, 1862-07-24
WAR FOR THE UNION
LAST SPEECH OF STEPHEN A
DOUGLAS,
Delivered in the National Republican
Wigwam, Chicago, May i, 1861,
In Presence Of 10, 600 People.
Fellow Citizens Of Chicago:


} St'o" en1eos ot eneago:
thank 1ou for the kind terms In which you
have heen pleased to welcome lne. thank
the con. mlstee. thank the citizens Of Chi
cago, for this grand and imposing reception.
But beg y0u to believe that will not do
yon ror myself ne i1lusttce to suppose Tor .
mere personal homage to myself I rejosee
| In the edge that 1t Is . iorcibla e1nuoui-
mint and expression OF your devotion to the
constitution, the union, and the ing Of the
| at the incontr,Sertible testimony ghi:h this
yast nsser,hlnpe nrrsrnss thar ~ ,1itTsr.
eucss Of oniuion On poli1fcal tonics % and nsrtt-
san questions nav have divided rs. YET yon
wonid he in danSer NV 1nTa}tr n.V h.. r,.;;sd
nron ~ - 3s~1 AA'1 4o'~4'' A@"' "' Ae4''o
Thst the dar orr tn this rountrv IA rou I'm.
uintnt. no man can conceal fro,n his "a th.,nshss
Ike ~, r. w,r 1s1,st c..n;s u i th. h,r"'sa.t
nms1 he nstd to mainta;n sor1,i n,ri.5 NV
cnnst,,r,,..1,.I 7,h..4a ~ .'i.. o.uGs auu
Gn,5 tha. sai nv conactance Z ni3s- ~ ~
rrsnnr sih,itv E,r tha rorssnns,c,a ~ - ,,,, ~
fnI1o11 ~ ~ ..,u'oa suo saae m1J
hnIe o"s nd @ nave stngglsa ~ 10 iyng 20 tasrs was
nesrfd ~ tha rescafn' sS,n,ta, ~ osS ~, oa
9;fficnI,ies bsva nnr ,n;a taoaai ~ ~ .asss
d.sconte1ted s,at.s mi; and ,nn1n ,1s.;ca .I ~
h.rr com. fnrftar ~ ~ ao ,,t.,,ns! !usu Gas
| nf f<sf Mi ify,p
thar -. ha.. asa sseesos,5. ne return
merit The mnr,hing ~ b"st;,a aa,,.;.' .ns
| dnca nn- nat;ono1 ,1s.I ~ Aa@st Anat ~ ~
onr rnmmarce ~, ~ tr~,,+ W T..h.s ~ ~ ono1
the sssnir@ ~ 1e4,ars = r,.n ta.uee y! waters
rnmn,i,t a-I.t;ass -, -, nr - pIsates 90
hph sess and cnncsrtaS 3"1 n,or..,nu1t =, & sae
ont tbt fInI.td Stat-. ~ Amari,.s f., w oLos ~
man Of the World Tha ain Nc a,.'tia mtna tue
VIII ,h+r wa vii ,oointatn ,he nras au..sson -
es1ablishsd by our fathsTa or nj sl,Sg T. u hs
!
no longer coyerr. endeayor tn d.s, nv III Il ''ao
| What is lie canse of ali thss vrrnt c,ls,,,tv
| now being fEfiictad nnon re ewhnt erenss ..
do theee diau, ,lonlsts Elye r,E breaking NJ, tha.
best government that the sun Of heaven ever
tbs d lis beams upon? They are dissatf. fled
With the result Of . presidential election,
| Did they never get beaten before? TLanph-
| ter Are Hc to tolerate the idea taat de-
featen party In rational election may resort
to the sword, when defeated by the popular
| will? I understand 1t to be fouda1uental
| and Indispensable principle Of coz usti.utional
| liberty that the voice of tbs people expressed
| according to the forms Of the constitution
| must command the implicit obedience Of every
| good citizen. lhey chooae to assume that
the election Of particular Candidate carries
The rrtsumtton that their ri gats are not safe
In The Cn1ou. What eytdence Is there to sus-
tain that presumption? I defy any man on
eatsE to show me any one act done, Of which
!ley can complain, as placing their rights In
bt en- Quilted 10 he done OF which they can
complaint proclaim to these assembled
thousands that. 20 far a. the constitutional
rights of the Southern Suites are concerned
so far rs the rights Of shareholders are con-
cerned-no one act has been done, no one
duty as been omitted to te done, under this
administration, of which they can cump1a!n.
