Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-08-11


in Boston, which has the ring of the true
metal. In striking contrast are the utterances of
our Governor in late speech in Cincinnati. Mr..
SENNoTT is the same man who took his carpet
bag in hand, and went down to Virginia to insist
that JOHN Brown should have IA fair trial, and to
the Old Dominion There, as in Boston, he
boldly illustrated what he conceived to be the
right of every American citizen Governor
MoRToN takes his carpet sack in hand and goes
down to Cincinnati to make speech to an i'm
mense assemblage of freemen. Mark the differ
ence between the true and the timd man. Speak
ing of the duty to sustain the Government, the
Governor, according to the Cincinnati CONNER
ciaL, said:
We sometimes hear the question asked, will
you deny the right of private judgment-the
right of a man to examine and criticise the acts
of the Government l say certainly not, but we
must always consider the circumstances surround
ing US. There is time for all things, time to
laugh, to mourn, to criticise, and time to hush
our dissatisfaction, and come together as one
man.
Aud in the same spirit occurs the following
sentiment:
The theory of republican government is that
the majority shall govern, and that the minority
shall submit. We cannot carry on Republican
Government on any other principle.
But that is not all. The power or right to gov
ern springs from the Constitution. and that same
instrument guards and protects with as sacred
care the rights OF minorities as those
of majorities. THE majority shall govern
only in subservence and within the limits of the
Constitution, and "the minority shall submit
only when such is the government of the major
ity. 1t is evident that in making these strong,
unqualified declarations, the Governor was a
little beyond his depth, but as he rises in the
scale of craftsmanship he will, perhaps, be bet
ter able to comprehend the theory OF republic
can government.
This, we believe, is a Government of the
people, or it is so prolessedly. The Federal
Government is not LINcoLN's Government nor
the Government of Indiana MoRToN's Govern
ment They have neither legislative nor judi
cial functions The duties of the President
and .-e Governor are simply executive. They
are bound to support the Constitution and
faithfully execute the laws. In performing that
duty honestly they are entitled to the sympa-
thy and cordial support of every good citizen
The Governor says there is ga time to criti-
else and time to hush our dissatisfaction"
and intimates that this is the time that the cit
izen should cease to criticIse officials and the
tiusB to hush dissatisfaction. That is aping
LOUIS NAPOLEON and FRANCIS JOSEPH a little
too closey-it is but the adoption of an ex-
ploded dogma THAT the King do
wrong" Let such doctrine as this be adopt
ed, then our free institutions would be but ga
sounding brass and tinkling cymbal''-the
form might remain, but the SPIRIT the life,
would be gone.
What curbs unhallowed ambiton-what the
most powerful restraint upon official corruption
what influence that keeps the public servant
within the limits Of the Constitution and the line
of duty? Is it not the responsibility Of the Off
cal to the people and their verdict by criticism
and dissatisfaction upon his public actsY IL is the
constant review and criticism of the acts of those
in power thar gives health to the body polite.
The right of private judgment and freedom of
speech is the very life of our political system.
In war, as we'll as in peace, the right to crlti-
else and express dissatisfaction with the acts of
public officers. should be freely exercised. Must
the people be dumb when thieves, as it has been
proven, are robbing the public treasury? Must
the voice of the people be hushed if a President
from want of ability, energy or will fails in the
discharge of his duty2 If our Generals in the
field, either from incompete1ry or treachery, fail
in their duty, permit our army to be overwhelmed
and the enemy to triumph. must the voice OF the
people be stopped? God forbidl We are not
afraid to trust the popular instincts The voice
of the people is the voice of God. They seldom
err No honest man need fear their unbias
Judgment