The southern aegis, and Harford County intelligencer., 1862-09-06
The Testimony of Stephen A. Douglas
Republicans the Cause of the War.

81 fear" said Douglas in the Senate on
the 3D. of JAN, 1861, "from every iudica-
tion, that the Republican party is disposed
to treat the matter as party question, to
be determined an caucus aoth reference to
ats effects upon the peace otftte country and
the safety Of the Union. THE u,ity of the
party IS dearer to them than the unaty of
the States. The american people haze
not decsoed that they referrcd the disrup-'
tion cfthis Government and civll qcar Nth
all its horrors and miscrics, to surrender
ing one sota Of the Chicago PLATFORM"
The Republican party, when closely
pursued upon the question of the real ori-
gin OF this war, like the cutie fish, becloud
the waters with the exudations from its
corrupt carcase. Mid this observation in
pursuit of them and the thick smoke of
Fort Sumter they hatter themselves that
their true interference in the matter of the
commencement of this war, can be kept
from the public gaze.
Here we have, however, the testimony
of Senator Douglas, one who was with
them and understood all their views, and
was cognizant Of all their craftiness. He
foresaw with the keen perception of
statement the tendency of their revolution
airy measures and opinions; be warned the
country of them, and left upon the record
bis testimony as to their participation in
that high crime of inficting civil war
upon this nation. The prominent mem
bers of the Republican party at Chicago,
in Congress and atthe hustings, had an
nounced the doctrine that the Supreme
Court as constituted was a partisan tribu-
nal and must be overthrown. They had
by the passage of Personal Liberty bills
in several States made war upon the Con-
stitution and the rights of the States
They had made war upon the South, long
before the South ever conceived the idea
Of making war upon them. The Black
Republicans had in their churches denied
the Southern slaveholding Christian com.
munion, because they could not endure
what they were pleased to call the moral
leprosy Of slaveholding. They refused to
Southern men and Southern women
permission to sojourn, or even to pass
through the N orth with their property,
They violated the Constitution, treaties
and laws Of Congress, because designed to
protect that property. They refused the
South any share Of lands acquired by the
common blood aud treasure of the whole
country. They robbed the South Of their
property and refused to restore it. They
refused to deliver criminals against the
laws of the South, who fed to the North
with Southern blood and property on their
hands. They denounced Southern men
by resolves Of popular meetings, Of party
conventions and even legislative assem-
sblies, as habitual violators of the laws of
God and the rights Of humanity !; and.
then when they had stupg by their outra-
ges the South to madness, and we were
standingupon the verge of civil war, they,
coolly refused to abandon ono single. dog
ma Of their political faith, to speak one
word of peace Of Cancellation, to calm the
angry waves that their own rash folly
had reused to fury. We honestly believe
that before Gods tribunal, there will be a
righteous verdict as to the men upon
whose souls shall rest the responsibility
for all this blood and crime. s4