The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1863-01-30
stephen A. Douglas on the Cause and
Effect Of the RebeIIion.
LITTER FROM THos. B. RYAN. Eso

I
LETTER FROM THos. B. RYAN. ECO
BRYAN HALL, CHICAGO, Jan. 90
DOUGLAS DEMOCRATS: - Observing g
that the Hon. f. A Eastman, Rep.
resentative from this city, has re
Gently reported the prediction o.
stephen A. Douglas, uttered in his
hearing, and addressed to Southern
men, to the effect that the rebellion
would result in tho over,hrnw of
Slavery; and the accuracy of Col
EAstman's recollection being called
in question, ! deem it dae to truth
to add my humble testimony to that
conviction OF the lamented Senator
IL happened that; in behalf o
Chicago, the duty was assigned me
Of delivering the welcome address
to that patriotic statesman on the
occasion OF his last return to Chica
60, and indeed of the last public ap-
pearance OF his lite. On the way
to tho great Wigwam, devoted to
his reception, the conversation nat
urally turned upon the rebellion;
and although | DO not remember
and do not profess to quote his ex-
act words, | do remember, and never
shall forget, their earpeet purpose
In bis wonted. terse and mphaticI
language, he declared that the lead
ing politicians OF the South--the
Southern conspira,ors," "a he more
than once called them--were alone
reepon sible for The war, and for The
political suicide OF the South and oil
slavery, which i. would involve. i
No man ever uttered a more scath
ing denuoiation o! these arch traitors
than then fell from the lips OF Judge
Douglas.
No allusion, direct or indirect,
was made TO Abolitionists, bat the
entire infamy of the oauseless and
acoursed revolt was placed where itI
belonged, and in a far different lat
itude from that assigned to it by
some modern historians.
And from the speech delivered by
him on the occasion referred to,
allow ne TO make the following ex-
tracts, which may be regarded as the
dying utterances OF the patriot, who,
in a few weeks thereafter, laid in
this building in pomp but in the
cold embrace OF death, to receive the
last homage of more than a hundred
friends:
"The return we receive Is war,
armies marched upon our Capitol,
distractions and dangers to our
navigation, letters Of msrque to in.
vite pirates TO prey upon our conf.
merce, a concerted movement to-
blot out the United States OF Ameri-
ca from the map OF the globe, The
question is, are we to maintain tie
country Of our fathers or allow it 10
be stricken down by those who,
when they can no longer govern
threaten TO destroyP
The Slavery question is a rnere
excuse. The election of Lincoln is
a mere preteXt. The present Seces.
ion movement is the result OF an
enormous conspiracy formed more
than a year since, formed by leaders
in the Southern Confedsracy more
then twelve months ago.
"But this is 70 time for detail
OF csuses. The conspiracy is now
known. Armies have been raised,
war is levied to accomplish it.
There ere only two sides to the
question. Every man must be for
the United States or against it,
There can ba no neutrals in this
war; only patriots-or traitors"
Such is the ncontrovertibIe testi
mony OF the great champion OF the
Democratic party to the true origin
and the inevitable effect OF the re-
bellion. And is il not as manirestly
opposed to the assertions of come OF
his proiessed followers now as is
their present attitude toward the
Government opposed to that which
rendered the close of his life illus
trious for patriotism2
THOMAS B. BRYAN.