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A Victory of Gigantic Proportions!
THE GREAT VOICE OF ILLINOIS FOR THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION AS IT IS AND THE FEDERAL UNION AS IT WAS.
THE FINAL OVERTHROW OF STUMPTAIL MONEY AND STUMPTAIL POLITICS.
ILLINOIS SETS AN EXAMPLE FOR HER SISTER STATES.
The grandest victory for the federal constitution as it is and the federal union as it was, which has been achieved since the war began, and the greatest victory for sound democratic principles in state government which has ever been achieved on this continent, was achieved yesterday in the city of Chicago and in the state of Illinois.
On the question of the adoption of the new constitution, the majority in the city for the new constitution is
and in the state it will probably reach, and may exceed
It was a political issue — made so by the republican leaders and by every republican newspaper organ in the state. The democracy accepted the issue; BEHOLD THE RESULT!
It has been a fiercely fought contest by the republican leaders and newspaper organs, and this contest was commenced at the assembling of the constitutional convention in January. This convention contained a majority of democrats, and this of itself determined the republican hostility to it, and to the constitution which it should make, whatever that constitution might be. The majority of the convention were denounced as a band of secession conspirators, and the constitution has never been alluded to by a republican newspaper in any more gracious terms than as a "secession ordinance," an "Egyptian swindle," an "accursed thing," and no known supporter of it has escaped the epithets of "secessionist" and "traitor." And the result of the election, according to the republican leaders, and according to these republican newspapers, was to decide whether Illinois is a loyal or secession state.
And other elements entered the contest. — The whole power of the federal government, so far as the republican members of congress from this state could exert; the whole power of the state government; the whole power of the banks, stumptail and otherwise; the power of railroads, locomotive and horse; the power of the express companies; the power of the stumptail judiciary here in Chicago, — all these powers joined the republican partisan opposition to the new constitution, and joined in the cry of "secession ordinance," "Egyptian swindle," "accursed thing."
Behold, we say, the result: Nine hundred and three majority for the constitution in the city, and twenty or thirty thousand for it in the state.
But let not the rebels of the south for a moment accept the republican interpretation of the result. Let them not look for the slightest aid and comfort in the result. The cry of "secession ordinance" was the invention of northern secessionists. It was simply to frighten the timid from the support of a constitution that declares with the most solemn emphasis for the union, now and for ever, and against secession, whether it be by southern or northern rebels. The result is a declaration of undying and uncompromising war alike upon southern secession and northern abolition.
Illinois is to day a democratic state, more firmly, if possible, than she has ever been before. In this election she has opened the campaign of 1862. She has set an example for her sister states, only by following which can this war be brought to a successful close, the federal constitution preserved, and the federal union restored. As Illinois pronounced yesterday, so will she pronounce in November. The faith she declared yesterday she will cling to, as a mariner clings to the last plank.