Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-05-26
SPEECH OF SENATOR DOOLITTLE
EARNEST APPEAL FOR UNION AIC,G UNION MEN,
Let Minor Questions be POSTPONED


States Senate in opposition to an nendnen
offered by Senator WILKINSON of Minnesota
to the bill for the organization of the terrific
ry OF Montana, proposing to extend the right
OF suffrage to colored persons
What is the state of the country? We
are engaged in a war which has no parallel il
human history. This whole country, from
Maine to the Rio Grande, trembles under the
tread Of armed men. One Of our great corps
d a,maee, under Gen. Burnside is this moment
passing through the streets Of Washington,
marching across the Potomac to engage in
the greatest battle this continent or the
world has seen for two generations; and on
the result of which, perhaps, hang not only
the hopes of this Republic, but the hopes of
the world.
We are gathering our forces from the East
and from the West we are massing our
strength; We are pouring out our men, our
blood, our treasure like water; not only all
our own treasure-all we of this generation
have and all we hope to have-but we are
mortgaging, in advance, the property and the
earnings of generations to come after US, to
raise the means necessary to sustain our cause
and win the decisive victory.
Our country at this hour is bleeding at eve
~ pore; every household wears the drapery
of mourning; grief sits an unwelcome visitor
at every fTeside an unbidden guest fills the
vacant chair at every family table; and by
the side Of the mourning widow or mother,
bends, in anguish, deep and unutterabIe, at
every family altar. Sir, some of US have
been made to drink Of this bitter cup; there
are some, like my honorable friend from
Maine, Mr.. Fessenden, and myself, who
have been compelled to look into the graves
of our sons, fallen a sacrifice to put down
this unhOly rebellion. And, sir, we have been
made to feel, in our inmost souls, what our
judgments clearly see, chat the great issue of
this people and specially of this present time,
and before which all others should give place,
is an issue of arms-whether we shall have
success or whether we shall fail in crushing
the military power of the rebellion.
Shall the Republic live or die? We not
only know, but we are made to feel that if we
do not succeed in maintaining this govern
ment and putting down this rebellion-and
that can only be done by force Of arms-our
sons have been sacrificed in vain. But if we
shall succeed as, with the blessing of Provi-
dence, | hope and trust we may; if we shall
be permitted to see that standard, under
which they entered the service, float once
more in triumph, with not one star obsc1red
nor one stripe erased, over every inch of the
soil of every State and Territory of the Unit
ed States, we can then say to our struggling
hearts, "Peace, be still though our sons
have fallen our country lives"
We know, we feel, that in war us in rcli-
gIon and i'll every other great department of
life, there is and there can be, but one great
all-absorbing, controlling issue to be decided
at the same time. We are told in HOLY Writ,
Seek first the kingdom Of Heaven and its
righteousness, and all other things shall be
added unto You" And in this war of our
country for It's very life, we should seek first,
last and all the time to do nothing, to engage
IN nothing, to say nothing but that which
gives force to our armies or raise the money
to sustain them. When this war is past :;
when peace shall smile once more in beauty
all around us; when there is no more blood
to be She'd when there are no more sons
to be sacrificed upon the altar, then, if YOU
will, open the Senate Chamber to become a
debating school for all the distractions YOU
please.
Mr. President as | have said already, my
respect for my honorable friend from Mime
sofa, feel sure that in all his acts here he is
guided only by the highest and most patriotic
motives But ut the same time, cannCtre-
fraih from expressing my deep regret that an
issue should have been raised Mt this time, or
should appear to have been raised at This
moment, before the people of the country
upon this dstracting question of negro suf
frage.
In Gods name, let us first save the Union ::
let us crush the rebellion let US give free
dom to the negroes as the necessary result of
the prosecution of this war; and secure it bv
constitutional amendment. But let us post
ponc the discussion and action upon this and
all other issues, which can only serve to dis
tract, divide and weaken the energies of the
loyal people i'll this great struggle For my
self, l would so conduct our affairs, if it were
within my power, that the whole people of
the free States, loyal States, in this contro-
very, should stand together as one man, Shout
der to shoulder, speaking but one voice,
breathing but one sentiment, their hearts
pulsating with one wish, that is, to save the
Government, crush the rebellion, and trample
the Slave Contederacy in pieces.
But what else do we see? do not hold
the Senator from Minnesota wholly RESPONSE
BILE. This is but one measure of a whole class
of measures tending to raise the question of
negro social as well as political equality. Of
my honorable friend from Massachusetts,
Mr.. Sumner have sometimes thought in
my heart had some right to complain, not
personally of him, but ofpropositions that he
is disposed to bring forward from time to
time, that to me seem to have no bearing
whatever on the great issue, and tend to
nothing else but to distract the public mind,
and divide the hearts and energies Of loyal
men. Upon any other subject but the nerro
question, my honorable friend can appreciate
what | am about to say, as well as ! or any
other Senator. As an instance, we ali know,
and none better than that Senator how i'm
portant 1t is for US to have the moral support,
and sympathy, if not the friendship, at least
the strict neutrality of foreign Governments
IN this struggle, If we can retain them honor
ably and Iegltimately. At all events, he
knows as well as |, how disastrous it would
be tof us to raise an issue now with England
or France which might lead them to recog-
nlze the Contederacy much more should they
enter into an alliance with the Confederacy
and take sides against US. He would 90. |
know, very far to prevent any such thing as
that; but let me say to my honorable friend
that, IN my Judgment, and before high Hea-
ven, declare that it would be of much more
consequence to us if we could make the
Whole people OF New York, of PENNSYLVANIA,
OF the great West, and of all the LOYAL States,
unanimously sustain the Union cause. shake
hands together, and declare. d" We will know
nothing but the Union, and the vigorous
prosecution OF the war, and we will say moth
Ing, but I'LL the Treasury, fill the ranks, and
press on the columns, until the last flag of the
rebellion is put under our feet: we will have
no divisions IN our ranks no unnecessary con
troversies, until this struggle is over: we will
all march together, shoulder to shoulder and
keep step to the music of the Union" I saw,
and | say it in all sincerity, that at this homr
if it were in my power, l would give more to
have the whole people of the Free States Of
this Union join with US, hand in hand in DO.