Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1862-09-25
Douglas Last Speech.

we call the attention OF our readers 10
the following paragraph from the last
words ever publicly uttered by the lament
ed Stephen A. Douglas. How the faces
of some of the Democrats of this County
should crimson with shame when they re-
Aect-how contrary they are acting to the
advice Of this great political leader who
the appeared to ilolizc during his life
time. Like the prophecy of inspiration
sounds the words: "Ihere can be but t,co
sides to this eontrOvesy." Every man mast
be on tie side of the Union of the United
States or against IL. And so it is
While the Union party, composed of pa
,iols Of all parties. are struggling for the
preservation of the Government. the Dem
ocrats are plotting all manner of means to
weaken and eventually destroy it for the
purpose of placing their party in power.
What is the cause of all. this great ca
lamity now being inflicted upou us?-
What excuse do these disunionists give
for breaking up the best Government that
the sun Of heaven ever shed its beams up
on? They are dissatisfied with the result
Of Presidential election. Did they ney-
er get beaten before? Laughter. Are
we to tolerate the idea that defeated par
ty in a national election may resort to the
sword when defeated 10y the popular will?
| understand 1t to be fundamental and
indispensable principle of constitutional
lilcity that the voice of the people EXPRESS
Ell according to the forms OF the Constitu-
ton n.rst command the explicit obedience
Of every good citizen. They choose to
assumc that the election of particular
candidate carries the presumption that their
rights are not safe in the Union What
evidence is there to sustan this presump-
tion? l defy any man on earth to show
me any one act done. of which they can
complain. as placing their rights in jcop-
ariy. Applause. What one act has
been omitted to be done Of which they
complain? proclaim to these assembled
thousands that. so lar as the constitution
al rights of the Southern States are con
cerDed--so far as the rights of slavehol.
ders are concerned-no one act has beer
done. no one duty has been omitted. under
this Administration. Of which they car
complains. 5Tet e41ita
There has not been day from the time
when George Washington was inaugura
ted as the President Of the United States
down to this moment. when the rights o
the Southern States stood 6rmer under tn
laws Of the land than they 10 to-day
There has never been time when thos
States have not had as good canse for dis
union as they have to day. What specif
: ic cause can they assign as existing now
which has not existed under every admin
istraiion from the days of Washington t,
, this moment? A
IL you refer to the territorial question
it SO happens as al extraordinary fact tha
for the first time,- there is not an act o
Congress prohibiting slavery anywhere.
IL You refer to the enforcement Of tn
laws. the only complaint made has been
: that there has been rather too much enere
Igy and vigor employed in the enforcement
of the fugitive slave law. ask what ex
g cuse can these disunionists of the Soutl
urge for their scheme to break up thi
government? The slavery question is
mere excuse. The election of Mr.. L;ncol
is mere pretext. The present seeessio,
movement is the result of "a tremendous, en-
orpaous conspiracy formed years ago.
/ This conspiracy to break up this Unio
was formed by the leaders in the Southerl
E Confederacy more than three years ago
They use the slavery question as q mean
to accomplish their desired ends. The,
desired northern man to be elected Pres
& ident by sectional vote. in order to con
slider that as evidence. that the two sec
: tions could not live in peace. and so the
might break up the Union. Whenever tn
history of the last two years shall be writ
ten, whenever the history Of this countr
from the time that the Lscompton consti
4 sntion was originated. down to the las
presidential election, shall be written,
viii appear that the scheme was formed t
e break up this Union. They desired I
break it mp. using the slavery qustioa as
pretext. to elect the Republican caDdidat
:. BY purely northern vote. against An uni
! ted south, and then assign that fact as
reason why we could not live together
the scheme sgreed upon in Washingto
& last may was for the disunion candidate 1
: carry every southern State. and Mr.. Lin
coin every northern State. and the disun
!. ionists were then to seize possession .
the Federal Government, issue orders {
the army and navy. under the seal Of Ia
United States They expected to hav
possession Of the government, and they n
- lied upon divided north sud united south
to thus bring civil war to our own doors
4 The scheme was only defeated BY the de
- feat oft disunion candidate ip Kentucky
Missouri. Tennessee and Virginia
Whenever the history Of this eountr