The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-02-13
IMPORTANT SPEECH OF MR.. LINCOLN AT
INDIANAPOLIS.

The following Speech delivered by the President elect
at $50 NJ, from the balcony Of Bates House. an
assemblage OF at least twenty thousand people,
tho greatest significance, although il deals init
nations than definite assertions. The fact that
carefully prepared in Springfield and brought hero in
manuscript fully shows the meaning the Presidential
speaker intended TO give 1t. He said
BELOW CITIZENS THE STATE INpIANA-I am here TO
thank you much for this magnificent welcome, and still
for tho support given by state
a. that political which think the true and Just
of the whole country and the whole world. Solo
uon says, "Ihore is time to keep sence; and when
men wraIge by the mouth with certainty that they
mean the same thing while using the word II
perhaps woe as well If they would Keep silence The
words " coercion" and I" invasion" much used ia
tbese days. often with temper and ooo1.
Let US make sure, if can, that do not msunder
stand the meaning Of those who them. Let get
the exact definitions OF these words not from dctioo
aries, but from the themselves, who certainly de
precate tho things they would represent by tho of
the words. What then, IS coercion' What is " nve-
-ionT Would the marching of army into South Ca
roliDa without the consent Of her people, and with
hostile intent towards them, be nvasonY ceraiuy
ans were forced to submit. Bat # the Ua.ei Stats
should merely hold and reae ITS forts and other prop
ertp, AMI collect the daie on foreign tmpmtuots
uhh0ld the masts from places ,ohere they hatuoy
cfolocd scoad any al these things DC si1rIo
c'cions" Do our profcssed lovers Of tho Union but
who spiteully resolve that they Will coercion and
INVASION understand that such things as thcse on the
part Of the United States would be coercion
OF state? If co. their idea OF means to the OBJ
jsct OF their great affection would exceedingly
thin and airy II sick, the little pills Of tho homeopathic
would be much too large FOR II to swallow. la their
view tho Union as family relation, wo aid To DO
10 regular marriage but rather sort or frec love-
ranrement to be maintained passiona attraction BY
the way in what consists the special sacredncs OF Sacs
speak not OF the position assigned to state in the
Union by the constitution, for that by the bond al
recognize That position however, State canno, carry
out Of the Union with it, speak Of that assumed pr-
mary right Of State to rule all which is legs than Itself
and to ruin all which is larger than itself II State and
o county, in given case should be equal extent OF
territory and equal in number OF Inhabitants what
matter Of principle is the State better than the county?
Would exchange Of be exchange
Of rights Upon principle, on what rghtful
principle. may State, being no more than
one-ftieth part Of the nation in soil and population,
break up the nation and then proportionably
la ger subdivision of itself in the arbitrary way
What mysterious right 70 play tyrant Ii conferred
diat let Of country with its people by merely calling
State? Fellow citizens, am not asserting anything.
merely asking questions for you to consider And
all me- tn Won