A voice from Illinois.
There are here and there (says the Charleston Courter,) over and through the Northern States gallant remnants and faithful exponents of the true and original faith, who have not bowed the knee to the Baal of Lincolnism. The roar of the maddened mob may for the time suppress the utterance of truth, but their voice shall ultimately be heard.We take pleasure in giving place to the following letter:
Nashville,Ill., April 23, 1861.
Editors Courier:--Enclosed you will find the proceedings of a Democratic meeting held here, which I can assure you is a correct expression of public sentiment in the Southern half of Illinois.
You may have noticed a great deal said about the >"unity" of sentiment for the Administration in this State, but such is not the case.
The war fever is only amongst a few of the ultra men of the Northern part of the State.
One-half of the people here, if they are forced to take up arms, will most assuredly take sides with the South. --This is easy accounted for — most of the population came from Southern States, and have a warm feeling for their kindred and friends.--Much gratification was expressed here when we received the news of your capture of Fort Sumter.
I am a Tennessean, and hope to see my native State yet take a bold stand against Abolition encroachments.
C. H. B. Yours, most respectfully,
we have received the proceedings referred to, in a slip from the Washington Herald, of Nashville, Washington county, Ill.
for the information of friends of the actors in this meeting, we give some names, as our space will not admit the full report.
P. E. Hosmer presided, with C. E. Hammond Secretary; and Among the speakers or movers of resolutions were Orson Kellogg, Maj. Wood, Judge O'Melveny, W. L. Underwood, Col. Hicks, Ben Bond, G. W. Vernon, and Amos Watts.
Among the resolutions adopted were these:
- 1. Resolved, That the cry of ‘"Union! "’ ‘"Union!"’ ‘"preservation of the Union!"’ by the advocates of immediate war, is a fraud and a delusion, and we call for the proof to show that by war the Union can either be preserved or a re-union of these States cemented.
- 2. Resolved, That in our judgment civil war is the wish of disunionists North and South; that civil war is disunion certain and unavailable, now and forever, and that in civil war lies the destruction of self-government to man, and on its ruins absolute despotism.
- 3. Resolved, That civil war should be a voided, and that we implore a truce between the hostile sections, until the voice of the people may be heard; and we appeal to the people of every State, party or creed, for calmness of thought and prudence of action, and to use and make their power felt in the mighty struggle before they are crushed by the military power. In the meantime, as citizens of Southern Illinois, we declare, our purpose to oppose firmly any hostile attack upon the property or citizens of the South in the South, and will resist force with force only in case of self-defence.
- 4. Resolved, That war would result in military despotism, or in separate Northern or Southern Confederacies; therefore rather than have war, we are in favor of recognizing the independence of the Southern seceding States.
