M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1863-08-27

four votes. It is not true, therefore,
THAT had tue Southern Senators re.
mained in their seats and voted, the
Crittenden Compromise would have
passed the Senate even. As we have
already remarked, the House being
Republican, it could not have received
a msjority votein that body, let alone
a two-thirds vote.
But unanimity Of opinion was nee
essary TO have secured the success Of
the orittenden plan with the States,
had it even passed Congress. The
Southern senators, in the Committee
of Thirteen, felt the necessity Of that
unanmity, and therefore it was that
Mr.. Douglas said, that "eVery mem
Der from the South, including those
from the Cotton States, (Messrs
Toombs and Davisl expressed their
readiness to accept the CrIttender
Compromise as finsl settlement OF
the controversy, If rendered and SuS
tanned by the Republicans" II hor
rendered and sustained by the Rspub.
licans, the Southern Senators, as did
every body else, knew that the adop.
ton. BY Congress-, VI the Crittenden
Compromise, would, in the end, be
perfectly nusatory, as it would ba
defeated 10 the State Legislatures by
the Republicans. Had it boen tend
cred and sustained BY the Republican
members Of Congress, tho Southern
people would have had a strOng as
suranee, amounting almost TO certainty
Of its success in the State Legislatures
for the two great parties would thel
have been for il. But the managing
, leading Republicans wanted no com
promise at all, at least OF oil did they
. desire any that would be acceptable
e to the South. They wanted a disrup
. ton OF the Union and civil war, il
order to overthrow slavery. Tue tes
timony Of Mr., Douglas on that poin
Y lie Overwhelming. In a letter s. s
Hayes, Eaq., of Illinois, he said:
? WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 1860.
Z My DEAR SIR: y " You viii
: have received my proposed amend
3 monts to the Constitution before you
3 receive this. The South would take
3 my proposition if the Republicans
} would agree to it. But the extreme
t North and South hold off, and are
precipitating the country into reVclu
ton and civil war.
While can do no act which recog
nizes or countenances the doctrine o.
secession, my policy is peace, and
will not consider the question Of wal
until every effort has been made iol
peace, and all hope shall have van.
ished. When that time comes, If uu;
fortunately 1t shall come, will ther
do what II becomes an American
Senator to do on the then state Of facts
Many ofthe Republican leaders desire
O dissolution Of the Union, and urge
war as o means Of accomplishing die.
union while others are Union men
in good faith. We have now reached
the point where . COMPROMISE, on the
basis oil MUTUAL ooNcEsSIJ IN, or disuu,
ion and war are INEVITABLE, |
prefer a fair and jus: Compromise. |
shall make a speech in few days.
/ S. A. DOUGLAS.
| SIS. HAYES, Esq.
/ On tue same day Mr.. Douglas ad.
dressed q letter OF like import to the
Hon. John Taylor, Of New York. To
that gentleman Mr.. Douglas wrote :
"WAsH1NeTox, Dec. %, 1850.
any DEAR SIR :-fressure OF 6asi.
ness has prevented an earlier ackno vi.
edgment oil your kind letter. The
prospects Of our country are gloomy
| indeed, but | do not despair Of tho
Republic. We are now drifting rap
idly into civil war, which must end
| il dlsunion. This can only be pre-.
vented by amendments to the Con.
stitution, which will take the slavery
| question out of Congress, and put an
end to the strife. Whether this can
be done depends upon the Republ-
cans. Many OF their leaders desire
disunion on party grounds. and here
is the difficulty. God grant US q safe
deliverance is my prayer.
"Very truly your friend,
rs. A. DOUGLAS.
"HoN. JOHN TAYLoR"
| Mr.. Douglas made his speech four
or five days after the date OF that let.
ter, in which he avowed his readiness
and eagerness to accept the Critteh,
den Compromise in order to save the
Union; thereby endorsing it as "a
fair and Just compromise." But there
we're too many Republican leaders,
who desired a dissolution OF the Union
and urged war as a means of accom-,
plishiug disunivn, to permit either
Douglas plan or Mr.. Crittenden's
plan, or the Peace Conference plan
to pass and so the country was pre-
cipitated into civil war.
E.rlv in Fahruarv 1891 Mr.