Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-05-29

Justice and generally in violence The people of,
Indiana are made up of emgrants from all parts /
of the United States and of Europe, and perhaps /
one half Of our entire nativeborn population have
blood relatives in the South, and it would be
strange if they, with all their loyalty 70 tine Gov
ernment, do not sometimes express IN strong
terms their horror of a that will bring into
deadly conflict those who are bound toge ether |
by the powerful ties of consanguinity and mar
rage Had this revolution (for such il ISL |
been confined to a single State, il would
have been comparatively harmless and m such a
case the Government of the United States might |
have safely waited until the siprit of insubordi-
nation had exhausted itself. But ten or eleven
States, bound together by common ties of blood,
and institutions; whose whole social structure is
based upon the institution Of African slavery, are
now united as confederates in support OF the new
government, and the question at issue between the
beIigerents, is one of startling magnitude, and
especially when the three remaining border slave
States in danger of being dragged Or driven
into the same vortex of disunion. And can not
suffer this occasion to pass without SAVING that
every attempt on our part to force the states OF
Missouri or Kentucky from the position that the
Union men of these States are strugglingte main
tain is in the highest degree impolitc and unjust
If under feigned neutrality. they gave aid
and comfort to the enemy, they should of course
be held to strict responsibility. In both these
States, the State governments are in the hands of
secessionist, and those who under snch circum-
stances are struggling to preserve the Union
from utter demolition. should be allowed to do it
i'm their own way. The leading statesmen of Ken
tucky have always been national men-far more
so than some of the Northern statesmen in times
past and at this moment her greatest and best
men are struggling heroically to preserve their
noble State to the Union. The attitude of Ken
lucky is a sublime one and if she is driven from il
by an excited and exacting spirit of war or the
taunts and Vaccinations of the hostile sections,
she will go where the ties of blood AMI common
institutions will carry her. and with her secession
will expire the last hope of re-establishment of
the Federal Union. The detection of a hundred
thousand troops of the United States now in the
field. would be nothing compared to the seces-
of Kentucky at this crisis.
There is another offense kindred to the crime
of treason, which we call misprison Of treason.
1t consists in Withholding from the Government
information of the treason of others, when such
knowledge is in possession of person owing al
legiance to the United States. The act of Con-
gress is, "if any person owing allegiance to the
Government has knowledge of acts Of treason,
committed by others within the jurisdiction of
the Court, and does not make it known to the
President of the United States. or the Governor
of the State, or a Judge or Magistrate thereof,
he shall be deemed guilty of misprison Of treason
and shall be subject to seven years imprisonment
and fine of one thousand dollars" need not
say to YOU that in the present state of :ie coun-
try, it is of the utmost Importance thst persons
amenable to any Of the penalties referredto should
be brought before this Court for trial. in all en-
lightened nations, he who plots the destruction of
his Government is held to be the most atrocious
of all criminals
Before closing my remarks wish to refer very
briefly to the effect of this war upon our COM
mercia relations with citizens of the Confederate
States. These States have established govern
ment, and although it = hot recognized as a
foreign power, it is nevertheless a government
de fdcfo.
| According to the law of nations, no pacific
dealings or commercial intercourse car lawfully
subsist between citizens of States at war, except
under special license or the express sanction of
the Government. for a state of war puts the citi-
zens of the two Governments in hostility TO each
other To allow individuals of the two Govern
ments to carry on a commercial intercourse under
such circumstances, would be to place the acts OF
! the Government and the acts of individuals in
contradiction to each other. Contracts made prior
to the war are not made void by the act of war,
but are suspended, as there is no mode by which
they can be enforced in AN enemys jurisdiction.
| Indeed see that already the plea of "alen
enemy has been allowed in one of the Southern
courts. This doctrine of the invaldity OF con-
tracts made between citizens of the United States
and citizens of the Confederate States during war
| is subject TO the consideration that the United
States does not recognize the Confederate States
as a Governre ent, but rs vet hold them to be a
part of the United States and subject to our Con-
| sttution.
The opinions of this Court on the doctrine OF
secession, claimed as a constitutional right by
most of the seeding States, were fully expressed
at the last term of this Court. Surh a doctrine
is at war with the very existence of the Govern
ment. While no Government of which have
any knowledge has ever made provision for its
own destruction, so no Government can be es-
tabiished which is proof against rebellion or trea
ssh. Secession is revolution, and the indepen
ldence of the Government of the Confederate
4 States will depend upon its power to maintain il
by force of arms until it is recognized by the Gov
ernment of the United States.
In ten or eleven States of the Union the Fede
raj authority has been abolished-the civil ma
chinery by which the laws of the United State:
could be enforced within these States, has passed
into other and hostile hands. Wehave no Longer
there Federal Courts or Federal officers, ant
practically no more power to enforce contracts
made with their citizens than with the subjects o
Japan.
In conclusion, allow me to say that we are no
responsible for this change of our relations. Al
a member of this great confederacy, Indiana ha
eiuOyeu notnlhS Dut peace anu prosperity, anu
whatever cost she will adhere to its fortunes. w,
NAV differ among ourselves, as We doubtless do
J about the causes which have produced this stat
ofthings, but we can not differ to duty in thi
great crisis We who are citizens all owe allegiance
; to the United States, and that is paramount Il
any State allegiance. The idea that because
man happens to have been born in Georgia, h
owes allegiance to Georgia, no matter where for
tune has cast his lot, is too himsy for notice,
is only used as pretext for treason. Every per
! son owes obedience tn the laws of the State i
which he is a citizen, no matter where he wa
9 born subject always to the paramount allegianc
which he owes to the United States. The mer
{ accident of birth place may be matter of prid
t and even pretension with some persons, but
' can not affect their allegiance to this Govern
ment. OF all the mischievous theories whic
8 have had their day in this country, none hay
been so fatal as that of State rights paramour
to the rights of the Federal Government. 1t hs
I been the parent of more than one attempted reyC
luton in our Government, and at last it has bee
e used with fatal effect in the dismemberment {
;, the noblest Republic of the world. The sece
# sion heresy is one of its legitimate progeny.
The Kentucky Muskcts.