Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1863-08-26
Speech of Stephen A. Douglas.
DELIVERED AT CHICAGO, May LIST, 1861.

DELIVERED AT CHICAGO, May LIST, 1861.
will not conceal qualification at the
uncomfortable test this vast audience pre-
sents-that whatever political differences
or party questions may have divided us,
yes YOU all had a conviction that when the
country should be in danger, my loyalty
could be relied on. That the present dan
ger is imminent, no man can conceal. Ii
war must come-if the bayonet must be
used to maintain the Constitution-I can
say before God my conscience is clean. l
have struggled long for peaceful solu-
ton of the difficulty. have not only ten
dered those States what was their right,
but have gone to the very extreme OF
magnanimity.
The return we receive Is war, armies
marching upon our Capitol, Instructions
and dangers placed upon navigation, let
tiers of marque granted to pirates to prey
upon our commerce, a concerted move
ment to blot out the United States of
America from the map of the globe. The
question is, Are we to maintain the conn
try of our fathers, or allow it to be strick
en- down by those who. when they can no
longer govern, threaten to destroy?
What cause, what excuse do disunion-
lists give us for breaking up the best Gov
eminent on which the sun of heaven ev-
er shed his rays? They are dissatisfied
with the results ofa presidential election.
Did they never get beaten before? Arewe
to resort to the sword when we get de-
featad at the ballot box? understand it
that the voice of the people, expressed in
the mode appointed by the Constitution,
must command the obedience of every
citizen. They assume on the election of
particular candidate, that their rights
are not safe in the Union. What evidence
do they present of this? | DEFY ANY NAN
TO SHOW AN ACT on WHICH IT Is BASED
What has been omitted to be done? / ap-
peal TO these assembled thousands that so
far as the constitutional rights of South
ern States, l will say the constitutional
rights of SHAREHOLDERS are concerned,
nothing has been done and nothing omit
ted of which they can complain.
There has never been a time, from the
day that Washington was inaugurated
first President of the United States, when
the rights of the Southern States stood
firmer under the laws of the land, than
they do now; there never was time when
they had not as good a cause for disun-
ion as they have to-day. What good cause
have they which has not existed under
every Administration.
If they say the territorial question
now, for the first time, there is no act OF
Congress prohibiting Slavery anywhere
If it be the non-enforcement of the laws
the only complaints that | have heard
have been of the too vigorous and faith
full fulflment of the Fugitive Slave Law.
Then what reason have they?
TIE ,S2arsry question is a mere crease. The
election Of LincoLa is mere pretert. The
present secession increment IS tie result Of an
enormous conspiracy formed more than a gear
Since-tormed By lcaisrs IN the Southern Con-
tederacy more than tceLce months ago.
They use the Slavery question as
means to aid the accomplishment of their
ends. They desired the election of
Northern candidate by sectional vote in
order TO show that the two sections can
not live together. When the history of
the two years, from the Lecompton Char
ter down to the late Presidential election
shall be written, it will be shown that the
scheme was deliberately make to break
up this Union.
They desired Northern Republican to
be elected by purely Northern vote, and
then assign this fact as a reason why the
sections may not longer live together. If
the Disunion candidate in the late Presi-
Dental contest had carried the united
South, the scheme was, the Northern can
didate successful, to seize the Capital last
Spring, and by an united South and divided
North, hold Il. That scheme was defeated
in the defeat of the Disunion candidate
in several of the Southern States.
But this is no time for detail of causes.
The conspiracy is now known. Armies
have been raised. War is levied to accom-
plish it. There are only two sides to it.
EVERY MAN MUST BE FOR THE UNITED STATES
OR AGAINST 1T. There can be 40 neldraLs an
this uoar-ONLY PATRIOTS or TRAIT
ORS.
Thank God, Illinois is not divided on
this question. Cheers. / know they
expected to present an united South
against divided North. They hoped in
the Northern States, party questions
would bring civil war between Democrats
and Republicans, when the South would
step in with her cohorts, aid one party to
conquer the other, and then make an easy
prey of the victorS, Their schemes was
CARNAGE AND CIVIL WAR IN THE
NORTH
There is but ONE WAY to defeat this. In
! Illinois it is being so defeated by closing
up the ranks. War will thus be prevent
ed on our own soil. While there was a
hope of peace | was ready for any reason
able sacrifice or compromise to maintain
| it, But when the question comes of war
in the cotton fields of the South or the
] corn fields of Illinois, say the farther off
the better.
We can not close our eyes to the sad
and solemn fact that war does exist. The
Government must be maintained, its en-
emies oyerthrown; and the more stupen-
dous our preparations the less the blood
shed, and the shorter the struggle. But
we must remember certain restraints on
our actions even in time of war. We are q
Christian people, and the war must be
prosecuted in a manner recognized by
| Christian nations.
We must not invade constitutional
rights. The innocent must not suffer,
nor women and children be the victims.
Savages must not be let loose, But while
l sanction no war on the rights of others
| implore my countrymen not to lay down
their arms until our own rights are recog-
nized. [Cheers.
! The Constitution and its guarantees are
our birthright, and am ready to en- oree
that alienable right to the last extent
We cannot recognize secession. Recog-
nize it once, and you have not only dis
solved government, but you have de-
stroyed social order, upturned the foun-
dations of society. You have Inaugural
ted anarchy in its worst form, and will
shortly experience all the horrors of the
French Revolution,