Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-09-04
The Insurrectionary Tdea-The New
York Iudepeudenf.

a Republican organ, but we do not know whether
lis from the pen of Governor MoEToS. CALEB
B. SMITH, the editor of the Journal or Honest
Old AsE" himself At all events it is unneces-
sary for Us to say anything in this regard to the
character and objects of the war SO long as the
Republican press furnishes US with material like
the following:
The New York Independent is now devoting
itself almost exclusively 10 the enterprise of com
polling the Government TO make war directly up
on slavery Its editor ana its stated contribu-
tors, among whom are several writers OF unusual
vigor, appear to have turned their attention to
/ this subject, with view to create current Of
popular feeling which the Administration will be
unable TO resist. The measures which they pro-
pose is. that the President shall by proclamation,
declare freedom to the slaves of the South, and
invite them to rise and take possession of and de-
\ fend their Liberties.
The papers, editorial and communicated, of the
Independent are written by clergymen: in most
cases by men of known eminence in their profes
sion. The Independent enjoys wide circulation,
and no public journal in the United States, per-
haps exerts an influence more extensive Its
writers speak with official authority, and to many
thousands their opinions have all the force of di
vine oracles There is, therefore, TO such as
would not approve of the measure proposed, rea
son to dread its influence
1t NAV be said to the credit of the Independent,
that they show no disposition to underrate the
consequence OF the measure they propose. In
deed it is for its presumed destructive effects that
they propose il. They virtually admit that the
effect of the proceeding will be open the way to
war of races, in the progress of which one race
must be totally, and the other nearly extermna-
ted-a war in which there can, from the nature
Of the case be no quarter given nor asked, which
shall discriminate neither in respect to age or SEX
and which must include in its destruction every
thing that either party can hold dear valuable.
They do not deny that this is what they intend to
substitute in the place of the present condition;
but on the contrary, profess to believe that the
war is a means instituted by divine Providence,
with special view to bring about the change
which they desire.
What an argument an infdel might make
against religion from the cruelty Of its ministers
In all ages of the world, and in all forms OF re-
| ligion, the Priest has been cruel. The smell of
blood in his garments, which he caught at the al
tar where human victims were inundated when
the world was new, still remains to stimulate his
appetite. A man may be tenderly nurtured and
politely educated he may eat of the delicatest,
and recline upon the downiest he may have soft
white hands, and a gentle voice, and be the ora
Gle of society the centre ofpublic admiration, and
the especial agent of God upon earth, and yet be
a barbarian 1t is an awful fact that they who
invariably give the crue!eSt c0unsels are they who
profess to speak in the name of the most mercful
| of beings Where are we to go for an explana-
ton of so frightful an anomaly
The dominant idea in the minds OF the writers
of the Independent evidently is this that the
troubles into which the country is plunged must
be taken advantage of to put an end to slavery,
or a settlement by division will take place. through
which their occupation, anti-slavery asitators,
will be gone forever While, therefore. they ex
aggerate by every effort of perversion and ampli-
fication the dangers that beset the country and
the evils that must spring from II division, they
present emancipation by force as the only posi-
bic resource. They insist that, to suodue the
South by the processes of ordinary warfare, Is
utterly impracticable-tha to conquer brave
and determined people upon their own soil, how
ever great tie disparity of numbers and means,
never has been done and that We have no reason
to suppose that it will be our lot to do what so
many others have failed to accomplish.
| The writers of the Independent refuse to con-
slider, under any imaginable contingency, the
question of division and separate Independence;
| and correspondent is editorially rebuked for a
/ communication, admitted through inadvertence,
| in which was presented the alternative "Separa-
ton or Emancipation" They hold that in the
contest that is now going on, the North or the
South, one or the other, must conquer; that the
war must be carried on against slavery as long as
there is a weapon to lift, hand to lift it; and,
substantially that if the North can not conquer
the South, the conquest of the North by the
South is the next thing in the order of results to
| be desired.
We are, therefore, called upon to consider the
probable efficacy of the means proposed and adj
vocated with so much vigOr and force OF Ian
guage by the entire editorial and sub editorial
staff of an influential and widely circulated news
paper, as the only ones by which there is even
remote probability that the Government will sue
coed in what it has undertaken. Whatever may
be the actual effect of the measure, in case it
should be adopted, it is, to them, through ser
vile war and its attendant horrors, the single and
only solution of our difficulties; and if it should
happen to fail to call servile war into being,
then the case of the Government, they under
stand it, is hopeless. and we may look upon our
selves as a conquered people
We NAV therefore consider, for this occasion
only, that the cause of Government, law and
civil liberty, in the Northern States, hang upon
the question, what will be the effect of procla-
nation by the President of the United States, de-
claring that the slaves Of the Southern States,
are free and no longer under obligation to serve
their masters? 1t will be admitted that the proc
lamation can be can carried into effect By force
no faster than our armies progress into the ter
ritory of the rebels, its efficiency, in aid of the
cause of the Government will consist in its power
to excite insurrectonary movements in advance
of our columns and that. therefore, it does not
cite such movements, the plan may be considered
as having failed, and the cause of civilization be
set down ruined.
We are inclined to believe that a proclamation
by the President of freedom to the slave would
produce about as much disturbance in the seeded
~ h., rooout rrOclo tion nf 1av of fast
ing and prayer did in the loyal ones. The insur-
rectonary spirit, if any exists, would rot be per-
ceptibly increased or diminished by it. The
negroes believe more of the benevolent in
tentions of the Government than they could be
informed in innumerable proclamatons. Ii they
are desrous as il is supposed they are, to rise, il
is Eot proclamations that they want, but oppor-
tunity. Every day developes evidence that the
South has gone into this affair with full moral
preparation to meet all its exigencies. from what
ever quarter they may come 1t has been, thus
far, able to outnumber the forces OF the Govern
ment in any field of operations; and there is no
reason to suppose that it has not men and women
enough left at home to see to its domestic rela-
tons.
We say, then, that it will not do to rely upon
emancipation proclamations to reduce the South
to obedience If this great work-the heaviest
contract that has been undertaken by anv Gov
eminent of modern times-is to be accomplished
force directly applied is the only means upon
which dependence can be placed. War must be
made one nation or people makes war upon
another. We have been too prone to look TO the
weakness of the South, and to rely upon thai
rather than upon our own strength for victory
1t is true that this was discontinued. Whether
the South has or has not arms, clothing prov
sions, she is in the field with an army that out
numbers our own. We have waited for her ar
mics In dishand thrnu oh starvation and nakedness
They still threaten the seat of the National Gov
eminent With the successes, so far. upon her
side, We do not stand in a position effectively tC
nrnclaim ANYTHING The South has Govern