The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1861-07-05

spent itself in words. Let there be re-
sponse which will stand on record as a
monument Of the deep earuestness Of the
American people;
To the People Of tie United States, and
nsore particularly to the People Of Illinois
Stephen \. Douglas is dead He has
fallen at the meridian Of life. For twenty
five years he has served the public honor
ably, aud without personal profit. For
nearly twenty years he devoted his time,
his abilities, and his labors, to bis State
and to his country. He served both State
and country from love of both, and not
from hope of pecuniary profit. For the
last four years be gave up his time and
all other interests TO his country and, to
the utter exclusion of all business pursuits,
devoted everything, and, at last, his life,
to the salvation of the Republic, the in
tegrity of the Union, and the N maintenance
of the Constitution. In the contest for
these sacred and patriotic objects he has
fallen in the very prime of his life !; but
not until he had rendered incalculable
benefits to the American people.
| Fellow countrymen; While thus Ia
boring for your interests and the in lerests
Of your posterity, his own means were
lost He died not only poor, but has left
to his wife and children a legacy of debt.
The only unencumbered piece of land-a
small tract, less than three acres-of which
he was ever possessed, was, when he died,
the property Of his widow. At the request
of the people Of Illinois, coming up to her
even in The hour of her SORROW, she sur
rendered his remains to the State and with
them gave that piece of land for his inter
ment, asking Of the people only that she
might be allowed to reside near the grave
in which he reposes. She has thus given
to the people of Illinois all that was left
of Douglas. This lot in which he now
rests his ashes is in the centre of that
beautiful grove known as his long chosen
and favorite home. The surrounding por-
ton Of the tract is covered With mortga>
ges. His children, his widow, and his
countrymen, to approach his grave, must
do SO by permission of the Sheriff, his
creditors, and strangers. Will the nation
he has served forget Douglas in the tomb {?
Will the Republic prove ungrateful? Will
the American people, whom he has served
so long and so faithfully, suffer his widow
and his orphans to be turned from the
| home he loved, the soil he defe nded, to
seek elsewhere, and from strangers, shell
ter and support? Shall they be shut out
from the sight of his tomb, and denied the
melancholy satisfaction of being near his
grave! Shall the wife and children Of
Douglas 90 forth homeless, houseless wan
! dcrers from the State of Illinois.
We propose to the American people,
and particularly to the people of Illinois,
to raise by voluntary contributions, a fund
to be administered by William A Richard
son, William B. Ogden, John 7. Stuart,
Zadee Casey, David Davis, Thomas Drum
mond, and J ohm d. Cation, for the redemp-
ton of SO much of his property as will
| furnish his widow with suitable home at
Cottage Grove; or, if such selection
should, by such trustees, hereafter be
deemed inadyisable, to the purchase of a
suitable home for them in the State of H.
linois; and also to be invested for the
support of the widow and the education of
The children of Stephen \. Douglas.
| The Hon. John d. Cation, Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court of Illinois, will act
as Receiver Of this fund, to whom all
subscriptions. from States, counties, cor
porations, societies, committees and indi-
yiduals, will be renitted. His address is
at Ottowa, Illinois.
The Hon. Thomas Drummond, Judge Of
the United States Court for the Northern
District of Illinois, will act as Treasurer.
We commend the proposition, fellow
countrymen, to yonr earnest and imme-
diate consideration.
! RICHARD YATES, J. Y. SCAMMoS,
w. A. KIcHARDsoS, d. A. GAGE,
w. b. OGDEN, S. A. MARsAALL,
ROBERT SMITH, Q. B. FIcKLIN,
j. II. WooDwoRTH, J. K. DUBoIs,
L IL. CAMPBELL, L. d. Erwin,