Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1910-04-22

Douglas Spoke in the Dark.

! ing there are names in the obituary
columns of the newspapers whose own
ers were associated with events or in
| cidents to which l held personal,
even if humble, relationship. And
| each name reminds me of how close
we fellows were to each other in the
first months Of the Civil War, and how
! much we have forgotten. There died
recently man who was, like myself,
| only one Of million soldiers, but |
had reason to remember him, because
/ in the first week of war he stood be-
| side me in front of the old Neil
House, in Columbus, Ohio and heard
that wonderful speech Of Stephen A.
| Douglas, which was never reported,
and yet gave courage to thousands Of
broken-hearted and despairing men
"It was about week after Fort
Sumter had been fired on, and Doug
| las was on his way to Chicago and
| Springfield to confer with his friends
and supporters in Illinois. He had
been delayed by accidents on the rail
ways, and went quietly to the Neil
House for rest The Governor and
members Of the Legislature heard OF
his presence in the city, and organ
lied a demonstration in his favor. He
had been very popular with his party
in Ohio, and since the Inauguration OF
Lincoln had been almost as popular
with the Republicans. He was regard
ed as the leader Of the Union Demo
Gratis, and there was already gossip as
to the important position he was to
hold in the struggle against secession
All men in political life had been
stunned and enraged by the events Of
the last week, and they as well as
the people who looked up to them as
| leaders turned hungrily to Douglas,
hoping that he might say the right
word, and yet fearing he might say
| the wrong one. When the crowd gath
cred in the street in front Of the Neil
! House, myself and several other young
men, leaning on the fence of the cap
itol grounds, strained our eyes to see
the great Democratic leader, who had
held Lincolns hat on inauguration
day. But we did not see him. He
came, half dressed, to the window Of
| his unlighted bedroom, and, standing
in the darkness, spoke to the crowd
| below.
His deep voice rolled out from the
darkness and fell like a benediction
on the crowd standing with upturned
faces in the street. Never had voice
so thrilled me; never had mere words
seemed SO solemn and impressive rs
those spoken by Douglas that night.
My boy friend standing at my side
caught my arm at the first word, and
| held me in his clutch until the last
word had been spoken, and the crowd
OF legislators, politicians and business
men seemed as much impressed by the
mystery and the words as we younger
men were.
douglas said at once that a great
crisis had come upon the country, and
that all party and other questions
must be pushed aside. He said slowly,
I as if weighing every word, The Union
must be preserved and the insurrec-
ton against the government must be
crushed After the word crushed
came a pause that gave emphasis to
the phrase, and then, speaking as slow
| ly as before, he pledged his hearty
| support to the Lincoln administration
and declared there was no other course
open to the loyal citizen, who must
| stand by the government until ma
tional authority was everywhere rec
ognized. Then, declining a reception
he closed his window, and the crowd
! dispersed.
! Members of the Senate and mem
bers of the House walked away arm
in arm, like boys. There was no cheer
| ing, but all had been comforted, and
| good many Democrats who had been
on the fence that night jumped off OH
! the other side. There were in that
| crowd, standing within ten feet Of my
! perch on the fence, one man who was
| to become President, four men who
were to become major generals in the
Union Army, a score of men who were,
as brigadiers, to hold important CON-
.mands, four men who were to become
| Governors, three cabinet officers, and
several hundred who were within
! three months to be carrying muskets
| in defense of the flag.
of all the more prominent men
present on that evening not one is
| living now Douglas, then spoken OF
| as possible lieutenant general, died
| within six weeks. Dennison, Garfield
| Cox, Tod and others who lived to do
| great work, all are dead. Some Of
! the young men who were with me
| that night at the fence became dis
| tinguished soldiers. Not few of them
| fell on the field, but the most of them
lived on for thirty or fourty years.
I can place only one Of the hundreds
who heard Douglas speak in the dark
| In April, 1861 In the last year they
have gone fast, but If any are left
they should put on record their recol-
lection of the incidents of that night"
Chicago Inter Ocean.
Sixteen Sons In Civil War.
It was Cornelia the Roman matron