, 1862-09-18
judge LaWrenCe,a Addreas.
WARREN CorNr1, September 15, 1867.
To tho Voters OF the Fourth Congressional Dis
trfct nf T11tncfa-

TO the Voters Of the Fourth Congressional Dis
tr1ct Of Illinois:
4 convention held In Monmouth on the 11th
inst, and to which all were invited " who ara
IN favor Of sustaining the State and national
administrations, and for prompt aud vigor-
GUS prosecution Of the war for the defeat Of
traitors and the extinction Of treason" has
thought proper to place me In nomination as
your representative in the next Congress. The
nomination IVES not solicited by me, but &C.
cept It. As the shortness Of the time to e1spse
before the day Of election will render 1t impos-
sible 10 give the district q very thorough can
SaEs, deem it proper to issue . briei address.
We are at the darkest hour of our country's
tortuntt. 4 rebellion more causeless aud
more wicked than any recorded In the annals
OF man, Is seeking to destroy our national life.
It has been conducted with deadly and con-
centrated enemy to which We have opposed
only fpasmodic and irrteo1ute activity. The
result to-day is be1eaeuered capital and
rebel army north Of the Potomac. At such
crisis In our country's fate all party combina-
tions and party considerations must dtsap-
pear: In the presence of such national ca
lanity cold Indeed must be the heart aud nar-
row the intellect Of that man who knows any
psrty save the party Of his country.
In coming before you, therefore, to ask Teu
tor your suftages, am not to be considered
as occupying merely partisan position. I
desire to be regarded a representing this sim
gle principle, to-Wlt: The prosecution of the
"a1 MIL I'LL lne meAus permitted og L1e LAWS
OF civilized warfare until the rebellion ia COM
pletely crushed, the Union OF the States r.
stored, the authority Of the constitution aud
LAWS re-established over all our territory sud
all our citizens. and the fomenters and lead
e1s Of the rebellion condignly punished. To
avoid m'sapprehension, should further add,
that all questions relating to the slave or other
properly Of the rebels, I would decide with
exclusive reference to the attainment Of these
objects, and I recognize the seizure of the
slaves Of rebels as blow at the rebellion in
its most vulnerable point When these great
objects shall have been accomplished re can
all fall back, II We desire, to our respective
party ranks.
And when speak to you Of the prosecution
Of The war until the rebellion is completely
crushed, I use the words in their full siguiti~
cance, without reservations or conditions. I
can conceive no possible emergency in which
would have the government entertain the
lion Of the rebels. I trust in God that His
mysterious Providence has no darker hour In
store for us than to-day. But If it be other
wise, + indeed the incompetency, OF the &C.
cursed jealousies, Of our military leaders are
to Lead us still farther down the Valley Of Hu-
initiation, Te must still bate no jot OF heart or
hope. nor sWerve for single moment from our
sacred purpose Il is BY passing through
such eeason Of trial as this that we learn
our true temper as people 4 hundred
years Of merely material prosperity, like that
epJoyea oy Us before the breaking out Of the
rebellion, would do less to establish for US q
true title to greatness on the pages Of future
history than the power to march through this
solemn national crisis with unblanched cheek
ard unfaltering steps. The man who, at auy
time would talk to us Of peace on any terms
should proclaim traitor; but him who should
avail himself Ct this hour OF our humiliation
to urge the impossibflity Of conqueripc the re-
bells, NC should hold traitor donblS dyed I
entertain no particle of doubt as to our power
ultimately to subdue the rebellion, but if we
arc to fail, II indeed our race is run, and tha
sun Of our national life is about to set, though
it may set in clouds and darkness, let it, my
countrymen, not 20 down in dishouor- Let
us not show ourselves degenerate Sons OF 8
noble ancestry Let us not be recreant to the
one hundred thousand gallant dead whose mu-
tilated ccrpEcs have etrtWn the battle-felds of
this var. Let us freely dedicate to the sup
preston Of this unholy rebellion whatever wo
have and whatever We are. Let it be our i'm
mutab1e resolve that either tue rebels or the
government as our fathers made it, must con-
troll cur entire country,
Doubt not that We can restore the Union,
but rent mbcr also that even if nc cannot, If
southern confederacy is to be established,
either they or We must be the dominant power
upon this continent, and that the only course
consistent with our present honor and o1r fu-
luAC PIbS pEElt3 AA4 lt.&EG llee III LIE pTO5GCu-
tion Of llls WET until our superiority is deu1-
onstrated beyond all doubt or c1vil. The
path OF hcror is to us the path Of safety. The
slip so richly fIeighted with the promises of
our own safety and the hopes Of Republican
freedom throughout the world, must either be
carried triumphantly throughout this storm,
or it must SO Gown, as The Cumberland went
down in the waters OF Hampton Roads, with
its hcnored flag etill flying, and its guus still
pouring out their shot rs they slowly sank
into the waves.
But II We arc true to ourselves there Is no
reason to far such termination OF this
struggle. Our cause Is as juet as my that ever
nati0l. tought Cor. We have with Us both the
material aud the moral strength, aud if ne will
do but half our duty, and postpone all pri-
yate, personal and party considerations to tho
single object # d vigorous aud successful
prosecution Of the war, our success Is US cer-
tain as any event in the future eau be.
As bitter enemy Of secession iu all it's
shapes and disguiscs, and ID unconditional
advocate Of the most vigorous prosecution of
tie var, respectfully Offer myself for your
suf1rages. CHAs. B. LAWRENCE.