Year: 1861

Senator Douglas Last Letter


A friend of Senator Douglas has handed


to the National Intelligencer for publica


tiOn copy of the following letter from


him on the state of the country:


I CHICAGO, May 10.
My DEAR SIR: Being deprived of the
use of my arms for the present by severe
attack of rheumatism, am compelled tC
avail myself of the services of an amanu-
ensis in reply to your two letters.


HSeemS that some OF fmy friends are 1lla-
able to comprehend the difference betlceen
arguments used IN tavor Of an equitable
compromiss, qcith the hope of arerting the
horrors Of ,car, and those urged in sup
port Of the Government and the flag Ol
our country, Vien icar is being urged a,
gaiRst the United S!ates lgih the aroareeL
purpose Of producing u permanent dis
rupttoH of the Union and u totaE destr'tc-
tion OF ats Government


All hope of compromise with the Cot
ton States was abandoned when they as
sumed the position that the separation of
the Union was complete ami final, and
that they would never consent to q re-
construction in any contingency-nOt eren
. II zee l0oula furnish them ,0ith q blank
sheet Of paper and permit them to iHseribe
tieir OICn terms.


. Still the hope was cherished that Tea-
sOnable and satisfactory terms of adjust
ment could be agreed upon with Tennes-
see, North Carolina, and the Border States,
and that whatever terms would prove sat
isfactory to these loyal States would Gre
ate Union party in the Cotton States,
which would be powerful enough at the
ballot box to destroy the Revolutionary
Government, and bring those States back
into the Union by the voice of their own
people. This hope was cherished by Un-
lou men North and South, and was never
abandoned until actual war was 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 Capitol at Washington, and a procla-
nation issued invitiRg the pirates Of the
aEorld to prey upon the Commerce Of the
United States.


These startling facts, in connection with
the boastful announcement that the raya-
ages of war and carnage should be quickly
transferred from the cotton fields of the
South to the wheat fields and corn fields Of
the North, furnish conclusive evidence that
it was the fixed purpose of the Secession
lists utterly to destroy the Government Of
our fathers and obliterate the United States
from the map of the world.


In view of this state of facts there was
but one path of duty left to patriotic men.
1t WIS not party question, nor a ques-
tiOn involving partisan policy; it was
question of Government or no Government;
country or no country-aud hence it be-
came the imperative duty of every Union
man, every friend of constitutional liberty,
to rally to the support Of our common
country, its Government and flag, as the
only means of checking the progress of rev.
OlutiOn and of preserving the Union of
States.


am unable to answer your questions in
regard to the policy of Mr.. Lincoln and
Cabinet. l am not in their confidence, as
you and the whole country ought to be
aware am neither the supporter of the
partisan policy nor the apOlOgist of the er-
rors of the Administration. My previous
relations to them remain unchanged; but
/ trust the time lCiH nerer come ,Chen !
shall not be lCilling to make a'iy needfuE
sacrifice Of personal feeling and party pol
icy for the honor and integrity Of my cO0''-
try.


know of no mode in which a loyal cit
izen may so well demonstrate his devotion
to his country as by sustaining the Flag,
the Constitution, and the Union, under all
circumstances, and under every Admins
tratiOn, regardless of party politics. against
all assailants, at home and abroad The
course of Clay and Webster toward the
Administration Of Jackson, in the days of
Notification, presents noble and worthy
example for all true patriots. At the very
moment when that fearful crisis was pre-
cipitated upon the country, partisan strife
between Wings and Democrats was quite
as bitter and relentless as now between
Democrats and Republicans.


The gulf which separated party leaders
in those days was quite as broad and deep
as that which now separates the Democra-
cy from the Republicans. But the nlOn's'lt
an enemy rose IN our midst. plotting the
dismenJermsnt of the Government Of the
Union and the destruction of tie GOUern-
nle'lt, the Uoice of partisan strife tcas hush
ed IN patriotic silence. One Of the bright
est chapters in the history of our country,
will record the fact that during this event
full period the great leaders of the OppOzi-
tiOn, sinking the partisan in the patriot,
rushed to the support of the Government,
and became its ablest and 6ravest defend