Year: 1861

=
Best Authority.


Mcconnell read at Sacramento from Sena-
tor Douglas compromise speech of March
| 18th, delivered fonr weeks before the war
broke out, and said, according to the Unions
report


THAT was the last authoritative exposition
of the opinions of the leader Of the Douglas
Democracy. 1t has been said that he subse-
quently changed his opinioDs but he denied
that in letter written on his death bed.
| We cannot believe that Mr.. Mcconnell was
base enough to so pervert the record. as to
say that Senator Douglas expressed no opin-
ions after March 10Th. He is evidently en-
deavoring, however. to argue, wherever he
goes, that because Mr.. Douglas labored to
prevent the war he must have been opposed
to any resistance to it, after it was violently
commenced at Fort Sumter. Every school
boy in the land knows that Mr.. Douglas
hastened to the Northwest, as soon as treason
black and vile, assaulted the flag at Sumter,
and aroused the people, with his sturdy elo-
quence, to draw the sword and throw away
the scabbard; and to give their blood and
their possessions in support of the efforts of
the Nation to preserve its existence. The
letter to which Mr. Mcconnell alluded, ought
to be read by him at his meetings; but it
never will be. Here is an extract from it.
Read it, and then judge of the truthfulness
of man who will undertake to tell the peo.
pie that Stephen A. Douglas had any other
feeling than that of intense animosity to-
wards the rebel crew whose sympathizers
here are running the Mcconnell ticket, or
that he was opposed to coercive measures on
the part of the Government.


at seems that some of my friends are una
ble to comprehend the difference between ar
guments used in favor of an equitable COM
promise, with the hope of aUertinghe horrors
of civil asdr, and those urged in support of
the Government and flag of our country.
when war is being waged against the United
States with the avowed purpose producing
permanent disruption of the Union and "a
permanent destruction of its Government.


All hope of compromise with the Cotton
States was abandoned when they assumed
the position that the separation of the Union
was complete and final, and that they would
never consent to a reconstruction in any con-
tingency-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 reasona-
ble and satisfactory terms of adjustment
could be agreed upon with Tennessee North
Carolina and the Border States, and that
whatever terms would prove satisfactory to
these loyal States would create q Union par
ty in the Cotton States which would be pow
| rfn1 ~ fba hol ~ hov to tla
Revolutionary Government, and bring those
States back into the Union by the voice of
their own people. This hope was cherished
by Union men North and South, and was
never abandoned until war DaS actually levied
| at Charleston and the authoritative announce
ment made by the Revolutionary Govern
ment at Montgomery, that the Secession flag
should be planted upon the walls of the Cap
itol at Washington, and proclamation issued
inviting the pirates of the world to prey
upon the commerce of the United States.


These startling facts, taken in connection
with the boastful announcement that the
ravages of war and carnage should be quick
ly transferred from the cotton fields of the
South to the wheat fields and corn fields of
the North furnishes conclusive evidence that
it was the fixed purpose of the Secessionists
utterly to destroy the Government of our





the map of the world.


In view of this state of facts there was but
one path of duty left to patriotic men. 1t
. was not party question, nor question in
volving partisan policy it was question of
u Government or no Government; country or
d no country, and hence it became the impera
tive duty of every Union man, every friend
, of constitutional liberty, to rally to tie sup
port Of our common country, stS Government
: and flag, as the only means of checking the
progress of revolution and preserving the
Union of States"


If Mr. Mcconnell desires to be thought an
honest man, he will let the name of the great
Douglas alone; or else he will tell the people
that that immortal man is free from all taint
of treason. He will tell them that Douglas
put forth all of his great energies to avert
this terrible war, but that it came during his
lifetime, and that when it did come he per-
formed the patriots part. by buryng parti-
san animosity and rallying the hosts who
always listened for his voice in times of pub
lie commotion, to fight rebellion, and to sus-
} tain the national authority. We hope that
Mcconnell and his friends will have the good
taste to let the dead rest. Ifthey persist in
slandering his memory by wickedly trying
) to create the impression (they will not assert
it) that his desire for peace indicated a SYM
pathy with treason in case of war, they will
, be despised by every decent man whose ears
are assailed with their gross misrepresenta-
tions.