Year: 1861

THE LAST SPEECH OF SENATOR DOUGLAS.
Delivered in the great Wiguam at Chicago,


May 1st, 1861, 10 10000 people.


Mr.. CHAIRMAN: l thank you for the kind
terms in which you have been pleased to well
come me. thank the Committee and citizens
OF Chicago for this grand and imposing recep-
ton. beg you to believe that will not do
you nor myself the injustice TO believe this
magnificent ovation is personal homage to my
self. Irejoice to know that it expresses your
devotion to the Constitution, the Union, and
the flag of our country. [Cheers.l


will not conceal qualification at the uncon-
trovertible test this vast audience presents
that what political differences or party questions
may have divided US, yet you all had a con-
Eviction that when the country should be in


mger, my loyalty could be relied on. That
NE present danger is imminent, no man can
conceal. If war must come-if the bayonet
spnaet be used to maintain the Constitution-I
| cBn say before God my conscience is clean. L
have struggled long for apeaceful solution OF
the difficulty. have not only rendered those
| States what was theirs of right, but have
| gone to the very extreme of magnanimity.


The return we receive is War. armies march.
ed upon our Capital, distractions and dangers
| to our navigation. letters of marque to invite
pirates to prey upon our commerce, concer-
| ted movement to blot out the United States of
America from the map of the globe. The
| question is, are we to maintain the country of
our fathers, allow it to be stricken down by
those who, when they can no longer govern,
threaten to destroy. rE
What cause, what excuse do DsunOnistS
give us for breaking up the best Government
on which the sun of heaven ever shed its rays I?
They dissatisfied with the result of a Pres
idential election. Did they never get beaten
before! Are We to resort to the sword when
we pet ed at ha hai of hoy 7
stand 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 a particular
candidate that their rights are not safe In the
Union. What evidence do they present of
this l defy any man to show any act on which
it is based. What act has been omitted to be
done appeal to these assem- bled thousands
that SO far as the constitutional rights of the
Southern States, will say the constitutional
rights of shareholders concerned, nothing
has been done, and nothing omitted of which
they can complain.


There has never been time from the day
that Washington was inaugurated first Pres
ident of these United States, when the rights
of the Southern States stood firmer under the
laws of the land, than they do now there
never was a time when they had not as good a
cause for Disunion as they have to-day. What
good cause have they now that 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
acknowledgements of the laws. the only COM
plants that l have heard have been of the too
vigorous and faithful fulfllment of the Fugi-
tive Slave Law. Then what reason have they


The Slavery question is mere excuse. The
election of Lincoln is mere pretext. The
present Secession movement is the result of
enormous conspiracy formed more than
year since, formed by leaders in the Southern
Confederacy more than twelve 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 cf the two years from the Lecompton
charter down to the Presidential election shall
be written, it will be shown that the scheme
was deliberately made to break up this U Union.


They desired Northern Republican to be
elected by purely Northern vote, and then
assign this fact as reason why the sections
may not longer live together. II the DiSunion
candidate in the late Presidential contest had
carried the Uhited South, their scheme was.
the Northern candidate successful, to seize
the Capitol last Spring, and by United
South and divided North hold it. That scheme
defeated in the defeat of the Dsunion
candidate in several of the Southern States.


But this is no time for a detail of causes.
The conspiracy is now known. Armies have
been raised, is levied to accomplish it,
There are only two sides to the question. Every
man must be for the United States or against


it. There can be no neutrals in this war
only patriots-or traitors.


Thank God Illinois is not divided on this
question. TCheers.] 1 know they expected
to present united South against divided
North. They hoped in the Northern States,
party questions would bring civil war between
"
would step in with her cohorts, aid one party
to conquer the other, and then make easy prey
of the victorS. Their scheme 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 prevented on our
own soil. While there was hope of peace
was ready for any reasonable sacrifice or COM
promise 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 cannot close our eyes to the sad and
solemn fact that war does exist. The Gov
ernment must be- maintained, its enemies
overthrown, and the more stupendous our
preparations the less the bloodshed, and the
shorter the struggle. But We must remember
certain restraints on our action even in time
of war. We are Christian people, and the
war must be prosecuted in a manner recogni-
zed 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, / will implore my country |
men not to lay down their arms until our own
rights are recognized. [Cheers.l


The Constitution and its guarantees are our
birthright, and am ready to enforce that
inalienable right to the last extent. We can