Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1861-02-14
Dir. Lincoln,s Address at the Bates House e,
indianapolis.

Fetiom- Citizens of the State Of Indiana:
| am here to thank YOU much for this maCnf-
cent welcome, and still more fer the very gencr-
our support given by your State to that political
cause which think is the true and just cause OF
the whole country and the whole world.
Solomon says there is a time to keep silence
and when men wrangle by the month with
certainty that they mean the same thing, while
using the same trord, it perhaps were as we'll if
they would keep silence.
The words scoercion'' and ''invason'' are
much used in these days: and often with some
temper and hot blood. Let make sure, II We
can that we DO not misunderstood the meaning
of those who use them. Let US get exact def
nitions of these words, not from dictionaries,
but from the men themselves, who certainly
dclr,clte the things they would represent by the
use of these words. What, then, is Coercion"
| " hat is 'lnyasionI' Would the marching OF
| an army into South Carolina without the con
sent OF her people, and with hostile intent to-
wards them, be ..invasionl'' certainly think it
would be coercion also, if the South Caro-
Gnians were forced to submit. But if the United
States should merely hold and retake its own
forts and other property, and collect the duties on
foreign importations, or even withhold tie mails
from these places where they were habitually Vi
olated. would any or all OF these things bs "nva-
sion, or ecoercion7" Do our professed lovers
of the Union, but who spitefuly resolve that
thrv will resist coercion and invasion, understand
! tina. such things a. these on the part OF the
United States, would be coercion or invasion Of
a Statc7 If so, their idea Of means to preserve
the object of their great affection, would seem
to be exceedingly thin and airy. Ii sick, the
little pills OF the homeopathists would be much
too large for it to swallow. liz their view, the
Union as family relation, would seem to be no
regular marriage, but rather sort of free love-
arrangement. to be maintained only on passion
al attraction
By the way. in what consists the special sa-
credncss ola State2 | speak not of the pos ton
assigned to a State. in the Union, by the Con
stitGton; for that, by the bond. we all recognize
That position, however, a State cannot carry out
of the Union with it. | speak of that assumed
primary right OF State to rule all which is less
than itself and ruin all that is larger than itself
If State and a County in given case. should
be equal in extent of territory, and equal in
number OF inhabitants. in what, rs n matter OF
principle. is the State better than the County
Wonld an exchange Thames be an exchange OF
rights upon prnciple2 On what rightfal prin-
ciple may State being not more than one.
titieth part of the nation, IN soil and population
break up the nation and then coeree proper
tonably larger subdivision Of ITSELF in the most
arbitrary way What mysterious right 10 pla,
tyrant IS conferred on district of country Will
rs people, by merely calling il Statel
felh2w citizens. am not asserting any thing
l am merely asking questions for ;ou TO consd
IT, ana now allow me to bid you farewell.