Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-04-17

lose our self respect as we would that of the
people. And If the press is not left free to dis
cuss all questions of public policy and criticise
the action of public men, freedom in Republican
America is but name and the public sentiment
which will not tolerate ths freedom of the press is
a despotism no better than that of Louis Marc
LEON or the Car of Russia
The Republicans are just now denouncing
those who can not agree with the doctrines and
policy of the party in power as TRAITORS" "to
ries" and "rebels" Have they forgot that every
American has honored the great Earl ofCHArHAM
for his eloquent denunciations of his own gov
eminent for its policy toward the then American
colonies, and his predictions of the results that
would followif GroReE the III did not yield the
concessions they demandedf WasCHATHAM tory,
a traitor, rebel to his government for censuring
and opposing the policy of the CROWN Would
it not have been wiser for the British government
to have needed his counsels? Neither can it be
forgotten that many Of the leaders of the Repub-
lican party, now holding high official positions,
denounced the Mexican war as ''unholy," -efused
to vote supplies to the army then fighting for the
country upon foreign soil and one. the present
Minister to Mexico, in a speech in Congress. de-
clared that if he was Mexican he "would wei
come our gallant army with bloody hands to hos
pitable graves" Did any of these men, or the
party who acted with them, then question their
right thus to criticse and oppose the policy of the
Administration in power? No, they deemed it
patriotic, a holy duty. If they were conscientious
in those convictions, it was a patriotic duty to
avow them. We honestly believe that the doc
trines of the party in power have brought the
present troubles upon the country, and have we
not a right to express those convictionsI Ii we
can not do this, we are no longer freemen, and
our free institutions no longer exist. ..-r
We claim to have the rights, the honor and
the welfare of the country much at heart as
ABRAHAM LINCOLN or o. P MORTON, and as deep
an interest in the integrity of the Government and
the perpetuity Of the Union. We as sincerely de
sire, as much as they, to hand down to our chill
dren the institutions won by the valor and framed
by the wisdom and sagacity of the Fathers of the
Republic To secure these objects We are ready
to make as many sacrifices as the men who
denounce those who can not agree with them IN
political sentiment "tories" and TRAITORS and
who threaten personal violence to those who will
not follow their lead. CHATHAM believed that
concessions and compromises were necessary to
secure the allegiance ofthe American colonies to
the British crown, and it is our conviction that
concessions and compromises are necessary to
perpetuate the American Union. So believing,
shall express opinions of the true policy of
the Government in the present crisis of the coun-
try, without being inundated by threats of per-
sonal violence the charge of being, therefore,
a story" or a "traitor." We claim this as the
right of an American citizen, and the privileges
we demand for ourselves we shall certainly con-
cede to others. And. to repeat, while we oppose,
earnestly, the doctrines of the party in power, we
viii be found as loyal as the most patriotic Repub
lican in maintaining the honor and advancing the
of Indiana and the Union.