Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-10-17
words OF Senator DourI.s.

words of the late Senator Douglas and to
read what he said IN regard to the war aud
party spirit. In his seat in the Senate,
March %, 1861. Mr.. Douglas said:
1t seems to be generally conceded now
that no revenue is to be collected unless
Congress makes it the duty Of the Presi-
dent to do it; no ports nre to be blockaded
unless Congress makes it the duty of the
the President TO blockade them : no militia
ry force is to be used unless Congress shall
require It to be done, aud provide the
means; and that nothing is TO be done that
leads 10 tVGr. That is very good policy
a much wiser and better one than had ex-
pected or hoped for from a Republican ad-
ministration. do not know that should
have made as great efforts to defeat them.
if had thought they would have acted
with SO much patriotism.
The point here made by Senator Doug
las was, that no acts should be done by the
Administration to provoke aud bring on
war. No such acts were done. The most
wonderful and exemplary forbearance was
shown from the day the President was in
augurated to the day that Beauregard open
ed FIRE on Fort Sumter. Then aud there
war was inaugurated, and Senator Doug
las came home and told his constituents
that - not one act had been done, and not
one duty omitted to be done, of which any
one of the disuuioniSts could justly com.
plain" For in a speech to the Legislature
of Illinois month later, viz on the 9th
of April, 1861, he said:
The simple question presented to US is
whether we shall wait for the enemy to
carry out his boasts OF making war upon
our soil, or whether we shall rush as one
man to the defence of the Government and
its capital, to defend it from the hands of
all assailants who have threatened 1t.
The question is whether this war Of ng-
erosion shall proceed and we remain with
folded arms, inattentive. spectators, OF
whether we shall meet the aggressors ut
the threshold and turn back the tide.
ask you to reflect and then point oat any
one act that has been done; any one duty that
has been omitted to be done, of which any one
of these disuHioHi5fs can justly complain =
Yet we are told, simply because ons party
has succeeded in n presidential election,
therefore they chose to consider that their
liberties are not safe. and therefore they
will break up the government.
had supposed that il WAS cardinal aud
fundamental principle of our system of
government that the decision of the people
at the ballot-box, without fraud, according
20 the forms of the constitution, was to
command the explicit obedience of every
good citizen.
If their defeat at presidential election
is to justify the minority, or any portion of
the minority, in raising the traitorous hand
of he
thorities, you will find the future history
of the Uaited States written in the history
of Mexico.
The first duty of the American citizen, or
offs cirizen of any constitutional govern
ment, is obedience to the constitution and
laws of the country. You all know that l
am very good partisan fighter in partisan
times And You will find me equally as
good patriot when the country is in dam
Now permit me to say to the assembled
representatives. and senators of our good
State, composed of men of both political
parties. in my opinion il is your duty 10
lay dSids your party eresdg and party plat
forms; to lay aside yOtr party Organization
and pdrtiSaH appeals: to forget that you
were divided until you have rescued the
government and the country from their as
sailanIs. Even resume your partisan posi-
tons according to your wishes. Give me
country first, then my children may live
in peace, then we will have n theatre for
our party organization to operate upon.
1t is n crime against the inalienable and
indefeasible right of every American citi-
zen to attempt to destroy the government
under which we were born. IL is n crime
against constitutional freedom and the
hopes of the friends of freedom througbou out
the wide world 10 attempt TO blot out the
United States from the map of ChrisIen-
dom.
Whenever our government is assailed-
when hostile armies are marching under
new add odius banners against the govern
ment of our country, the shortest way to
| peace is the most stupendous and unan-
imous preparation for war. The greater
the unanimity the less blood will be shed.
The more prompt and energetic tue move
ment, and the more important in its num-
bers. the shorter will be the struggle.
Every friend offreedom, every champion
and advocate of constitutional liberty
throughout the land, must feel that this
cause is his own, and that there is and
should be nothing that ought to be disa-
greeable or humiliatiHg TO men who have
/ differed in times of peace on every Ques-
ton that could divide fellow men, to rally
in union in defense of the country and
against all assailants.
TnE army correspondent of the Sauarnah
| Pen,,bIjr1n givea m acropnt IF a ooarral