Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1863-09-01
The Canae orihe War.

Nc SN3oC - eAAO " 49,
The Republicans become perVous when
told that the primary cause Of the appall>
ing civil war that Ia now devastating ard |
ravsging our land, is directly trscable to |
the cots and measures Of their party. New
ertheless,s It 10 true. The bloodshed and |
ruin of the present unnatural strife. would !
not have occurred had it not been for the |
organisation Of sectional party in the |
North, for the avowed purpose Of inter
fering with the guaranteed rights Of the
South.
william H. Seward, aud Greeley, and
Lincoln, saw, in the distance, the very
state of affairs that crimson our nation
with blood, and yet went on and organized
party for the obvious purpose of bring.
Jog the calamities upon rs.
lii true the 6re-eaters of the South
were eager and ready to seize upon the
prete1t afforded them by the formation
and success Of the Republican party 20
pIecipitate revolution. 1t was what they
desired, and what they had been snxiously
waiting for, and hence, they hailed the
success Of the radicals Of the North with
great rejoicing. These Southern 6re-est>
ers, however, like the ultra AbOIitionists of
the North, comprised but small minority
Of the people. and would have been power
lees for evil had not our Northern disun-
ionists given them great incentives TO the
preparation of their pei nicious deeds.
Even after the election of Lincoln, the
war might have been prevented, il the
Republicans in Congress had been 30 dis
posed.
This is denied by the Republican press,
but it is susceptible Of the clearest proof.
tits admitted that the adoption of the
Crittenden Compromise would have sverted
our terrible national calsmities. The Alb
Olitionists Snd Republicans are responsible
for the failure of that measure in Congress
This fact was stated on the floor Of the
Senate by the lamsnted Judge Douglas.
whose veracity, we presume. no respectable
man will dare to question. -
On the Sd Of January. 1867, before any
state in the Union had seeded but South
Carolina, aud when every southern senator
was present, save the two from that state,
Mr.. Douglas said, in an elaborate speech
in the senate:
Il believe this This plan) to be fair and
amicable adjustment. II you Of the Re
publican side are at willing to accept
this, nor the proposition of the senator
from Kentucky, Mr.. CritteDdeDl pray tell
ne what you are willing to do? / address
the inquiry to the Republicans alone. for
the reason that in the committee of thir
teen, few dsye ago, every member from
the south, including those from the cotton
states, (Messre. Davis and Toombs, ex-
pressed their readiness to accept the pr0pO-
sition Of my venerable friend from Ken
lucky, Mr. Crittenden, as final settles
ment OF the controversy, iftendered and
sustained by the Republican MEMBERS
Hence the sole responsibility of our disa-
greement, and the only difficulty in the
way of an amicabls adjustment, is with the
Republican party"
And again in March, 1861, Mr.. Douglas,
on the same subject, spoke as follows:
"The senator (Mr. Pugh) has said that
If the Critteuden proposition had been
passed 10 the session it would have saved
all the states except South Carolina.
; firmly believe it would. While the Crit
tenden proposition was not in accordance
with my cherished views, / avowed my
readiness and eagerness to accept it iD or.
der to save the Union if we could unite
upon it. / can confirm the senator's decls-
ration, that senator Davis when on the
committee of thirteen, was ready at all
times to compromise on the Crittenden
proposition. will 90 further and say that
Mr.. TOOmbs was ALSO"
Mr.. Douglas made these remarks in
the presence of the Republican Senator'S
as we'll as those o: the South, and no one
denied their correctness.
The Crittenden compromise, as is we'll
known, was q proposition to amend the
constitution of the United States. In or
der to be adopted, it required two-thirds
vote in Congress, and three. fourtbs Of the
Legislature Of the Atates. Though the
Democrats and Southern votes bad ma
jOrity at that time in Congress, yet in order
to pass the measure Republican votes were
imperative. These were refused, and hence
the war.
The fact that the Republicans are res
ponsible for our terrible calamitiss does
not lesson them or mitigate horrors in the
least, but it is we'll that the true history 10
the premises be known. This may be Of
some importance in the approaching POI
litical contest 10 this country, upon the
result Of which, not only hangs our destiny
80 nation, but our civil liberties and the