Daily national Democrat., 1861-08-08
1allu 1atlonal1 Democrat.
-,as, Last Advice TO his Countrymen.

.ob and letter. His last speech was de-
nnnored at Chicago, May lst, 1861, to an i'm
n.o concourse of people, and his last pub
T.. letter was written by an amanuensis at
,;s dictation, May 10th, 1861, and addressed
<.ou, his sick Chamber, to the Chairman OF
Ma pemocratic State Central Committee of
minor We entreat all who believed in the
.,;sdom and patriotism of Douglas, to read
Il, narting words. They are words fit
:, he uttered by the Great Champion
-, the People and the Constitution, just
=. he was to be called away from the
.,ooes of Earth. While compromise was
,,o.s;ble, our departed leader was foremost in
.,,;ving for amicaLle adjustment; but when
,,or came, by the oct Of traitors, he called
,ooo every American citizen to rally around
NE fag of the Nation;
Last Speech made by Stephen A. Douglas
Mn. CHAIRMAN: | thank you for the kind
terms in which you have been pleased to wei
come me- | thank the committee and citi-
zens of Chicago for this grand and imposing
reception l beg you to believe that will
not do you nor myself the injustice to believe
this magnificent ovation is personal homage
TO myself l rejoice to know that it expresses
your devotion to the Constitution, the Union,
ind the flag of our country. [Cheers.
| will not conceal my gratitude at the
uncontroverti test this vast audience pre-
sents-that what political differences or party
questions may have divided us, yet you all
lad conviction that when the country
should be in danger, my loyalty could be re
lied on. That the present danger is imminent,
no man can conceal. If war must come-if
the bayonet must be used to maintain the
constitutional can say before God. my con-
science is clear. | have struggled long for a
neaceful solution Of the difficulty. ! have
no, only rendered those States what was
theirs Of right, bnt have gone to the very
extreme Of magnanimity.
The return we receive is war, armies
marched upon our Capital, distractions and
dangers TO our navigation, letters of marque
toinvte pirates to prey upon our commerce,
a concerted movement to blot out the United
States of America from the map of the globe.
The question is, are We to maintain the coun-
trv OF our fathers, or allow it to le stricken
down by those who, when they can no longer
govern threaten to destroy.
What cause what excuse do disunonists
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 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 appoint
ed by the Constitution must command the
obedience of every citizen. They assume on
the election of particular candidate that
their rights are not safe in the Union. What
evidence do they present of this? | defy any
man to show any act on which it is based.
What act has teen omitted to be done /
appeal to these assembled thousands that SO
far as the constitutional rights of the South
ern 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 beer tine from the day
that Washington was inaugurated first Presi-
dent of these United States, when the righ's
of the Southern STATES stood tirmer under the
laws Of the Land, than they do nov; 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 las not
existed under every administration?
If they say the territorial qUesGon-now
for the first time there is 10 act Of Congress
prohibiting slavery arvwhere. y ] it he the
enhancement Of tie laws, the only COM
plants that have heard have been of the
too vigorous and faithful fulillmert Of the
fugitive slave law. Then what reason have
they?
The slavery question is q mere excuse The
election of LlncQln is a Gere pteteXt The
present secession movement is the result of
an enormous conspiracy formed mere than a
year since, formed by leaders in heSouthern
Confedcracy more than twelve months ago.
They use the slavery question us means
30 aid the accomplishment of their ends
ihey desired the election of n Northern can
ddate by sectional vote in order to show
chat the two sections cannot live together.
When the history of two years from the lie
compton charter, down to the late Prcsiden-
tial election shall be Written, it will be shown
that the scheme was deliberately made
to break up this Union
They desired a Northern Republican to be
elected by purely Northeru vote, and then
assign this fact as reason why the sections
may not longer live together Ii the disunion
candidate in the late Presidential contest had
carried the. United South, their schepe was,
the Northern candidate successful to seize
the Capital last sprng,and 10y united South
and divided North hold it. That scheme
was defeated il tie defeat Of the disunion
candidate in several of the Southern States
But this is no time for detail of causes.
The conspiracy is now known. Armies have
taen raised. War is levied to accomplish it.
There are only two sides to the question.
Every man must be for the United States or
against it, There can be nc neutrqls in this
war, only patrtotS-o. traitors.
Thank God, Illinois is not devided on this
question. Cheers know they expected
topresent an united South against a divided
North They hoped in the Northern States
party questions would bring civil war be-
tween Democrats and Redublcans, when the
South would step in with her cohorts, aid
one party to conquer the other, and then
make easy prey of the victors. Their scheme
WGs carnage and civil war in the North
There is but enc way to defeat this. In
Illinois it is being so deieated by closing up
'"e ranks War will thus be prevent on our
own soil. While there was a hope of peace
was ready for any reasonable sacrifice or
'co'ilpiomlse TO maihtin it. But when the
question of war in.tEe cotton fields Of the
t'"m Eou,h or the corn fields Of Illinois, say the
iuIther Off the better
we cannot close our ewes to Tie sad and
soIelnh iaet that war does exist The govern
.ne"I must be maintained its enemies over
N"roWn; and the more stupnedous our pre-
!"ra'lons, the less the bloudshed and the
sshofter the struggle. But we must remem-
osr certain restraints on our actions even in
','ne OF war. We are christian people, and
we var must be prosecuted in IL manner re-
cognized by Christian nations
~, we must not invade constitutional rights
me Innocent must not suffer, nor woman and