The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-02-09
COAL Valley DEMOCRATIC CLUB

tor School House on the lotn OF Januhfys |
1865, the following report of the committee
appointed at previous meeting OF the Cup,
was received, adopted, and ordered 70 90
published IN the Rock Island ARGUS
ANDREW JINGLEs, Pres't.
JAMES HENRY, Recording Sec'y.
WHrnrAs. President Lincoln. in his lnau-
gural Address, said
sssuppose you 20 to war, you cannot fight al
wav.. and when, AFTER much loss on both SIDES
and no gain on either you cease lighting, tne oio
identical questions to terms Of intercourse are
again upon yeu." And
WHEREAS, President Lincoln, on the lotn
of April 1861, through his secretary OF state.
Mr.. Seward, emphatically announced 70 the
public that -
sFor these reasons, he (the president) would
not be disposed to reject cardinal doctrine OF
theirs 1.-THE secessonists) namely, that the Federal
government could not reduce the seceeohg s'e.os
to obedience by conquest, although ne mcIe u'
posed to question that proPosition. but ih iact,
the president willingly accepts 1t az true.
"ouly an imperial despotc governments
could subiugate thoroughly Unaffected and insnr-
rectionary members OF the state" -,
"This Federal republican system OF ours 10, OF all
forms of government, the very one which is most
united for such labor.' And
WHEREAS. Judge Douglas, in his last Off
cial speech, declared:
ssThat war is disunion. War is final, eternal
separation. Hence disguise it as You may, every
Union man must advocate such amendments OF
the constitution will preserve peace and restore
the Union; while every dsunionst 10 the advocate
of peaceful secession, or of war, as the surest
means OF rendering reconstruction impossible
have too much respect for his intsllect to believe
that there 10 one man for war who - not disun-
ionist per see. = lam Union man, and
hence against war; but if the government must be
broken and de fdcto government set up by some
of the states, let DONE that will prevent
q restoration. PEACE 10 the only poilcy snat can
lead to that result.''
"Have we government is the question; and
we are told that must test that question by
ing the military power to put down all discoten-
ted spirits. Sir, this question: ssHave we a gov
ernmentr' has been propounded by every tyrant
who has tried to keep his feet the necks of the
people since the world began. When the barons
demanded Magma Charta from King John at Ru-
neymede, he exclaimed: Have we a govern
mentr and called for his army to put down the
disseminated barons. When George III. called
upon his army to put down the rebellion in Ameri-
ca, Lord North cried Justify: No compromise
with traitors Let us demonstrate that we have
government.
"Sir, when ten millions of people proclaim to
you that they apprehend their fresides and their
families are in danger, it becomes a wise govern
ment 10 listen to the appeal and remove the aP-
prehension. History does not record one example
where any human government has been strong
enough to crush ten millions of people into sub
lection, when they believed their rights and liber
ties were imperilled, without first converting the
government itself into a despotism and destroying
the last vestige of freedom.
eWhat man in all America, with heart in his
bosom, who knows the facts connected with Fort
Sumter, can hesitate in saying that duty, honor,
patriotism and humanity, requires that Anderson
and his little baud should be Instantly withdra
Sir, am not afraid to say PEACE is the only
policy that will save the country" And
WHEREAS, The preceding extracts exhibit
the fact that President Lincoln and Judge
Douglas agreed in the positive avowal that
the Federal government cannot. Reduce
the seoeeding states to obedience by conquest
without being itself converted into an I'm
periat or despotic government" And
WHEREAS, The Transcription Act" deci-
ded to be unconstitutional and void" by the
supreme court of Pennsylvania, is one Of the
numerous usurpations of the Federal govern.
ment which prove tue capacity and forecast
of both President Lincoln and Judge Don.
glas. And
WHEREAS, The Transcription Act" ami.
hilates the reserved right of Illinois to
maintain "a well regulated Militia" which
the constitution of the United States and
those of the several states, assert to be ''Ne-
cessary to the security of a free state" And
WHEREAS, An effort is being made to alter
the Federal Constitution so as to empower the
Federal government to abolish slavery in the
states such an alteration we believe to be
contrary to the letter and spirit of the constr
tuition because we view the powers of the
Federal government as resulting from the
compact, to which the states are parties, az
limited by the plain sense and intention oil
the instrument constituting that compact y
Therefore
Resolred, That, as four years of the most sangu
mary has resulted IN 'much loss on both sid Ell
and no gain on elther,'' that demand OF on
public servants that they sscease fghting'' BY
proxy, and conscrpting peor men to fight in per
SON, and that they settle ssthe identical question:
as to terms of intercourse which are again upoI
us,'' by the rational and christian policy of nego
tiation. -
End. Resolved, That the dire calamity of con
verting "This Federal republican system of ours,
into San imperial or desPotlc government ant
also the necessity of conscrIpting men to fight il
cause which they cannot voluntarily sspous,
without violating the ciearest dictates of consci
ence, by mbruing their hands in the blood of thei
fellow men for the unholy purpose of forcing upol
them a government contrary to their consent ans
that, therefore, the member of congress from THU
district be instructed to use all honorable mean
to carry out the objects OF the preceding resolu.
ton, and to procure the repeal of the ssConscrip
ton Act, "'The Indemnity Bill, ''-"The auth
orizng the suspension of the hn5eas corpus anc
all other unconstitutional acts of congress.
Sd. Reselped, That the legislature Of thi. stat,
be respectfully petitioned, the guardian O
stcte sovereignty, TO declare the above named
acts OF congress Unconstitutional and, also Il
enact such laws will secure the privilege q
the ha6eas corpus 10 any conscripted citizen o
Illinois held asa /" deserter - under the conscrip
ton act.
4th. Resolved, That the member of congress
from this district be instructed to use all honora
bic means to prevent alteration of the constitu
ton to abolish slavery in the states.
9th. RESOLVED, That standing upon the decIara
tlon OF independence, and the interpretation o
mn Loaf tad inf H.