Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-09-08
Our Duly.

ne duty OF reinforcing the army has nearly
been completed. The second duty of the people,
not less important to the Union, is the selection
of members of the new Congress Shall we send
back to Washington the extreme radical repre-
sentatives elected during the excitement of 1860,
or shall we send conservative, prudent, wise,
men, those who love their country more than
party! There are many such in the State, Re
publicans as well as Democrats men who love
their country first and above all else, and who
will devote their whole time and attention to the
great contest which not only convulses the ma
ton, but the whole world. and leave party issues,
party platforms and party triumphs for other
times.
The magnitude OF the war has arisen ike
great fire from a small beginning, because those
III power did not properly appreciate the danger,
and failed to use the means necessary to extin-
Sulsh II at once. 1t is not wonderful that il burns
iercer to-day than it did six months since. be-
cause our attention has been withdrawn from the
real danger which threatens the existence of the
nation to the discussion and settlement of colat-
eral questions, which could far better have been
postponed until it is decided whether we have
country where such measures would have any
force. Nearly three furths of the time of our
Senators and members of Congress, as we'll as
that of the President and his Cabinet has been
devoted to questions effectng the status of slave
ry IN the States and the Territories, when it was
seen by every man, who was not wild with fanat-
icism, that If we could not save the country, the
inferior questions respecting slavery would be ofno
consequence to us. The greatdemon of disunion
must first be put down. This was clearly com
pretended by Congress when il declared, by near
ly unanimous vote, "that neither the Federal
Government nor the people or governments of
the mons -slaveholdng States have purpose or a
constitutional right TO legisate upon or interfere
with slavery in any of the States of the Union"
Happy indeed would it have been if this an
nOuncement of well known principles had been
adhered to. 1t would have saved us hundreds of
millions OF money, and many thousands of lives.
There is nothing more certain than that we must
came back to this position Everywhere all over
the North, the people must rally around the posi-
ton Of the President, the position which we have
maintained from the beginning, and which we
maintain now. The President says
al would save the Union. | would save il in
the shortest way under the Constitution. The
sooner the national authority can be restored, the
nearer the Union will be to the Union as il
was
I" If there be those who would not have the
Union unless they could at the same time save
slavery, l do not agree with them. If there be
those who would not save the Union unless they
could at the same time destroy slavery, | do not
not agree with them. Ny paramount object in
this struggle is to save the Union, and not either
to save or destroy slavery. If / could save the
Union without freeing any slaves, | would do it,
and if could save it by freeing all the slaves |
would doit; andif | could saveit by freeing some
and leaving others alone, | would also do that
What | do about slavery and the coored race
do because l believe it helps save this Union and
what | forbear | forbear because do not be-
lieve it would help save the Union. | shall do
less whenever / shall believe what am doing
hurts the cause; and shall do more whenever /
believe doing more will help the cause"
This is the true ground. 1t is the position the
Democracy have always maintained, the position
of every friend of the Constitution and the resto-
ration of the Union.
AS the election is approaching let the best men
be selected, who will maintain this ground, and
the radicals of every stripe and hue be discarded
and then, with energy and vigor in the manage
ment of our military affairs, there Will be hope
that the rebellion will be crushed out. But as
long as we elect and re elect men who think more
of crushing out slavery than ofrestoring the Union
who spend their time in hunting down and per-
scouting every man who does not and can no:
agree with them in that policy, rather than per
fecting the organization of the army, increasing
its numbers and efficiency until it is absolutely
overwhelming, so long may We expect to see the
war rage, so long may we expect to hear Of the
danger of Washington, the defeat of our armies,
the prospect of foreign interference and the not
remote impossbity of the utter destruction of
the country by the acknowledgment of the South
ern Confederacy by the nations of Europe. The
way to avert these dangers is for the people to |
arouse themselves to the great and paramount
duty of saving the country. Let minor differ |
ences and prejudices be forgotten in the intense
zeal to do all that can be done to end the war in
the shortest possible time. In the accomplish |
ment of this let us not be misled by partisans, |
but press on the great army. When new regi- |
ments are wanted let them be forthcoming. |
When the ranks of the old regiments are to be |
filled up, let the new recruits step forward. When
the people of the Nortl shall thus be united
when the will of twenty millions is massed and
combined together and brought to bear upon this
war, it will present such spectacle as will go
tar towards accomplishing the end sought for;
we shall no longer fritter away the strength of
the nation in pursuing the small demon of slavery
slavery, while the great demon of disunion
is at large.-Detrou Free Press