Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-09-18
speech OF Hon. John Petti., at ives,


l have been invited TO address you upon the
present condition of our once happy, but now dis
tFacted country, and the probable result or ter
mination Of our difficulties. This l shall pro-
coed to do in plan and direct terms, such as be
come aged and said men and women, without
forked or deceptive tongue. and with no attempt
at oratory or captivating rhetoric, remembering
that breyity, at al times, is as desirable IN speech
Is as in wit, and more especially 50 in times of
war, when PROMPT action should take the place OF
prosy words.
Speaking is an art, and to be interesting and
successful, must be cultivated by much practice.
Knowing this, though in former years L had, as
you know, considerable practice, in latter ones
having had none / may well fear that | shall
fail to interest ,ou. / am truly glad to see so
many of the familiar faces of my old aaquaint
aDces here, of III shades of political parties,
with apparent sincere and earnest desire TO hear
whatever may besaid to elucidate our present diff
ficuties, and port out the way to our future hap
piness and peace.
Ny friends, SINE desire, of late, has mani
tested itself to hear me on these subjects, and
some wonder expressed that / had not come for
ward and voluntarily given to the public my
views. / have anumber of good reasons for not
doing so | havenot before been asked to do so.
| have been absert from the State on public bust
ness for two year last past, and did not think 1t
comported with piper modesty or reserve to rush
back and force myself to front position and
claim, unaskej, tc lead or direct you; besides,
my cardinal doctrine in governmental affairs is to
obey the laws andthe magistrate within their re-
spective appropriate spheres. Civil and free gov
eminent can be maintained upon no other basis.
We have the law and the magistrate legally pla-
ced in power; to item yield my obedience.
Ny friends, prmised you plain, unvarnished
words; and first. rs to the continuance of this
war, have TO SAY that whatever the chance or
proprety of settIiIg the difficulties at an earlier
period between the North and the South by peace
fu adjustment thGe is now no alternative left us
but TO fight. Honor, interest, pride. the mainten-
ance of our Government, the safety of our Capt.
/ tai and the archives Of the nation demand 1t.
We have the wolf by the ears, and, though il may
be troublesome to hold him, we can not, with
safety 70 ourselves, let him CO. The South is
pulled to arrogance md insolence with their par
/ tial, but, / trust, temporary success over our
arms, and the Nortl is, TO some degree, depreSs-
ed and under ban from the same cause. Every
candid mind feels aud knows this. Hence the
call for an increase q our army and more Wig
orous prosecution If the war. Let it be done.
Neither party is now in condition to make or ac-
cept proper terms OF peace; will we be until
we have regained what we have lost-shown our
selves not only their equals, but superiors in
arms, and by our proves wiped from our escutch-
con and our flag the temporary tarnish that has
| been placed upon them Hence, unlike Dir.
White who has preceded me, advise my fell
low citizens who eof the proper age and in the
condition to do so, freely enlist, obeying the
Law and the magistrate; go to the war. accom-
plish what ought to De accomplished, and then IT
if those i'm power. md whose right it will be to
determine. shall thiik wecan honorably make or
accept terms of pere, l shall rejoice and hail
with pleasure theii action and the day when
neither honor nor interest shall require continu-
ance of the war, OF further sacrifice of human
life. Until that tine let the rage.
feel now much IS did when out of the State
during and after tie Mexican war, the Indiana
troops were chargedwith cowardice, and at other
times when our Stae charged with the dis
honor of repudiatint public debt, though il had
been improvdenty and against my will made
Both sat like burning blisters upon my face, and
| would have been Wiling to be sold a slave for
life to remove them. So now as Northern man
| feel Inundated an, want to see our reverses
reversed. Let it bedone.
1t is said that thewar is not properly or vigo-
rously enough prosecuted, tina. the Minister OF
War, Mr.. Cameron is an unfit person for that
position, that he dishonest and is stealing
and misapplying th public funds; and petitions
are in circulation fr his removal and the appoint
ment of the Hon. Joseph Holt i'm his stead OF
these things or ther propriety know but little
and have no charges to make. l have personal
acquaintance with he President, and believe him
to he an honest, UPRIGHT man-that he does what
he believes TO be right and for the best-that he
has won and is fully entitled to the sobriquet
which has been gi-en him of Honest Old Abe y
That he will neither steal himself or knowingly
allow Others to do it. l will not fatter him OF
his friends by sayingthat he is the greatest man
mentally that this country has ever produced
butI Inv mi urpa N he init.
mating that he is . weak man. If it were nv
province to give advice the subject of the re-
movaI of Mr.. Cameron and the appointment OF
his successor, ] you'd say TO the President, fill
| his place with the most honest and able Republi-
can you find in order that your councils may
be harmonious on all Other subjects as well as the
war. Mr.. Holt is an abb and upright man, and
under Dc mocratic Administration would make
an efficient Secretary of Var; but his presence in
your Cabinet would be alike unpleasant and un
| profitable to you, to him, the other members oil
the Cabinet and to the country.
You, fellow citizens, and the country generally
seem to think it is a great wonder that this rebel
lion has broken out and that all the nations of the
earth do not lutte with us in sympathy, if not in
arms, to put il down. To me there is no wondel
as to either. / knew well fifteen years age
| that this trouble would be upon us, as know il
| is upon us now, unless the practices, tones anc
sentiments of the extremists on both sides should
cease, and milder manners and ulster conduc
prevail. If number of you should form .
neighborhood with adjoining farms running nortl
and south, with an agreement that you shall live
i'm harmony and kindness, promoting each other.
interests and protecting each others property and
rights, while all these rights and duties are care
fully observed and fulfilled, peace and prosperity
will prevail among you, but if the different part
of that neighborhood begin to annoy each othe
| in every conceivable manner in their persons
property and character, both may be alike t.
blame; but it is no wonder the neighborhood ha.
troubles and is ultimately broken up. But is
rebellion with US to be wondered Mt in view of tn,
history and the antecedants of our own race
What is the history of man, and of what is i
composed? OF its warriors and battle fields, it
poets and sages; but the two latter sink into
oblivion and forgetfulness when compared Will
the more enduring and impressive glare of thu
former. The Hebrews rebelled and ten tribe.
seeded; the Grecian States rebelled, and wha
would be known of them if it were not for Leoni
das, Thermopya, Militiades, Marathon and Pla
teal But for the battles of Marius. Scipio, Sylla
Pompey and Caesar, Roman history would be dry
il not lost despite of her poets and the eloquencs
of Cicero. No one couldtel that Carthage wa.
ii Hannibal had not lived Napoleon, Austerlitz
Marengo and Waterloo form the most enduring
pages of the history of France And but fol
Marlborough, Nelson and Wellington what would
be the pride of England? OF what does our owr
history consist of but Washington and Jackson
Bunker Hill. Saratoga, Yorktown and New Or
leans.
Rebellion may be said to form part of oul
nature as a government and as people We re
belled against Great Britain, and have always
believed that that was just and praise worthy
rebellion. notwithstanding have recently seer
published in the Lafayette Courier. a resolution
OF grave Presbyter, AN Synod, that civil govern
ment is an institution of God, and that any re-
belllon or resistance to it is a great sin against
God hold that there may be such thing ms
Just and praisc-w worthy rebellion and that re-