and then make easy prey of
the victors. Their scheme was carnage and civil war in 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 on our own soil.
While there was a hope of peace, I 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, I
say the farther off the better.

We can not close our eyes to the sad and solemn fact that war does
exist. The Government must be maintained, its enemies overthrown, and
the more stupendous our preparations the less the bloodshed, and the
shorter the struggle. But we must remember certain restraints on our
action even in time of war. We are a Christian people, and the war must
be prosecuted in a manner recognized by Christian nations.

We must not invade Constitutional rights. The innocent must not suffer,
nor women and children be the victims. Savages must not be let loose.
But while I sanction no war on the rights of others, I will implore my
countrymen not to lay down their arms until our own rights are
recognized. (Cheers.)

The Constitution and its guarantees are our birthright, and I am ready
to enforce that inalienable right to the last extent. We can not
recognize secession. Recognize it once, and you have not only dissolved
government, but you have destroyed social order--upturned the
foundations of society. You have inaugurated anarchy in its worst form,
and will shortly experience all the horrors of the French Revolution.

Then we have a solemn duty--to maintain the Government. The greater our
unanimity, the speedier the day of peace. We have prejudices to overcome
from the few short months since of a fierce party contest. Yet these
must be allayed. Let us lay aside all criminations and recriminations as
to the origin of these difficulties. When we shall have again a country
with the United States flag floating over it, and respected on every
inch of American soil, it will then be time enough to ask who and what
brought all this upon us.

I have said more than I intended to say. (Cries of "Go on.") It is a sad
task to discuss questions so fearful as civil war; but sad as it is,
bloody and disastrous as I expect it will be, I express it as my
conviction before God, that it is the duty of every American citizen to
rally round the flag of his country.

I thank you agai