system of government that the decision of the people at the
ballot box, without fraud, according to the forms of the Constitution,
was to command the implicit obedience of every good citizen. If
defeat at a Presidential election is to justify the minority, or
any portion of the minority, in raising the traitorous hand of
rebellion against the constituted authorities, you will find the
future history of the United States written in the history of
Mexico. According to my reading of Mexican history, there has
never been one presidential term, from the time of the Revolution
of 1820 down to this day, when the candidate elected by the people
ever served his four years. In every instance, either the defeated
candidate has seized upon the Presidential chair by use of the
bayonet, or he has turned out the duly elected President before
his term expired. Are we to inaugurate this Mexican system in the
United States of America? Suppose the case to be reversed. Suppose
the disunion candidate had been elected by any means--I care not
what, if by any means in accordance with the forms of the Constitution
--at the last Presidential election; then, suppose the Republicans
had raised a rebellion against his authority--in that case you would have
found me tendering my best efforts and energies to John C. Breckinridge
to put down the Republican rebels. And if you had attempted such
a rebellion I would have justified him in calling forth all the
power and energies of this country to have crushed you out.

"The first duty of an American citizen, or of a citizen of any
constitutional Government, is obedience to the Constitution and
laws of his country. I have no apprehension that any man in
Illinois, or beyond the limits of our own beloved State, will
misconstrue or misunderstand my motive. So far as any of the
partisan questions are concerned, I stand in equal, irreconcilable,
and undying opposition both to the Republicans and the secessionists.
You all know that I am a very good partisan fighter in partisan
times, and I trust you will find me equally as good a patriot when
the country is in danger.

"Now permit me to say to the assembled Representatives and Senators
of our beloved States, composed of men of both political parties,
in my opinion it is your duty to lay aside, for the time being,
your party creeds and party platforms; to dispense with your party
organizations and partisan appeals; to forget that you were ever
divi