Year: 1861




Editor Cddis Democratic Sentinel: SIR:-Tt
annual return of the birth day OF our Nations
Independence has been celebrated here to da,
that too, in o manner and with an enthusiast
only known to the deyotees Of principle whic
they hold to be dear as lie itselG-self govern
rnent. And propose making this the occa
sion for writing letter to your valuable Jour
nal.


As 4th ofJuly arrangements, Grafton, and a.
have for many years been simply stereotyp
OF like celebrations in the earlier days of tn
Republic. do not deem 1t necessary to ente
into detail otto day would be more easily count
ed by acres than any other way.


Illinois has often done done her duty; Hi
nos OF hich too much too much cannot be sait
in her praise as respects her natural resources
and Of her soil, her climate, and the inel
gence, and enterprise Of her citizens too muct
never will be said. Illinois did her duty in re
cognizng and adopting as her own. those car
dinal principles upon which our system ofpub
lie institution is now based. The same prnci
pies they were which gave birth to those ven
cradle institutions Of tearing whose history and
fame are coeval with those Of the government
ITSELF She did it in the inception and prose
cution Of that system of public improvement
which has in such a marvellously short time
made her the fourth, and don't. consider me
visionary il say, which is ultimately to make
her the first State in the Union, and most en-
phatically did she do her duty when she re-
fused TO follow the lead Of Trumbull, and re-
pudiate her Just debts as did she also do her duty
when she chose rather to follow tie wise coun.
sells of her lamented Douglass, and for whom
she vet mourns as she ever will mourn ana
who will dare ask why she refuses to be com
forted.


Had Illinois literally speaking lost her tight
arm, by having the noble River which courses
along her western and southern border the
great lake which bathes with its pure waters
the beach near which the mortal remains OF the
great Tlllnoisian now rests; her system o puo~
lie improvements, and her free Schools rcmoV-
ed far from her never TO he again restored 70
her, she would not because she could not
mourn with erea er manifestations OF despair
than was shown after the recovery i1om the
shock occasioncd by the sad intelligence
Douglas is dead!


But never has she done her duty SO nohy as
to day by celebrating the Fouih OF July IN Il
national spirit, excluding everything OF pont
ical or partisan character


speak, believing that the same spirit "i love
and yeneralion for our whole country our con-
stitu,ion and our dear old flag, pervades the
masses of the people Of every section OF our
State. that we see manifested here at the capi-
tol to day.


Although our State has pledged men and
money for the war, even to the last man and
the last dollar she possessed, yet you may have
been led to doubt the unanimity of this offering
from the fact that we have been from time to
time trying men here at the Capitol for treason
Omen who we're brought from different parts o'
the State,) also from the 'act that such men as
Loyeioy, (the notorious abolitionis',> because
he could not be elected Colonel Of his Regiment,
smashed it to pieces and scattered the different
companies composing it, to the four winds oi the
earth to be gathered up again or not, just as the
authorities might determine. The same might
be inferred from the personal chickering's and
malignant hate displayed by place hunters. II
YOU have any such doubts entertain them not
for one moment.


MY only object in writing to you now is to
assure you that Illinois has to day proclaimed
ANEW her eternal and undying love for the gov.
ernment Of our Fathers. Granting even that
there may be strangling traitor in our midst
being such, may ths vengeance OF heaven be in
ficted upon him forthwith-ora vile abolition.
ist, which most Jllinoians now regard as equally
dangerous and more contemplate, because they
have always been raising heaven and earth to
do what they know to be unconstitutional, and
at one time when failure was inevitably staring
them in the face, they sent up to Congress
petition praying that body to dissolUe the Onfon'
And these are the men who are now preaching
loyalty to the government and are shedding
tears because Of its probable disruption. -
Granting as | have remarked above that this
dangerous element may be in our midst, yet to
days national carnival has demonstrated that
once the cauldron commences to BOIL it Cho
dangerous element) will be disposed of in
double quick time. l often wonder whether
this class OF defenders Of the nations honor and
who are so prominently self righteous and de
voted, ever think OF what is known in Arabian
history as the black storm! 1t IS black stone
in the walls OF the Kaaba or secret house OF
Mecca.


The historian tells us that it is incased in the
wall and is still pressed with devotion by the
lips OF every pilgrim. You will remember too
that 1t was the identical stone upon which
Abraham stood when he prayed at the conse-
Grafton Of the temElel This famous stone was
said TO have descended from heaven and served
as scaffold at the erection OF the temple, ria.
ing and falling Of lis own accord, as it suited
the convent .nce of Abraham who oiIiciated as
Master Mason.


1t was, at first whittier than milk, but grew
black long ago by the crimes or kisses Of so ma
M generations Of sinful acorshpers.


Is our Constitution upon which Washington,
Jefferson, Franklin, Jay, and their compatriots
stood, and in which they rested such implicit
faith, less sacred than was that ancient stone?
And is It less likely to become black and cor
rnptsd by false devotion and hypocrtical kisses?
The place hunters, and those who care for