Year: 1860

Mr.. Leake, OF Virginia, (Democrat)
says it is the right of Virginia to with
draw from the Union "he instant M,
thinks proper to do So" And Mr.. Cart
rell of Georgia, (Democrat) exciaims,
Such is the right of Virginia, and
also Of New York and Pennsylvania.


Strange doctrine this and a
strange government or nation, allegi
ance to which is not a matter of duty
but convenience and which may be
dissolved at pleasure! And if Vir-
ginia and New York and Pennsylva-
MIA, may seccdc at pleasure, it follows
of course, that Illinois possesses a
similar right under the Constitution
And what then? Illinois extends
from the mouth of the Ohio to Lake
Michigan, embracing more than one
third of the Union from the Gulf of
Mexico to Canada and in the winter
season, cuts off effectually and entire
ly, the intercourse with the Atlantic
of the States of Missouri, Wisconsin.
Iowa, Minnesota and the whole north.
west of the confcderacy lying north
of the mouth of the Ohio. In other
words, Illinois extends from 31o to
420 North, including fifty miles of the
shore Of Lake Michigan; and in the
winter season there is no means of in
tercourse between the Northwestern
region, up to the parallel of 49o North,
aud the Atlantic, save through this
State. From the Gulf of Mexico to
our northern boundary, are embraced
nineteen degrees Of North Latitude, of
which onl y Seren are South of Illinois J.
Now suppose that in the exercise of
this absurd claim of a right to with
draw from the Union, Illinois should
withdraw and establish within her
boundaries Despotism, prohibiting
the citizens of all foreign countries to
pass through her Territory What
would become of the great North
West? Missouri following her exam.
pie and acting in concert with her,
could shut out forever, four-fitths of
the Territory of our Union from all
intercourse with the Atlantic? And
this we are gravcly told by the grown
up Boys who sputtcr nonsense on the
floor of Congress, is according to the
and the conditions of our
Union.


The mishap, the folly, and absurdi-
ty of this whole doctrine of secession
and peaccablc disunion of the Con
federacy, is so perfectly manifest to
every sensible man, that it is almost
impossible to reason upon the subject
Neither the great West and North
West, nor the North, the East or the
Ccntrc-and least of all, the South
and South -West-are to control the
future of this great Republic. And
our conviction is that whatever
changes may take place in our form
of Government, for centuries at least,
we shall continue to be one people.
And this, for the simple reason, that
the highway to the Atlantic for both
the West and the Northwest, lies
through the Atlantic States and along
the great Rivers emptying into the
Cuffs of Mexico and st. Lawrence.
Who dare close these avenues against
the millions destined to occupy that
great region forever devoted to free
dom by the ordinance of 1887, even if
it were Constitutional so to do? Not
the East and the Centre, strong as
they are and certainly not the South
with canker in its bosom which
places it at the mercy of such mad
men as John Brown and his handful
of fanatics, to frighten her from her
propriety. Nor does the po,rer or the
right to do this great wrong, exist
anywhere. We are a Nation one and
indivisible under the Constitution aud
Union, and allegiance is due by us to
the General Government precisely as
it is due by the people of France or
England to their respective Govern.
ments. Like them, we have the right
of revolution but We have no right
peaceably to sccede or destroy the
Government Every attempt to do so,
is treason and come from what quar-.
terit may, will be punished accord


ingly. And our friends of the East
and the West-the North and the
South--those ON the Atlantic and the
Pacific coasts, and at the Northeas


and on the Gulf of Mexico, may q:


well make up their minds that we AT,
all parties to compact in which VT
have taken each other as a man take.


his wife, for richer for poorer--fo


better for worse D; and we must tr,


to be just and conciliating to eacl


other, and strive to live in peace, -


never losing sight of the fact, tina


any and every refractory member o


the contederacy that attempts disnnio