Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-12-30
Patriotic and Sensible Speech of the
Hon. Mr.. of Virginia, i'm the
United states Senate, upon the slave.
w Question.

y 4ue>ttOns
Mr.. Carlisle III imagine, Mr. President
that the Senate and the country. after the speech
of the Senator from Kansas, will be convinced
that the President of the United States has made
a very great mistake. By the Constitution he is
made the Commander in Chief of our armies, and
he selects the commander who is to lead those
armies in the field, and the mistake is that he did
not select the Senotor from Kansas as that com
mander. 1t is very easy for brave gentlemen in
their private rooms, or on the carpeted floors of
the halls OF Congress to criticise military move
ments. But, sir. j think there is one principle
which, if not good military sense according to
the Senator from Kansas, is at least good con-
mon sense, that is, that where the advantages of
a victory would not half compensate for the dis
asters of defeat, we should hesitate long before
we give battle. | believe If defeated now, the
consequences of that defeat would be more dis
astrous to the country than any benefits which
are likely to be obtained from any impatient on
ward movement j believe that the great BODY
of the people throughout the nation are willing to
rely upon the wisdom and discretion of the
executive power, and to wait until they ready
to move.
But sir, was surprised to hear from that Sen
ator that twenty millions of loyal people are una
bic to contend with the FIVE millions now
belion, counting all the whites in the rebelous
States, without liberating the four million slaves
in those States. Sir that is confession of weak
ness am unwilling to make. We were accus-
toned to language like this year or two ago,
and it now comes from the same gentleman who
told us then that these four million slaves were
an element of weakness; the same gentleman
who then laughed at the threatened dissolution of
the Union, and said that the South could not be
kicked out of the Union.
Sir, this is an effort on the part of the Federal
Government to suppress instruction and put
down rebellion, and while is duty to put
down rebels it is equally your duty to protect the
innocent and unofiending citizens. You cannot
wage an indiscrmnate war upon the people of
the slaveholding States without trampling under
foot the solemn obligations of that Constitution
which binds the Union together. / have sat here,
sir, ane been mortified. and my heart has sunk
within me in seeing the precious moments con-
sumed in slavery agitation in this body. May
we not reasonably charge TO this unwarranted ag-
itation OF this question the very troubles which
are now staring US in the faceg This rebellion
had its origin in motives beyond and outside of
this question of slavery | know it has been
used as pretext by those who originated this re-
bellion, in order to obtain the physical power
necessary to enable them to attempt the accom-
plishment of their unholy purposes.
If this is to be war for the liberation of
slaves, il will not be constitutional struggle for
| the maintenance OF the Union and of the rights
of the people of the States under it. But IL will
be a war fui the overthrow of the Constitution;
it will be an ichuman and unholy crusade against
American constitutional liberty. Convince the
loyal people of this country that this is not a
struggle for constitutional liberty, and not for the
! Union but that it is an effort 10 prostitute the
powers of the Government for the purpose of de
stroying the rights of the people of the States,
and depriving them of all rights guaranteed by a
common Constitution, formed by common an
cestry; convince them that your army is to be
turned into an army OF negro thieves, and you will
| see that army disappear as rapidly as the snow
| melts away under Southern sun. The charge
was made when the attempt was made to organ
ize this rebellion, that person has been elected
who would make war against the Constitution
and the rights of the people under it. Establish
this line of conduct, which is now sought to be
inaugurated in this chamber, and you will make
that charge true and you will ALLEVIATE the hearts
of loyal people all over the country.
| This is an honest struggle, and an honest Pres
ident tells US that it is not to be prostltuted into
war upon the rights of the people in the States,
and not to be used to rob and plumber citizens of
their property acknowledged to be such by State
authority But it is to be, as it was originally
declared to be, effort to put down wicked men
who have banded themselves together, and used
the power of the State Government against the
time of profound peace to be used for the public
good Ii the Union is ever 10 be restored, it is
to be done through the action of loyal people in
the rebel States Relieve those people by your
army and Jour Union viii be speedily restored.
But if you attempt the exercise OF an unconstitu-
tional power, by the liberation of their slaves,
you will strike down every loyal man in the
sIaveholding States, and there will not be one
left to tell the story of the Union. / am willing
to trust TO the President honest patriot, who
told US in the beginning, and who tells us now,
that, by virtue of his OATH he must preserve, pro
tect and defend the Constitution
Mr.. Lane Kansas -Do / understand the hon
orabe Senator to express the opinion that il Is the
constitutional duty of this Government to main.
tain the slaves of rebels and traitors in arms. and
restore them il they escaped
Mr. Carlisle-My opinion as to what the duty
of the Government is goes just as far as its con-
siitutional obligation, and no further. At the
time Of the adoption Of that Constitution twelve
States were nominaily slaveholding. and the ex-
igencies of the times demanded that they wonid