There has lot been day from the time
when George Washington was inangursted a.
The first president Of the United States down
$f%
Southern States stood iifmer under the laws
Vi The land than they do to day. There his
ntytr btcn time whtn those STATES have not
had as good Cause for disunion Us they have
to-day: What specific cause can they assign
itdn. .inihtra' lon from the days Of Wash1npton
to this moment
II you refer to the territorial question. Il 70
happens as IN extraorolpary tact th1r f;,r the
first time, there ia nof an art nf con1r.ss
prohibiting slavery nnrEhcre '~''
II you Ie,eF to tie enforcement of the nws
tile on]y compiasuL nafit. has hsen +hsra b.s
befn rather foo much eDersy md ri.or en-,
l,loytd in the enforcement Of the ft1yitiye
uuionlsts of the South urss Ior Their scb..,ne
10 hrtak mn tia rnvsrnnss,tS trh. eiIu1I sI.1s.'
uutstiun i a mere .xcnss Tba .1sct;nn
M., Lagoon is mere r,rrtevt The nrnaant
s.ct esion movement is he result OF ifsmens %
a year ago. lCheem This cnnsnt1acv s'' ~
hf,al NJ, tl,x f@n;o,, ,1,= $500 ~ -
ers In thc S,,,tt..rn Gn..t.t.5,.+ ~ .u8 s aeao
thon tvrlv.. mn,,tsa ,ro Tna. Vs. 4uyso ~
t1.vrrv tn.stf..n az q s5..,,s - ase :as
th+ir 2usir1d nn5s g,ba.s 5.s.,.a nptsa
man tn h,. a,.rt.d 49, id,r ~, :" e"..I
vnte II. o,d,r n ~ staer 49, ~ s1a ssaos ~.
the two sccttons enid not les r. n..s .n,as
20 thev mi"ht hrc * M; tha ITn;aap pIs; Whan nao
trer III. h,x3nrv ~ ~. f,ot t.ro 4-".'., ,,1t
u,;,+sn nb.n:v.- ~ -, h;a. ~, oM. 70
t,,. ~. 49,. ~ NY htstoi1 " tu1s couu.ty
t,,n w:s orjoi,ated dnun ~ sh. ~ ,,-'..;a.s
Tia. t5,c chen,.s r.e ~ tarrr.S - - "I apps4.
Tnfnn- They desirs.' - hrooL - :. "a. " ps; Su
tte slavery n;,asffon 40 a nr.,ta-+ - ". r.. ~
reuuoiican sniiJate hv = nnretv ;" nnr,hsro
vu1c, avsipst VI, unis..a :oathe Anvil than asatrn
that tact as a rtasou why We could nat i've |
together. The scheme aeneed nnnn IN Washs
irston last MAY was fur t6e di,unf,,n candidate
to casry every southern State. and III Iineoin
tv.ry northern State and fhe aisnninnis1a |
then were TO s.iza ,,ossessfnn ~ ~ fe%ar.1
is.ue t,r,frrs ~ the orrnp end
nayy. undtr H.. seai nj +ho 1Tn1+.d St,sas
They .xrcct to hnre nosscss,,n ~ the aer.
cr11nrp1. and tfty r.hrfnnnn div,dsd r65rth
aid uni: ; south. and thus hrinp c;vi1 srar =,
our own doors. The scheme 1as nnir a..
f+att by the defeat OF the:tifsnnion cand;aar- |
in Ktnfucky. Mf.srui T.nnexeaa and Vi |
uipia. Whichever the hfsfnrv N iii. cnnn,rv
Snail he rItien IL u Il, rr,,r that orand cn,.
spiracy. and fhn nresenr nisnninn Tnovement
u tie r.,nit If II ~''"'--S4 -9
But. t1ia ia not a time IN On fnto j. d,acna. !
sion Of the causes th.t have nrodnced fhesa