Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-08-11
SPEECH OF
Hon. JOHN .. CARLILE,
At the Great Mass Meeting of the De-
mOcracy and Conservative Citizens
of Indiana, held at indianapolis,
July 30th, 1862.

President of the meeting, Hon. T. A. HESDRicKs,
said:
FELLOW CITIZENS: Last April, one year age,
The present civil war commenced at Fort Sumter,
in South Carolina. State after State had been
going out of the Union, and the grave question
was presented to the great old Commonwealth of
Virginia, ''Shall Virginia 90 out2'' The contest
was most bitter. Eastern Virginia at length de-
cided to go. Western Virginia decided to remain
in the Union, under the leadership of gallant
young statesman of that portion of the State.
That gallant statesman now have the honor to
introduce to you in the person of the Hon. John
s. Carlile. Senator from Western. Virginia.
After the prolonged cheering, which greeted
his appearance, had subsidized, Mr.. CARLLE said:
People Of Indiana, my Counfrylnen and my fair
Country,cOmen: Clouds and darkness are round
about US. For more than twelvemonth we
have been engaged in fearful, terrible, fratrici
dal war. Let us pause and ponder on this.
What are the objects of that war? Congress,
in July, 1861, solemnlY declared them to be .sto
defend and maintain tIt supremacy of the Con-
sttution and to preserve the Union with all the
dignity, equality an6 rights of the several
States unimpared.'' No other war could or
would be justified by the civilization and
Christianity of the age. If the people of the
United States suffer this war to be diverted from
these objects we shall bring down upon our
selves the execrations of mankind and the just
vengeance of righteous God.
How is this war to be wagedl Congress,
speaking for the nation, i'm the same decaratory
resolution, has said "that this war is not waged
our part in any spirit of oppression, or for any
purpose of CONQUEST or suBJUGATIoN, or purpose
OF OrerthTOlciRq or interfering with the rights or
established institutions ofthe seeded States. This
formal declaration of the purposes and objects of
the war; made the very day after our reverse at
the battle of Bull Run, was but a reiteration by
the American people, through their representa-
tives having authority to speak for them, of the
instructions given by the President of the United
States through the head of the State Depart
ment (Mr. Seward) to the representatives of our
Government abroad, and we stand to-day COM
mitted before the world that fofno other purpose
than the objects stated in the resolution referred
to, shall this war be waged; yet the controlling
majority of the same Congress at its last session
was camorous for change of policy in the
duct of the war, and have even assailed the Pres
ident because he did not repudiate not only their
own declarations and his instructions, to which
have referred, but also his own deliberate an
nouncement in his inaugural address, that he had
''nO purpose directly or indirectly, to interfere
with the institution ofslavery in the States where
it exists"--that he believed he had "no lawful
right to do So" and that lie had "no inclination
to do So" The dominant party in Congress
would repudiate not only their own solemn
pledges but in their mad zeal would have the
Chief Executive of this once proud and honored
nation, respected at home and abroad violate his
own solemn pledge, voluntarily given in the adj
dress to which have referred. Nor is this all.
They would have him disregard his oath of Of
fee; for in the extract have read he says he has
no constitutional, or, TO use his own language,
w ful riobt IN With tho institution
of slavery in the States where it exists" and
they would have him, who has taken solemn
oath to see that the laws are faithfully executed
and to preserve, protect and defend the Constitu
ton of his country, violate that Constitution and
that OATH and would compel him to do that
which he has said he had no lawful right to do.
Who that has observed the discussions in Con-
gress for the last eight months that does not
know that three fourths of its time was consum-
ed in discussions aud propositions for change of
policy in the conduct OF the war, looking to the
coercion b. legislative action of the President,
who, by the Constitution, is made the Command
er-in-Chief of our armies, and thereby charged
with the conduct of the war, into the adoption of
the policy so clamorously contended for by the
ultra element that controlled the Congress at the
session just closed. They even raised Com
mittee on the Conduct Of the War; with "Brave
Ben Wade" at its head, and the Senator from
Michigan, who i'm February, 1861, thought "the
Union ico1ld not be tcorth curse tcithout little
OOd-letting," by his side. Thus, people of In
diana, has the issue been made by this dominant
party in Congress, and by them forced upon you.
Shall this war be waged for the purposes declared
in the resolution of Congress of July, 1861, or
shall it be waged for the determination of the
white race in the seeded States and the liberia
ton of the negro in the slaveholding States?
This issue they have made. The President, in
his Border State Address, tells it threatens di-
vision among those who, united, are none too
strong, and that the pressure is upon him and is
increasing. Will not the patriotic heart of the
Great West aid the President in resisting this
pressure9 Pligh.ed faith, have shown you, re-
quires it. Humanity demands it, and if division
of sentiment among "those who united are none
too strong shall follow upon those who forced the
issue and continue the pressure" the response
bility rests. But, fellow citizens, "thrice is he
armed who hath his quarrel just" and it is only
when faith is broken, honor thrown to the dogs,
and pledges violated, that | tremble for my
country.
If we would not be parties criminal with these
men, who would trampIe the Constitution as well
as their own solemn declarations in the dust, we
must all constitutional means afforded us to
prevent them from turning this war for the Con-
stitution and the Union into war for the negro
over the PROSTATE bodies of both the Constitution
and the Union.
have said, and repeat again, for no other pur-
pose than the objects stated in the resolution of
July, 1861, can we, justifably, wage this war.
Against whom is this waged1 Against re-
belous citizens who have combined together to
destroy the Constitution and sever the Union un-
der it, 1t is only in the name of the Constitution
and for the preservation of the Government crea
ted by it that can a Christian people, carry
81. H.
it from these objects we disregard our consttu-
tional obligations, declare they are no longer
binding upon us, and by thus acting we place
ourselves side by side with the rebel in arms, and
become with him equally guilty The rebel in
arms who violates the Constitution for the pur-
pose of severing the Union is a traitor He who
would through our army or otherwise violate the
Constitution for the purpose of Overwhelming or
interfering with the established institutions of the
States, or any one of them, is likewise traitor.
Fellow citizens, as an individual have probably
deeper interest in the maintenance OF the Con
stituton and the preservation of the Union than
any one under the sound of my voice. left the
Capital of my State after recording my vote in
the convention against the ordinance of secession
fully impressed with the conviction that it was
not good for me to be there, stand to-day in
dicted upon a charge of treason against the State
of Virginia, and price is set upon my head. ii
this Union is permitted to be destroyed and a
Southern Confederacy established, / could not
live in it--there would be no place OF safety for
me in my native State. From its soil would
have TO 60 an outcast and a wanderer. Were
governed by feelings OF resentment or revenge
was my nature vindictve, have more to tempt
me in that direction than any one of my knowl
edge, certainly more than any citizen of a non.
slayehodng State. But ! cherish no resent
ments, have no revengeful feelings in connec-
ton with this struggle. Ny Government, the
Government formed by Washington and his com
patriots and bequeathed to US is imperilled, and
/ am here to-day standing upon what was once