The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1861-05-01
SPRINGFIELD, April %.
Senator DOugiaS, SneccN.


SPRINGFIELD, April 25.
Senator Douglas Speech.
The two houses met in joint session at sew
en- O'Clock The hall was denscly crowded.
Judgp Douglas was introduced by Speaker
Cullcm, and was receiVsd with rapturous
applause He said: M e
For the first time since the adoption Of ths
Federal Constitution, wide spread conspr.
cy exists to. overthrow the best government
tn, sun Of heaven ever shone upon. An in.
vading army is marching upon Washington
The boast has gone forth from the Secretary
of War of the so-callcd Confederate States,
that by the first of May the Confederate
| Army will be in possession Of the National
Capital and by the first Of July its head
quarters will be in old Independence Hail.
The only question for us is whether we
shall wait supinely for the invaders or rush
as one man To the defence Of that which we
hold most dear? Tremendous cheering. j.
Piratical flags are afloat on the ocean under
pretended letters Of marque. Or great river
has been closed to the commerce Of the
Northwest. Faxes has been levied upon us
without our being consulted or represented
in the premises. So long as a hope remain
ed for peace, plead and implored for com-
promise. Now diat all else has failed; there
is but one course left and that is to rally as
one man under the old flag Of Washington,
jefferson, Madison and Franklin. At what
time since the Government was organized,
lave the Constitutional rights Of the South
been more secure than row? For the first
time since the Constitution was adopted
there is no legal restriction against the spread
of slavery in the Territories. When was the
fugitive slave law more faithfully executed
What single act has been done to justify this
mad attempt to overthrow the Rcpublic?-
We are told that because certain party has
carried presidential election; therefore the
South choose to consider their liberties in
secure? have supposed it was funda-
mental principle of American institutions,
that the win ofthe majority constitunonaliy
expressed should govern. rApplanse.l fra
defeat at the ballot box is to justify rebellion,
the future history of the United States may
be read in the past history of Mexico. Are
we to inaugurate the Mexican system in the
United States? Suppose the disunion can
lidates had been elected by constitutional
means and the Republicans had been found
rebeling against tie rishtfhl authorities, you
would have found me rendering to John c.
Breckenridge my best efforts to crush them
to the earth ii'. ~9 "a.
The first duty ofevery citizen IS to render
obedience TO the national Constitution and
laws Most of you know that am very
good fighter in times of partisan strife.
hope to show you all that am an equally
good patriot in the time Of my country's
danger. 1t is now your imperative duty to
throw party and party platforms to the winds,
forget chat you ever differed Give me a
country where my children can livein peace,
and then we can have a theatre If we desire
for partisan controversies.
We are not called upon to fold our arms
and sec our Capital seized, our archives car
ried away by those who glory in trampling
the American flag in the dust. Illinois and
my native State would say to day that II
had committed an error in my political ca
reer, it has consisted in leaning too far to-
wards the South. have never pandered to
the prejudices Of the North against the mi
nerity section While win never invade
the Constitutional rights Of the South, nor
sanction their invasion by others, want
them distinctly to understand that they
must not invade my Constitutional rights.
[Loud cheers. " @
Z II is a prodgions crime against the free
dom Of the world, 10 attempt to blot the Uni
ted States out of the map of Christendom
What do we see? Washington to- be bonn
barded The President of the United States
aud his Cabinet, elected and appointed to
th,ir places by the same authority as George
Washington and his constitutional advisers,
to be carried OF as hostages the very dem
on Of destruction to be let loose in the land
How long do you think it will be ere the
gu'lo,ine is in operation? Allow me to say
to my former political enemies, you will not
be true to your country il you seek to make
political capital out of these disasters, Zap
plause, and to my old friends, you will be
false and unworthy Of your principles, if you
alloy political defeat to convert ON into
traitors to your national land! The shortest
way now to peace consists in the most stu
pcndous and unanimous preparations for war;
lyociferous cheering.
regard what have said az the saddest
duty Of my life. If war must come, let us
so conduct II that we may be justified in the
sight of Him who holds the universe in the
hollow of His hand Whatever we do must
be the result of our solemn convictions Of
duty--duty that We owe to postcrity and to
the world. H
Gentlemen it is our duty to defend our
Constitution and protect our flag
4 This is an imperfect synopsis of most
powerful oratorical effort Its OBJECT was
electrical The whole house rose to their
feet and gave cheer after cheer for Douglas,
for the Union and { the Stars and Stripes.
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