The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1864-10-04
Stephen A. Douglas on the War.
The Last Letter that He Ever
Wrote.
CuIcAGo, May 10, 1861

| SnlCA1o, Way ~, iCOis
My DEAR SIR: Being deprived OF
the use of my arms for the present by
severe attack of rheumatism, / am
compelled to avail myself of the SER
vices of an amanuensis in reply to your
two last letters.
1t seems that some of my friends are
uuable to comprehend the difference be-
tween arguments used in favor of. an
equitable compromise, with the hope OF
averting the horrors of war, and those
urged in support of the Government
and the flag of our country, when war
is being waged against the United
States, with the avowed purpose ofpro-
ducing permanent disruption of the
Union and a total destruction Of its
Government.
All hope Of compromise with the
Cotton States was abandoned when
they assumed the position that the sep
aration of the Union was complete and
final, and that they would never con-
sent to reconstruction in any contin-
gency--not even if we would furnish
them with blank sheet of paper, and
permit them to inscribe their own
terms.
Still the hope was cherished that rea-
sonable and satisfactory terms of adj
iustment could be agreed upon with
Tennessee, North Carolina and the
Border States, which would be power
ful enough at the ballot box to destroy
the revolutionary government anb
bring those States back into the Union
by the voice oftheir own people. This
hope was cherished by Union men
North and South, and was never aban-
doned until actual war was levied at
Charleston, and the authoritative an
nouncement made by the revolutions
ry government at Montgomery that the
secession flag should be planted upon
the walls of the Capitol at Washing
ton, and a proclamation issued inviting
the pirates Of the world to prey upon
the commerce of the United States.
These startling facts, in connection
with the boastful announcement that
the ravages of war and carnage should
be quickly transferred from the cotton
fields of the South to the wheat fields
of the North, furnish conclusive evil
dence that it was the fixed purpose of
the secessionists utterly to destroy the
Government of our fathers and oblite-
rate the United States from the map of
the world.
In view of this state of facts there
was but one path of duty left to patri-
otic men. 1t was not a party question
nor question involving partisan poll
cy; it was a question of Government or
no Government; country or no country
--and hence it became the imperative
duty of every Union man, every friend
of constitutional liberty, to rally to the
support of our common country, its
Government and flag, as the only means
Of checking the progress OF revolution
and of preserving the Union of States.
/ am unable to answer your question
in regard to the policy of Mr.. Lincoln
and Cabinet Lam not in their conf
dence as you and the whole country
ought to be aware. i am neither the
supporter of the partisan policy nor the
apologist of the errors of the Admins
tration, My previous relations to them
remains unchanged; but trust the
time will never come when shall not
be willing to make any needful sacri-
fee of personal feeling and party poll
cy for the honor and integrity of my
country.
/ know of no mode in which a loyal
citizen may so well demonstrate his de-
votion to his country as by sustaining