit
tee and citizens of Chicago for this grand
and imposing reception, | beg you 10
believe that will net do you or myself
the injustice to believe that this magnif.
cent ovation is personal homage to my
self. l rejoice to know that it expresses
your devotion to the Constitution, the
Union, and the flag of our country.
| will not conceal my qualification at
the unconhovertiblc test this vast au-
dieuce presents-that what political diff
ferences or party questions may have d.
vided US, yet you all had a conviction
that, when the country should be in dan
ger, my loyalty could be relied on. That
the present danger is imminent, no man
can conceal If war must come--if the
bayonet must be used to maintain the
CONSTITUTIONS can say before God, my
conscience is clean | have struggled
long for peaceful solution of the diff
Guilty. | have not only rendered those
States what WAS theirs Of light, but |
have gone to the very extreme Of mag
narimity.
The return We receive is war; armies
marched upon our capital distractions
and dangers to our navigation letters of
marque to invite pirates to prey upon our
commerce concerted movement to blot
out The United States Of America from
the map of the globe. The question is,
are we to maintain tie country Of cur ia.
Tiers, or allow it to be stricken down by
those who, when they can no longer gov
ern, threaten to destroy?
What cause, what excuse do Disunion-
lists give US for breaking up the best Gov
ernment on which the sun Of heaven ever
shed its rays? They are dissatisfied with
the result OF a Presidential election. Did
they never get beaten before? Are we
to resort to the sword when we get defeat
ed at The ballot box? | understand it
that the voice Of the people expressed in
the mode appointed by the Constitution
mast command the obedience Of every
citizen. They assume on the election OF
a particular candidate that their rights
are not safe in the Union What evil
dence do they present Of this ? i defy
any man to show any act on which it is
based. What acc has been omitted to be
done? appeal to those assembled thous-
ands that so far as the constitutional rights
Of Shareholders are concerned, nothiue
has been done and nothing omitted Of
which they can complain.
There has never been time from the
day that Washington was inaugurated
first President of these United States,
when the nights of the Southern States
stood frmer under the laws Of the land,
than they do now; there never was a time
when they had not as good a cause for
Disunion as they have to-day. What
good cause have they now that has not
existed under every Administration
If they say the Territorial question,
now fer the first time there is DO act Of
Congress prohibiting slavery anywhere.
If it be the non enforcement of the laws.
the only complaints that | have heard
have been of the too vigorous and faith
full fulflment of. the fugitive slave law.
Then, what reason have they !?
The slavery question is a mere excuse
The election of Lincoln is here pretext
The present Secession movement is the
result or an enormous conspiracy formed
more than a year since, formed bv leaders
in the Southern Cvnfederacy more than
twelve months ago
They use the slavery question as a
means to aid the accomplishment of their
ends. They desired the election of a
Northern candidate by a sectional vote
in order to show that the two sections
cannot live together When the history
Of the two years from the Lecompton
Charter down TO the late presidential
election shall be written, it will be shown
that the scheme was deliberately made to
break up this Union.
They desired Northern Republican
to be elected by purely Northern vote,
and then assign this fact as reason why
the sections may not longer live together
IF the Disunicn candidate in the late
Presidential contest had carried the
united South, their scheme was, the
Northern candidate successful, to seize
the capitol last spriug, and by a united
South and divided North hold it. That
scheme was defeated IN the defeat of the
Disunon candidate in several Cf the
Southern States.
But this is no time for detail Of causes.
Tho cO0cnivaov iC now known ru,inC