Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-08-28


my fellow citizens, before you and before the
Whole country They are TO be held
responsible, and in order to a vigorous
prosecution and conviction of them, il is
is necessary that and you and all Of us-neces-
sary that the people eyerywhere-shOuld ascer-
tain their guilt before-hanging theml i riH in
quire into the cause Of this war. They say the
South is to blame for the whole of it. They say
that we of the North are as pure as the driven
snow. Now, people North and South are about
alike. There are honest men and rogues in both
sectioLs of the country. /. my friends, first saw
the light of day in Southern State, but am
for the whole country, and not for any section
thereof. The South is to blame for breaking up
the Democratic Convention in Charleston in
1850. The South was wrong in seeding before
any overt act of opposition on the part of Lin
coin / do not. understand me, justify secession
at all. / believe that State has no constitu-
tional right TO secede without the consent of the
States in the Union or confederated with it under
the Constitution. But what do we see in the
North? A man is put in nomination and elected
10 the Presidency who had asserted over and
over again that this country must be all free or
/ all slave-an irrepressible conflict man. The
convention which nominated him adopted plat
| form which said that there should be no more
slave States admitted into this Union
The South had most certainly right to COM
plain of this. Nine Northern States had nullited
the fugitive slave law. The South had a right to
complain of this, and complain most bitterly, too.
Seward in Ohio, had said that slavery must be
abolished, and you and are to do it." This man
got the very first Office under Lincoln. The
South had right to complain of this Blake, of
Ohio a big Abolitonist, but an insignificant man
physically-the biggest Abolitionist in such lit
tie carcass | ever saw--so big and so black that
he would be visible in the darkest night-intro-
duced resolution in Congress to the effect that
freedom ought to be declared for every human
being" and that slavery ought to be restricted
wherever Congress has the constitutional power
Seventy odd Republicans voted for it: every Dem
ocrat and conservative man voted against 1.-THE
intense Abolitionism of the resolution being pat
ent. Ofthis the South had right to complain
Lincoln is controlled by the Abolitonists
Seward has the first place in the Cabinet;
Chase the next. Giddings has the very best APP
pontment so far as money is concerned, in the
Presidents gift. He is Consul General to Can
ada. the end of the under ground railroad.
This Joshua Giddings not exactly the old
Joshua who commanded the sun to stand STILL
but the modern Joshua who commanded a runa-
way niger to come to a halt and be taken under
his paternal protection There was Burlingame,
the man who wanted an anti slavery Bible an
! anti-slavery Constitution, and an anti slavery
God-he had foreign appointment from Lin
coin. Banks, who said "Let the Union slide !"
was Major General in the armies of the
| North deputed to whip in the South to keep .he
Union from sliding, Of all these things, adding
studied insult to injury, had not the South good
reason to complain2
Further, every compromise for the object of
amcable settlement had been refused by the Re
pubcans. Yet they send their emisares into
every community for the purpose of deceving
the people. Every proposition for peace had been
rejected by the Republicans. The people of
lOf olr H., i'll
out regard to party, had Endorsed the Crittenden
amendment. Not one county in the State, per-
laps, if it presented at least so far as the
Democratic party is concerned, would vote
against it. If it is right now, it was right last
winter. Yet then the Republicans rejected it.
That proposition left the question of slavery
the only agtating one and the cause of all our
troubles-to be settled by the people at the bal
| lot-boX. 1t was proposition which proposed a
plan OF settlement equitable and right.
At any rate. it was plan of adjustment which
gave to the North four tfths of the Territories
and to the South but one fifth. Ought not that
proposition to have been considered fair BY the
Republicans? Ali but it proposed, by constitu-
tiona amendment, TO take the slavery question
out of Congress. This did not suit. and therefore
/ every Abolitionist, every Republican--voted
against it. Why did they do this if they wanted
to avert civil war;
The equitable proposition which they rejected
could pot have become an amendment to the Con-
stitution until passed upon and ratified by three
! iourths of the States. These Republicans were
afraid to trust the people withthis question. They
had said thereby to the world that they did not
want peace and settlement, but war and blood
she'd
This is not the only instance of their rejecting
every proposition for peaceable settlement. Kel-
/ log. Republican himself, made an effort by
resolution in Congress in this regard, and it got
only one Republican vote-that of its author, and
he got so scared that he came very near voting
against his own offspring.
Ethridge's proposition was rejected. Every Re-
publican voting against ii.
Thus | have shown YOU, my fellow citizens,
that every proposition for peace and equitable
arrangement has been rejected by the leaders of
the Republican party. Then it follows that the
blood to be spilled in this will stain not the
skirts of the Democratic party. Upon the Black
Republican Abolition party rests all the response
bility-for they might have made peace of they
| had desired peace. say upon them rests the re-
sponsibility-not acouitting those in the South
who are likewise in the wrong; and when they de-
ny it cram the record down their threats. Make
them swallow it. Their argument against you
will be- You are liar, ""Shut your mouth or
we will hang you" Well, nv friends, won't
swear but say let them hang and be damned.
While upon this subject | will accumulate evil
dence going to show the completely of the Re
publican party against the peace and prosperity of
the country-aganst the Union and the Consttu-
ton What did the Governor of this State do
with reference to the Peace Congressr The
proposition for it came from old Virginia.
| TWENTY-FIVE States were represented in it. 1t the
| Governor of your State is good Union man,
why did he not send mixed delegation to that
Congress? Why did he not send, for instance,
one American, one Democrat, and three Repub-
A rf h,r hoap will i'm For
this. But he did not do it. He appointed Re
publicans dyed in the wool. He swore them in
advance to defeat all peace propositons-all eff
forts for compromise to avert bloody and tratr-
cidal war. This was the class of men he nomi
mated to n Peace Congress- When L look at this
matter, although rs / think have said enough
to convince you, am peace man, feel like
! kicking this Governor every time see him.
saw him last night in indianapolis, and a more
sneaking looking rascal there is not in the State.
If these Republicans repeat what, perhaps,
| i have said beiore-wanted peace instead of war,
union instead Of disunion. why did every one of
them in Congress vote against all propositions of
compromise?
When they talk of liberty, and of fighting for
liberty. tell you that your liberties are in more
danger from the usurpations and unconstitutional
acts of this Administration than from any other
source If the utterance of these sentiments is
| treason n traitor stands before you to-day. These
Black Republicans know there are traitors
ly in their own camp, and guess they are afraid
to set about hanging people for fear they will
have to hang some of their best friends
Ifthe Republicans had given us the Crittenden
proposition, the whole country won have been
at peace to-day. Mothers and sisters and wives
would not be mourning the slain upon the battle
field
Davis and Toombs were ready to accept the
Crittenden compromise. If it had been accepted