Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-03-25
JEFFERSON

tEfFEksoNs
shall D1s here invade the arena OF political
discussion. shall not advance the views Of the
partisan: but the general principles which affect
nations welfare. and the vicious results OF dis
eased opinions which assail the fundamental Laws
and virtues Of free people are not unworthy of
mention on the most solemn and exalted occa-
sions No interest that appertsins merely To earth
is of such sublime consequence 20 the American
as the maintenance of his birthnght in the equal
enjoyment of legal liberty | shall endeavor 70
point out the real danger to that birthright and
the arch enemy TO that sacred enjoyment The
rapid growth of the country the increasing aven-
ues TO wealth and promotion. the vast number Of
internal and external questions of policy, the DO
ltical revolutions which sweep over the nation,
presenting endless and overwhelming temptations
TO call forth the worst passions of men. have all
combined 20 beget that most dangerous and re-
voting pest TO human society and foe TO public
peace and yirtue-THE sYDlTIoUs CITIZEN. Within
that phrase is embraced in the nature of the evil
with which the friends of the American Union are
now assailed No open violence vet grasps at
unlawful power. no Caesar has crossed the Rubi-
cen, but the air grows dark with the elements of
sedition, and vast conspiracy is gathering force
10 usurp the seats of power at the Capitol over
the torn and dishonOre1 fragments of the Consti
tuition. The seditiOus citizen glOries in the bill
lows OF popular fanaticism which roar around him
and reloces in sight of the fatal leeshore on which
the Union il drifting. No cry of horror escapes
his lip. He rather leers at the war ling voice of
others. He seeks with insane fury TO grasp with
his own hand the helm OF the vessel to hurl her
more swiftly and surely on To destruction. He
PROCESSES 10 mock at calamity and laugh at fear.
Ii would be the first and most natural suppositOn
of patriots heart that such citizen would sink
down pOwerless and despised victim 10 public
scOrn.
''But seditions bad men rise to honor
and what was written in the DAYS of CieOn and
Alcbades is made true in American history In
stead OF ostracism, not the ostracsm of the she'll
for is Punishment fell or a w0rthier class but the
ostracism Of strong contempt and adherence we
see the seditious citizen receive the senatorial
robe, and from that high and once sacred emf
hence we hear him vex the ear Of the nation He
is satisfied with his Government. He clam
ors for change He does not boldly proclaim the
necessity OF revolution or amendment To the Con-
sttutiOn. That would be too manly for his char
acter. He prefers 10 plumber his fellow citizens
of their rights by false constructions and coward
" evasions. He il not content that peace and
fraterna affection should remain an undisturbed
Inheritance to the descendants of those who laid
the foundations OF the Union in love with one
another But in the paths of danger or probable
combat he never ventures. He i content to in
cite the deluded disciples of his creed to follow
It's logical and inevitable results to the extent of
blood and civil war, but that is not part of the
drama of sediton in which he personally APP
pears. In order to establish unkind re
lations between different sections, and fos
ter Jealousy and yndictive rivalry between
kindred blood, he prostitutes his time in
the base and ignoble pursuit of materials on
which 10 found systematic and elaborate calum-
ny. The SANDER of States of historic renown,
and unimpeached devotion TO the laws he rolls
as n sweet mOrsel beneath his tongue He is
emnently gifted with that quality which would
drag angels down. not that he has the power, or
even the desire to into their places, but he
grows pale III the envy OF superior excellence,
and delights in the abasement OF virtue Not
satisfied with eliminating States, and denying
their equality, he reviles statesmen of spOtless in
tegrity and approved wisdom and seeks to i'm
pair their usefulness, by casting a blight over
their fame. Nor do the dead escape his fangs
He preys with accused avidity on those great
and good Names whose possession is the nations
truest wealth and brightest glory He drags
them from their dread abode. and consumes the
night and wastes the da' in tOrturing their vir-
tues into fraIltles for an indecent exhibition. Mil
tiades died within year after the battle of MIRA
thon, OF gangrened wound, aud in a prison
where his ungrate:u countrymen had placed him.
but the sedtious citizen of the United States in
the august assemblage of Senators, declares
Washington pirate, in the practices of his do
nestle life Madison "A barbarian. Jackson. Clay
and Calhoun robbers and foes to Christian civil
cation. lngratitude and injustice to the living is
an evil sufficiently deplOrable, but the wiltul
Islander of the dead is the lowest depth of base
ness TO which the mind OF a bastard can descend
Ii the se,iitiOus citizen visits foreign lands he
goes not as the generous patriot, whose home
sick heart bounds with proud emotion whep he
sees the ample folds of the flag of his country
hoa inc in undiminlshed splendor. He goes rather
the carping defamer of American Institutions
and wins his way 10 the ante chambers OF despot-
ism by pronOuncing American freedom failure
He raIsackS ancient libraries. and burrows among
the curiOsities OF literature to find strange ma
terialS with which to embeish and adorl ma
iciOuS libel against the land that gave him birth.
He digs up the forgotten opinions of men no
wiser than himself and iauntS them i'm the face
of the world the conclusive evidences of truth
And TO what end is all thsg For what purpose
are all these labOrSy There is but one answer
To create sectional enmity, to beget animosity
10 degrade the citizens OF this government in the
eyes OF another section. and thus destroy that
sense Of American equality which alone can
preserve the Union of the States. are the NOUN
fu and calamitous objects on VIII ch the citizen
fastenS all the powers of his will, and toward
winch he summons al his energies and nteec
tusl resources His chief delight and the most
gratifying consequence Of his laborS, is to EN-
ploy in sanSunary strife, the brethren OF one
race. one language and one worship. History
has given over to an Infamous Immortality the
names OF few citizens OF Jerusalem who PLAYED
the same part m the hour when danger OF mortal
extremity aSsailed the city of David When
Titus environed the city with the deep squad
and long drawn out legOns of Rome
when the walls were broken by day. when famine
gaunt and frishtful sent its devouring pangs
amidst the beleaguered hosts within, when the
dead lay piled upon the dead and the holy rites
OF sculpture we're abandoned. when fire burst
from the gaping earth, when unelrthy sounds
were heard, and unearthy visitations experien-
ced, when the jew and the Roman stood still and
paused by mutual consent in their work Of
slaughter. TO gaze in awful amazement at fiery
squadrons charging each other in the clear vaults
OF Heaven above them. when the doom OF the
jewish nation. and the fulfment of propheSy
were betokened with marvellous certainty. yet. in
the midst olall this the sedtous citizen traverSed
the streets. usUrped the places of authority. and
inhtmed bitter warfare. revolving scenes of car
mage between tribes OF the same covenant ex-
posed 10 the same destiny. The historian of
remote periods. when carefully collecting
the materials for the history of the
present age of the American Republic will