Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-07-28
SrIttte0 sfllstrllanp.
A CAPITAL SPEECH.
a Defense of the Democratic Congress
siOnal Address and an Expose of the
FOIlIes of the Present Congress.


The following is the speech of Hon. W. A
RICHARDSON, of Illinois, in the House of Repre-
sentatives, July Z, 1862:
A short time ago some fifteen gentlemen is
sued an address over their own signatures through
the public press TO the people of the United
States That address has provoked great deal
of controversy and has been assailed with great
violence. IL has disturbed the peace of mind oi
many gentlemen upon this floor. caused them
sleepless nights. They have fretted away then
hours here in assaults upon it. Their assertions
in opposition TO that address do not rise to the
dignity of reason, but descend to the contemp-
tible resort of those who can not reply to an
argument, and therefore are driven to ribaldry
and abuse.
In this case, members in opposition to the doc
trines contained i'm that address, have singled out
some one whose name is attached to 1t; find fault
with some opinions which he does or does not en-
tertain, or some pretended speech of his, swear
he is the author; that all of his speeches which
were Lever made, or those opinions that were
never entertained, are cOvertly aud secretly in
that address and that the public should be
guarded against It, because of these supposed
things.
That address is nothing more or less than
complication of the opinions and views of some o.
the most eminent men that have adorned thi'
Il
am responsible.
In the anxiety of the "shoddy'' politicians tC
assai that address, the other objection to it is tina
it does not denOunce the rebellion and abuse the
rebels. Each thought and section of that dOcu
meat is for the preservation of the Constitution
for the maintenance of law, for constitutions
liberty. ii the Constitution is preserved and thu
law maintained, the rebellion will be put down
for it is in violation OF both and destructive o
each.
If the rebellion could be put down by denunci
alton, the AbOtiOnists and those who are en-
gagged in plundering the treasury in and out o
Congress, would have accomplished this work
long ago. They have exhausted the vocabulary
of invective and exhausted the subject, but By
these means have won no victories nor accom-
plished any beneficial results. They have done
no more towards success, but as much grant
as the Chinese do towards victories when in wal
they beat gongs to scare and make faces to terri
fy their adversaries. The plunderer of the pub
lie treasury is the lOudest in words to denounc'
rebellion and the boldest in professions of loyalty
IL is cheap and safe service, and in every country
he is ready to performit.
The walls of Jericho we're Overthrown by thu
blowing of rams horns, but history furnishes nc
other instance OF warfare carried successfully OF
by such means Certain il is, this rebellion cal
not be put down by denunciation. Ii can not b,
with the sword. by the bayOnet, by battles, anG
by siege. Skill in the officers, endurance. cour
age, drill. discipline among the men, are neces
sary to its overthrow. All the men, all the mone
that was asked for, and more. have been freel,
given to the President. He has had millions o
men from whom to select commanders. He ha
the power to make and unmake Generals. III thi
rebellion has not been crushed sooner the misfor
tune is not chargeabe to the failure of the Demo
81 "A 81.
rebels.
But, sir, another objection is made of verl
singular character. gentleman from Massa
chusetts objects TO any restoration of the Demo
cratic party TO power, because, he says, it woul
bring back the Buchanan men into place, an
they have been condemned by a strong and cor
rect public opinion. Il quote from memory, an
not the words of the gentleman. but the substanc
and meaning) Ipropose 10 look little into thi
matter. Elsewhere il has been said that this ad
dress vas "A Buchanan movement. During tlI
canvass of 1860 the supporters of Lincoln an
Breckinridge we're very complimentary, if no
cordial toward each other. The LineOlna ma
said, II Republican. and consequently an
opposed To both wings Of the Democracy; bu
the true Democratic ground is that slavery ha
the right to go everywhere if the Constitution
protects it anywhere. You Douglas men ar
wrong in calling yourselves Democrats at all, TO
you DO nDt pretend 10 defend slavery anu 10 De
Democrat IS 10 be in favor of slavery" Th
Breckenridge man would say, There are but tw
partiest the Democratic aud the Republican
the Administration aud those opposed 10 IT,
We ever quit the Democratic party. go into tli
Republican; weoppose all such doctrines as thos
advocated BY Mr.. Douglas" Andif the speike
happened 20 live a little south of Mason's an
DixOn's line, ne would 90 into glorihcation O
the l'esuties and glories of slavery. and denounc
Dyu<ieS worse AbOtionist than Hale O
Sans,er OF I'D ings. hus things stood at IN
electioD OF 1860. We we're routed nt ever
pOfnt; Mr.. Lincoln was triumphantIy and consti
tutiOuaIly elected. The camp followers of Buch
anan. of course. looked out for themseve.
They were not Democrats from conviction The
are the place men, walters on Providence
The greet body of the Breckinridge party Mort
never intended % be betrayed into hostility TO IN
D-.h,cratic organization The leaders ntende
otherwise. But, sir. IL Is strange TO hear this oh
lection come from any Republican that Buchana
men should never again be called to Office VIII
j. the present Secretary Of War, and what hay
been his political associations and antecedents
Fresh from Buchanan's Cabinet. he has bee
called into that OF Mr. Lincoln, next to the Pre-.
ident the most important position now in th
country. With energy. aud doubtless some ab
ig. he sets himself rapidly TO work TO scatter on
armies under different commanders, so that
massed coFps Of rebels under Jackson of twent]
i've or thirty thousand men defeats three div
sions Of our army under as many Generals. holt