ver been a time from the day that Washington was inaugurated
first President of these United States, when the rights 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 a cause for disunion as they
have to-day. What good cause have they now that has not existed under
every Administration?

If they say the Territorial question--now, for the first time, there is
no act of Congress prohibiting slavery anywhere. If it be the
non-enforcement of the laws, the only complaints that I have heard have
been of the too vigorous and faithful fulfilment of the Fugitive Slave
Law. Then what reason have they?

The slavery question is a mere excuse. The election of Lincoln is a mere
pretext. The present secession movement is the result of an enormous
conspiracy formed more than a year since--formed by leaders in the
Southern Confederacy more than twelve months ago.

They use the Slavery question as a means to aid the accomplishment of
their ends. They desired the election of a Northern candidate, by a
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 Presidential election shall be written, it will be shown
that the scheme was deliberately made to break up this Union.

They desired a Northern Republican to be elected by a purely Northern
vote, and then assign this fact as a reason why the sections may not
longer live together. If 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 by a united
South and divided North hold it. That scheme was defeated in the defeat
of the disunion candidate 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.) I know
they expected to present a united South against a divided North. They
hoped in the Northern States, party questions would bring civil war
between Democrats and Republicans, when the South would step in with her
cohorts, aid one party to conquer the other,