Year: 1860

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Fellow Citizens Ii is meet that Republi-
cans should make merry and be glad for the
spirit of liberty, which with our rulers was
dead, is alive again; and the Constitution,
ordained to secure its blessings, which was
lost sight of, is found. In view Of the recent
political triumphs Illinois Republicans have
especial reason for congratu)ation, In COM
mon with their political brethren throughout
the Union, they rejoice in the general result,
which secures to the country Republican
President, who. we trust and believe, is to
bring back the government TO the policy OF
the fathers, and thereby restore the frsternal
feeling which existed between the different
sections of the country in the purer and bet
ter days of the Republic. In addition, they
have elected the entire Republican State tick
ct, and have the satisfaction of having secur-
ed a Republican legislature, and thereby a
Republican United States Senator, and the
power to enact the necessary laws to prevent
illegal voting, and to give to every part of the
state, according to population, its proportion
ate share in the Legislation of the state. And
more than this, we Iilinoisans have espec ia|
reason to rejoice in the fact that the standard
bearer in this great political contest, who has
led the Republican hosts to victory is our fell
low-cilizen, the pure, incorruptble and talent
ed Lincoln, than whom the Constitution in all
its parts, has not more faithful supporter,
nor the Union an abler defender.


But while we rejoice over victory so com
pleie, let it not be by way of triumph over
political opponents, for we are all, by what
ever name called, brethren of common
Al ,oIo ol al; ;l,o -, Itnf
the ship of State through the boisterous waves
of these tempestuous times, as to bring 1t to
a haven of peace and safety: rather let us
rejoice over the success of the principles we
advocate, the maintenance of which we be.
lieve essential to the preservation of our free
institutions and ,he perpetuity of constitution,
al liberty.


Mr. Lincoln, although the candidate of the
Republican party, as Chief Magistrate, will
neither belong to that or any other party
When inaugurated, he will be the President
of the country and the whole country, and
doubt not, will be as ready to defend and pro-
tect the state in which he has not received a
solitary vote, against any encroachment upon
its constitutional rights, as the one in which
he received the largest majority.


While they, by whose votes he has been
designated as Chief Magistrate of the Repub-
lie, will expect him to maintain and carry
forward the principles on which he was elect
ed, they know that in doing so, no encroach-
ments will be made on the reserved rights oi
any of the states. They know that the Fed
eral Government is one of delegated powers,
that il can do nothing except the authority
for that act can be found in the instrument
which created it, and that all powers not con-
ferred are reserved to the States or the peo-
pie of the States. Hence, when their polite
al opponents have charged them with aboli-
tionism, or attributed to them desire to in
terfere with slavery in the States, or some
fanatic has insisted they ought to do SO, the
reply has invariably been, that the people
who made the Federal Government did moi
think proper to confer on it such authority
and it has, therefore, no more right to meddlg
with slavery in a state, than it has to interfere
with serfdom in Russia, nor are the people o.
the non-saveholding States in any way re
sponsible for slavery in the states which tol
crate it, because, as to that question they are
as foreign to each other as independent gov
ernments.


have labored in and for the Republican
organization with entire confidence that when
ever it should be in power, each and all o
the States would be left in as complete con-
troll of their own affairs respectively, and a
as perfect liberty to choose and employ theil
own means of protecting property, and pre-.
serving peace and order within their respect
i've limits, as they have ever been under any
Administration. Those who have voted fol
Mr.. Lincoln have expected and still expect
this, and they would not have voted for him
had they expected otherwise. regard it as
extremely fortunate for the peace of the whole
country that this point, upon which the Re
publicans have been SO long and so persistent.
ly misrepresented, is now to be brought to a
practical test and placed beyond the possibil-
ity of doubt. 1t should be matter of re-
iocing TO all true Republicans, tina they will
now have an opportunity of demonstrating to
their political adversaries and to the world,
that they are not interfering with the domes-
tic institutions of the States, nor the advocates
of ofnegro equality or amalgamation, with which
political demagogues have so often charged
them. When this is shown, reaction must
surely take place in favor OF Republicanism,
the southern mind even will be satisfied, the
rights of northern men will be respected, and
the fraterna. feeling existing in olden times,
when men from all parts of the country went
forth tog, ther to battle for a common cause,
against common enemy, will be restored.


Disunionists, per Sc, of whom, unfortunate
", there have been few in the country some
years, understand this, and are now in hot
haste to get out CT the Union, precisely be-
cause they perceive they cannot much longer
maintain an apprehension among the south
ern r,.ople that their homes and 6resdes and
lives are to be endangered by the action of the
Federal Government. With such, "Now ol
never % is the maxim. Hence, they seek tc


nname the public mind by misrepresenting
the objects and purposes Of the Republican
party, with the hope of precipitating some o
the southern states into position from which
they cannot without dishonor, afterwards
recede, well knowing. il they delay till aite