Year: 1861

ot Chicago, May 4su, "Hu e'40ie cav an VIM oe-
uaved in his wisdom and patriotism while
rvicc to read his parting words. They are
words of pure patriotism, fit to be uttered by
,he Great Champion of the People and the
constitution, just as he was to be called away
from tbe scenes of Earth. While compromise
,vas possible, our departed leader was fore
most in striving for amicable adjustment; but
when war came, by the act of traitors, he
called upon every American citizen to rally
around the flag Of the Nation:


Me CHAIRMAN: thank you for the kind
.arms in which you have been pleased to wei
onme me- | thank the committee and citi-
asns of Chicago for this grand and imposing
reception. l beg you to believe that | will
rnt do you nor myself the injustice to believe
ths magnificent ovation is personal homage
omyself l rejoice to know that it expresses
rour devotion to the Constitution, the Union
and the flag of our country. Cheers


will not conceal my qualification at the
uncontro vertible test this vast audience pre-
sents-that what political differences or party
questions may have divided US, yet you all
had a conviction that when the country
should be in danger, my loyalty could be





nent, no man can conceal If war must come
if the bayonet must be used to maintain the
constitutional can say before God, my con-
science is clear / have struggled long for a
peaceiul solution of the difficulty. | have
not only tentered those States what was
theirs of right, but have gone to the very
extreme of magnanimity.


The return we receive is war, armies
marched upon our Capital, distractions and
dangers to our navigation, letters of marque
toiuvite pirates to prey upon our commerce
a aconcerted movement to blot out the United
States of America from the map of the globe.
The question is. are we to maintain the cOun-
try of our fathers or allow it to be stricken
down by those who, when they can no longer
govern, threaten to destroy.


What cause, what excuse do disunionists
give us for breaking up the best government
on which the sun of heaven ever shed its
rays? They are dissatisfied with the result
of a Presidential election. Are we to resort
TO the sword when we get defeated at the
laot-box? | understand it that the voice
of the people expressed in the mode appoint
ed by the Constitution must command the
obedience of every citizen. They assume on
the election OF particular candidate that
their rights are not safe in the Union. What
evidence do they present of this? defy any
man to show any act on which it is based.
What act has been omitted to be done
appeal to these assembled thousands that so
far as the constitutional rights of the South
ern States, will say the constitutional rights
of shareholders, are concerned, nothing has
been done, and nothing omitted Of which
they can complain.


There has never been a time from the day
that Washington was uaugurated first Presi-
IS al ;t.l .b,r 81 II,
Of the Southern States stood firmer under the
laws Of the land, than they do now there
never was a time when they had not as good
cause for disunion as they have to-day.
What good cause have they now that has not
existed under every administration


lfthey say the territorial question-pow
for the first time there is no act of Congress
prohibiting slavery anywhere If it be the
non-cnforcement of the laws, the only COM
,laiuts that have heard have been of the
too vigorous and faithful fulhllment of the
fugitive slave law. Then what reason have
they?


The slavery question is a mere excuse. The
election of Lincoln is Il mere preteXt The
present secession movement is theresult of an
enormous conspiracy formed more than year
since, formed by leaders in the southern Con-
federacy more than twelve months ago.


They use the slavery question as il means
to aid the accomplishment ofther ends. They
desired the election of Northern candidate
bya sectional vote in order to show that the
two sections cannot live together When the
history of the two years from the Lecompton
charter, down to the late Presidential cleo
ton shall be written, it will be shown that
the scheme was deliberately made to break
up this nion.


They desired a Northern Republican to be
elected by purely Northern vote, and then
assign this fact as reason why the sections
may not longer live together. 1.-THE disunion
candidate in the late Presidential contest had
carried the United South, their scheme was,
the Northern candidate successful, to seize
the Capital last spring, and bya uni ed South
and divided North hold it. That scheme was
defeated in the defeat of the disunion candi-
date in several Of the Southern States.


But this is no time for a detail of causes.
The conspiracy is now known. Armies have
been raised. War is levied to accomplish it.
There are only two sides to the question.
Every man must be for the United States or
against it. There can be no neutrals in this
war, only patriots--or traitors


Thank God, Illinois is not divided on this
question. Cheers | know they expected to
present an united South against divided
North. They hoped in the Northern States,
party questions would bring civil war be-
tween Democrats and Republicans, when the
South would step in with her cohorts, aid one
party to conquer the other, and then make
easy prey of the vctors. Their scheme waa
carnage and civil war ia the North.


There is but one way to defeat this. In
Illinois it is being SO defeated by closing up
the ranks War will thus be prevented en-
our own soil While there was hope OF
peace | was ready for any reasonable sacrifice
or compromise to maintain it. But when the
question comes of war in the cotton fields of
the South or the corn fields of Illinois, | say
the further off the better.


We cannot close our eyes to the sad and
solemn fact that war does exist. The gov
eminent must be maintained, its enemies
overthrown; and the more stupendous our
preparations, the less the bloodshed and the
shorter the struggle. But wemust remember
certain restraints on our actions even in time
OF war. W are Christian people, and the
war must be prosecuted in a manner recog-
nized by Christian nations.


We must not invade constitutional rights
The inno cent must not suffer, nor women aad
children be the victims. Savages must not
be let loose. But while | sanction no war on
the rights of others, | will implore my coun-
trymen not to lay down their arms until oul
own rights are recognized. Cheers


The Constitution and its guarantees are our
birthright, and am ready to inforce that in
akenable right to the last extent We cannot
recognize secession. Recognize it once and
you have not only dissolved the government
but you have destroyed social order, upturn-
ed the foundations of society. You have in