Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-01-20
"who Caused the war;

The journal says in response to this inquiry;
Stephen A Douglas declared thai the war
was the result Of a-vast conspiracy set on foot by
the leaders Of the South more than year before
the war began" before Mr.. Lincoln was nomina-
ted, when there was no reason to believe that be
could be elected bu. by division of the Demo
cratic party made by themselves.
The pretended friends of Mr.. DoUeLAs are
doing great injustice to his memory. After the
Inauguration of Mr.. LIScoLS, and after several
States had seeded from the Union, Mr. DOUGLAS
in his celebrated speech, the most able and elo-
quent that he ever made, delivered in the Senate
in March 1861, declared that "war was disunon,
and he attributed the then impending civil waI
and dissolution of the Union to the refusal OF the
Republican party to listen to any terms of com
promise. He stated in the Senate that the amend
ments proposed by Mr.. CRIrTxNDES would have
been accepted by even the extreme Southern men.
He had this assurance from Senators DAVIS and
TooMBs and that they would accept that adjust
ment a guarantee that the Republican party
had no intention Of infringing on their rights
under the Constitution. Notwithstanding thi:
declarations the lifelong enemies OF Mr.. DOUG
LAs-the very men who denounced him as
shallow demagogue-are attempting to make Mr.
DouGLAs sustain their position and repudiate his
deliberately expressed convictions. The position
of Mr.. DoUGLAs upon the present troubles of the
country is yet to be indicated by those who car
appreciate his character and the political princi
plies and policy he advocated with such earnest.
ness and ability. If he had lived, the very mer
who now seek to appropriate the great hold he
had upon the popular affections to promote the
ends of a political party whose principles he held
in utter detestaton, would not have professed
the hypocritical regard they now express for the
dead Senator. After the war broke out, one
sentiment, or perhaps we should say apprehen
sion, occupied the mind of Mr.. DouGLAs He SC
expressed himself to his intimate friends here
aud elsewhere on his way to his home ia
Illinois for the last time. He feared thai
civil wal in the Northwestern States would
follow the opening Of hostilitiesin the South. To
prevent so dire calamity he was willing to
make any sacrifice. He did not deny that there
was an apparent inconsistency in his Marcel
speech, and those he made on that trip home
ward, 'but," said he, edo you want civil war in
indianapolis, in Indiana-do we of Illinois wani
it in the streets of Chicago--do you want TO see
the Northwestern States desolated and their cit
liens divided into hostile factions by fratricida
strife? No, if civil war must come let us confnt
it to the Southern States, and let them and moi
us feel its immediate evils" These were the mo
tives and influences which actuated him, and al
no time did he retract one sentiment that he hac
uttered in his March speech in the Senate. II
may be questioned whether the later policy oil
Mr.. DoUGLAs was char acterized by lofty states
manship and that true moral courage which
statesman should ever exhibit, but none car
doubt he influenced solely by the desire tc
promote, as he ever had done, the well being
of the people, with whom he was identified, ant
who had long honored him with their confidence
An Endorsement by political Convention
can not affect the life, character, publ,
services and craftsmanship of Mr.. DOUGLAS
They are a part of the history of the country
and the impartial historian will estimate then
uninauenced by the personal affection or tn,
party prejudices which now influence the publ,
Judgment. The Endorsement of dead states
man by party convention is but an idle cere
mony at the best. The man has passed away
and the effect of his deeds cannot be changed
whether political convention or partisan edito
approves or condemns them.