Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-05-05


subject, or rather object, OF offense with sensitive
step. "Why,' says the Senator, "should we re-
gard the widows and orphans of the South, when
our widows and orphans of the Forth, whose
husbands and fathers fighting in just cause,
having fallen, have left widows and orphans"
Sir, does any true man think that all these wall
ngs, from South and North, will not 90 up to the
common Fatherf Think you the hearts of the
bereaved will not respondf The heart in agony
is correspondent with all other agones. The
agonized heart knows neither North or South
The heart of the bereaved one on the shores of
Lake Michigan will go up in sacrifice with the
heart Of the bereaved one on the shores of the
Southerp Gulf This temper, / will not say
opinion, of the Senator, say / can not permit to
go unrebuked. | say it is against the true con-
victions OF all just men. No true man can APP
prove it. God will not approve It,
The expression of such opinions cannot be ex-
cused by the calamities that surround US. The
Senator from New Hampshire, perchance, may
be agonzed. Let me say that in my agony /
would rather shed tears than blood Gu some
other question, and in some other place, might,
and indeed can, enjoy the Persian tales told by
light women to old men. Let me beg that they
shall not be even the introduction 10 the argu.
ment involving lives, fortunes happiness, des-
| truction, ruin, despair utter hopelessness-ques-
tons where widows and orphans are the staple of
the controversy. When i have spoken here on
grave matters / have endeavored to speak grave
iy, and my discourse cannot be illustrated by any
Persian tales. We are in the midst of stern ne
cessties, severe trials terrible sacrifices, great
sufferings; great sufferings for US, great suffer
ings for all. Shall we mercilessly add to suffer
ingf Shall we by our voice. and i'm the name of
law, increase suffering? Shall we of the strong
powerful, compelling North say, as says the Sen
ator from New Hampshire, make the orphan
homeless, and make the widow homeless through
cut all the South, and do it because widows
mourn in New Hampshire
Mr.. President,-l do not propose TO engage in
argument; but there is something which regard
as grave, and about which | desire TO speak
gravey. i should like that Senators would hear
what do say. | regret that the Senator from
| New Hampshire is not in his place to hear what
am about to say. The Senator from New
Hampshire has to-day, in his place, repudiated
| the Constitution which he has, as am expected
sworn to support. Of all the crimes the great
Master of the universe has denominated so far
as we can learn, the crime Of perjury stands first
do not speak of technical perjury, perjury it
is known TO the law; that is, perjury as lawyers
understand it, the swearing falsely as to a past
fact. We have had the privilege of promising
ourselves for the future. God has thus permitted
us; and if ! understand HIS law, He pronounces
an equal, if not greater, penalty against him
who falsifies the future than against him who de-
MES the past
Every man in this Senate has sworn to sup
port the Constitution of these United States
do not understand how men dare play with such
fantastic tricks to deny their allegiance to the
Constitution. / dare not do it. 1 would sooner
front twenty batteries; | would sooner suffer
death. The Constitution, the Government under
which have lived, which has protected me, and
which have sworn to support-to cast it to the
winds and say there is no Constitution If there
is no Constitution to day. is there any protection,
is there any Tightf
Mr. President the affirmative of this doctrine,
that the Constitution and the laws are silent,
voiceless in this Senate Hall, compels me to say,
and | say it, they, each one, and all of them, who
aflirm-snch doctrnes-I am compelled to say of
them-there are rebels in the North as well as in
the South
Mr. President have said as much as / wish
to say on this subject but will say this further:
| l learned, in my early youth, to believe that we
were capable to maintain a Republic of freemen
under the Constitution established by our fathers,
to maintain ourselves "a tree people, both i'm
peace and war; That conviction has remained
with me mistaken until now, except so far as for
the moment it has been shaken by gentlemen
who profess to represent the Covernment-the
head of the Government--the President of the
United States. Did not know the President OF
the United States, had | not known him, my
convictions might have been now shattered into
fragments. 1t is NV fortune to know him well
and, may say, know as well as mortal man
can know, that he would as soon commit self
sacrifice as knowingly violate the Constitution
which be was appointed to uphold
Mr.. President, the suficiency of our Govern
ment for war as well as peace was fully canvassed
when by the Constitution we established our form
of Government. IL was thought sufficient then
/ think the Government under the Constitution
or rather, the Government the creature Of the
Constitution, is sufficientnow. The Constitution
and Government is sufficient for war with Eng
land, France or Spain it is sufficient for domestic
civil war; this think-ths | intend to maintain
1t this can not be maintained, then in the grief
of my heart shall say Freedom, farewell for
everl"
l got up, Mr.. President, designing simply to
respond to a remark Of the Senator from New
Hampshire, which / protest against as against the
heart of the country. protest against making
vindictive war upon the South. protest against
the comparison that he chose to introduce. In
the Valley of the Mississippi, north of the Ohio
and westward to the Pacific. the widows and or
plans of one side suppose that their signs and
prayers and MORNINGS go up to the great Fount-
ain of TRUTH do those who live in the southern
most portion of the Confederacy. We are of a
common race from he mouth Of the Mississippi
up to its sources, from Oregon to Florida, and il
is hard to believe that there is no sympathy be
tween the people of all the land in this most un.
happy war. AS to the right and the wrong oil
this controversy, think am well understood
for when there was time for controversy on this
question, l was engaged in establishing what
thought sound opinions, Union opinions, on the
shores of the Pacific; and / will go far as any
gentleman from New England, or from New
York, or from any State. to maintain that Union
| hf.ru orRAa ff,a.
. ! am not going to maintain il by practices which
place our erring brethren of the South outside oil
and beyond the pale of civilized war. Ii can not
be thus maintained.
Mr.. President, we have a war before US still
If the spirit manifested here is heard among ouI
adyersaries, if the remarks made here to-day are
make known to them, if they understand that the
Senator from New Hampshire expresses the
spirit of the war; if they understand that this wal
is waged not merely in a revengetul but vim
dctive spirit, children, well grey haired
men, will muster for the fight. The boy of ter
will lift the rusty musket left in his fathers cab
in and, when he can not load it, will point it al
the enemy of his mother and himself. 1t this is
the spirit in which the war is to be made, then
beyond the border, boys will be men and men
will be iron Every thing, man, husband, wife,
mother, children, will be absolutely and continu
ously either assailant resistant. If this should
be so, when think you could we conquer peacel
Not with victory at Yorktown or Corinth, MOI
with such victories multiplied.
Mr.. President, did NOT propose to speak at any
length. / arose to reply chiefly TO a sentiment
from the Senator from New Hampshire. trust
the motion of the Senator from Pennsylvania may
prevail for some wise and just measure may be
devised which will reach the persons who should
be punished. am for furnishing the persons re-
sponslble- will 60 fhr and make as few OBJ
jections against. any person, the most rigorous
penalties the law can infet upon the men who
have inaugurated this great wrong and who have
been its leaders; but will not have L visited up
4 ard