Press enter after choosing selection

Douglas Fund--homestead For The Senator's Family

Douglas Fund--homestead For The Senator's Family image
Parent Issue
Day
21
Month
June
Year
1861
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

To the People of the 1,'niWd States, and more paiticular ljr to the I'oople of IlhQoirt : Stephen A. Douglas is dead ! He has fallen a: the nieridian of life. For twenty-five years he has sarved bis country honorably, and without personal profit. For nearly twenty years lie devoted his time, bis abilities, and bis labors to is State and country. He served both the State and country from a love of both, and not from auy bope of pecuniary profit For the last four years he gave up his time and aü otlier intorests to his country, and to the utter exclusión of all busiuess pursuits, dsv'oted every tliing and at last his life, to the salvation oí the Kepublic and the iutegrity of the Union, and the mainteuauce of the corislitutiou. In ihe contest for these sacred and patriotic objeets, he has fallen in tbe very prime of life, tut not until he had rendercd incalculable beuetits to tiie American people. Fellow-countrymen: Wbile tlms laboring for your interests and the interests of your posterity, his own meaná were lost. He died not only poor, but has left to his wife and chiMreu a legacy of debt. The only unincumbercd piece of land - asmall tract, less thau three acres - ofwhich he has ever possessed, was wheu, be died, the propurty of his widffw. At the re(uest of the people of Illinois, eominsr up to her even in the hour of her sorrow, she surreudered bis remanís to the btate, aud wtli tueui gave that piece of laud tor his iutcruient, asking of the peojiie only that she niight be allowed to reside near the grave 111 which ho reposes. She has thusgivon to the people of Illinois all that was left of üjuglas. This lot in which now rest his ashe3, is in the center of that beautiful grove knewn as his long chosen and favorito home. The surrounding portion of the trcct is covered with mortgages. llia children, his widow, and his countivmen, to approach his grave, must do so by permission of the sheriff, his creditors, and strangers. Will the nation he ha served forget Douglas in the tomb? Will the llepublic prove ungrateful? Will the American people, whom he served so loug and so faithfully, suffer his widow aud his orphans to be turned from the home he loved, the soil he defended to seek elsewhere and from strangers, a shelter and support ? Sh;ill they be shut out from the sight of his tomb, aud deuied the melauoholy sat.sfactiou of being near bis grave? Shall the wife and children of Douglas go forth, homeless wanderers from the State of Illiuois? We propose to the American people particulaily to the people of Illinois, to raise, by voluntary eontributiou, a fund to be administered by William A. Ilichardson, William B. Ogden, John T. Stuart, Zadee Casey. David Davis, ïhos. Drummond, and John D Caton, for the redemption ofso much of his prop erty as will furnish his widow with a suitable home at Cottage Grove: or, is such selection should, by such trusteef hereafter be deemed inadvisable, to the purchase of a suitable home for them iu the State of Illinois; aud also to be invosted for the support of the widow, and the education oí the cuadren oí ötepheu : A. Douglas. Tne Hon. John D Caton, Chief Justice of the Supreine Court of Illiuois will act as receiver of this fund, to whom all subscriptions, frora States, Counties, corporatious, societies, coinmittees aud individuals will be remitted His address is at Ottawa, Illinois. The Hon. Thomas Drummond, Judge of the Uuited States Court for the nortliern district of Illinois, will act as Treasurer. We cotnmend the proposition, fellowcountrymen, to your earnest aud imuie diate consideration. hICHARD YATES, J. Y. SCAMMON". W A, RïCHARDSON, DA. GaGE, VVM. B. OUDEN, S. S. JIAKriHAL, KOBERT S.VIITH, O B FIUHLIN. J H. WOODWORTH, J. K. DuBülS, T. H. CAMl'BELL, L D ERW1H, J.D. CATON, K E ÖUODELL, SAMUEL K. GASEY.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus