Year: 1863

The speech which Major General JOIN
A. Logan made at Duquoin, Illinois, oI
Friday, the 3lst, was a manly yindicatioI
of those who support the Government IL
the prosecution of the war against rebel
lion. Too much importance cannot bt
attached to the position of this lifelong
Democrat at the present time. We give
below the important portions of thu
speech which we copy from the Cincinnati
Commercials report:


THE WAR AND OUR DUTY.


1t is not necessary for me to tell this in
telligent audience that the war IN which
we are now engaged is one of great mag
nitude and importance. 1t Is one, my
friends, that will settle the fate of thi:
Government either one way or the other
While it is going on, it Is clearly and plain
ly the duty of each and every one of it:
citizens to reflect in reference TO that
which is for the greatest and best interest
of themselves and the whole people, and
to act in such a manner as is best calcu-
lated 10 promote the general welfare OF
our country. In order, then, that we
should all act properly, that each and ey-
cry one should act right and conscientious
ly do his whole duty toward the country
and its people, it is proper that >they
should well know the difficulties with
which the country is surrounded, that
they should well know the rights that at
tach to them from the organization of our
Government, and the manner IN which
these are assailed or attempted to be tram,
pied under foot.


We first find, then, a aGovernment with
a Constitution sufficient to protect-am-
ply protect-the rights of persons and
property, political, civil and religious, OF
all classes of persons. We find Govern
ment with Constitution better than has
ever been formed by men in any age or
country or cline, with privileges, rights
and protection that each man is entitled
to. in all parts of the Government, clear
ly defined and distinctly marked out
With this kind of Government-with
this kind of a Constitution-let us ask
ourselves what is our duty to that Gov
ernment? What do we owe to a Govern
ment that gives us such rights and priyl'
leges-that has such Constitution-that
has such institutions as ours conferS upon
US and upon all mankind who avail them
selves of it? What do we owe to a Gov
ernment that extends its protecting pow
er over each and every one of us? What
do we owe to a Government that protects
our rights, our liberties, our regulations,
our property, and extends to us all the
protection that any man on earth could
require Now, my friends, we have just
the kind Of Government / have spoken
of; or, rather, we had such an one. A
voice, ''We'll have it again.


Logan-"WeIl make a big Try
Laughter. What then is the duty we
owe to that Government? I'll tell YOU
in a very few words. We owe it our first
allegiance as American citizens. We owe
our first allegiance to that Government
paramount to any State, County, Section,
or Territory We owe 1t our first allegi-
ance as citizens. We are in duty bound
to protect that Government under whose
egis we have so long enjoyed peace, pros
perity and security. As citizens who have
received protection from it, 1t Is our duty
TO stand by it in all its perils, IN all its
trials, all its wants, in every thing; 1t
makes no matter what it is. 1t is our du-
ty to see that atno time that Government
is DESTROYED, that at no time the rights
and privileges of its citizens are interfer-
ed with OF molested. [Applause.l l be-
lieve no one will dispute this point for a
moment. All will admit it. Well, if it
be true that we are indebted to this Gov
ernment that much, clearly then there IS
a duty incumbent upon us, upon all men
and women in the land, upon all officers,
upon all persons in the Government and
il is that kind of duty that they should
certainly perform-it is to execute the
trust imposed upon them in good faith
in honesty and candor, according to the
laws of the land and constitution under
which we live Applause. This being
the case then, will now bring to your at
tention the point l am driving at. 1t Is
this-when a country like this is in war
what is the duty of its citizens? Now, if
we owe our first allegiance to that Gov
ernment-if we are bound to respect Its
laws, and in good faith carry them out
why then, if that is the nature OF our OBJ
legation to it, we are bound to prevent in
every way possible, in every manner with
in our power, any interference with it
in any way whatever. We are bound to
resist any blow aimed at its vitality. We
are bound to go between 1t and It's antag-
onist, be he who he may, what power un-
der heaven it may-we are bound to
shield it with our strong arms in its hour
of danger. [Applause,l


AN UNCONSTITUTIONAL ACT.


General Logan then reviewed the asser-
tions that the war is an unholy, fratrici
dal, and an unconstitutional war. Was it
Constitutional to organize a conspiracy
against the Government? This was not
done for the purpose of peace and harmo-
ny, but for the reason that certain gentle
men in some parts of the country had got
''a little too large for their boots :" they
thought if they could not be Presidents by
election, they would be so by blood and
carnage, and in the violation of the laws
of the land. The friends of the rebels
think this constitutional enough, but
they are terribly opposed to defending
the Government against them. General
Logan then spoke Of the Conscription.


THE coNscRIPTIoN BILL.


1t is said that the very idea of forcing a
man into the army under the conscrip-
ton law is infamous. Let US see. What
is a conscription law? 1t is a law enacted