Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-08-25

Freedom OF speech and Thought.
The Springfield Qll.,) Register says: just at
this particular time it IS really refreshing to find
in leading Republican journal such SOUND, sen
sibIe and patriotic views expressed as the follow
ing from the Peoria Transcript. True. they are
but repetition of the honest, common sense ex-
pressions of Democratic journals, which have
ever condemned the partisan bgotry and malig-
nant clamos of the devotees of the Tribune
school, but such expressions have only been met
by the class alluded to with denunciation and
senseIess charges Of sympathy with rebellion.
With such men it is not enough that the country
should be reeling under the calamities brought
upon it by armed treason, but they would divide
the loyal element of the country and SOW bick-
ering, hatred and distrust where confidence and
Jealous efforts to attain common end-the
maintenance of the Governments indspeLsa-
ble To achieve that end they set up standard
of right. To dispute the correctness of their
means for the attainment of an end all claim to
be seeking, is to incur their unstinted abuse, and
to be charged with disloyalty to the cOuntry's
cause They would have all men think alike;
always provided all men think, speak and vote as
they do. 1t is treason to do otherwise!
We commend to the Republican press gene
rally the very plain spoken and sensible remarks
of the Transcript, which, by the way, are given
in the same column in which appears a call for
Republican Congressional Convention:
There is nothing wrong in the indulgence of
desire that all loyal men should be of one mind
in regard to the mode of conducting the war; but
a man with the least modicum of common sense
can see that such thing not be. When we
can force all mankind to accept and speak one
language, when we can consolidate all religious
sects and views into one, then we may reasona-
bly, expect to bring LOYAL men to one way of
thinking in regard to the matter of putting down
this rebellion. but not before. The fact is patent
to all but fools that even honest men, patriots
and Christians, will differ in their views. Which
shade of opinion shall be entitled to the ascend
ency? Most certainly not that one which would
cOnsign all opposing shades of opinions to dun
geons and military prisons.
Agitation is just necessary to the healthful
existence of people as agitation is necessary 10
the healthful existence of the physical world.
Stop the agitation of the waters of the ocean,
and even its salt could not save it nor the living
things within it, Stop the course of the winds,
and every breathing, moving, and living thing on
the earth would die. So stop the agitation of
moral and political topics, and liberty would die
In the great diversity of public opinion lies the
safety Of the republic Had there been such di-
versity at the South, there had been no rebellion
1 But while diversity of opinion in regard to the
proper mode of carrying forward the Govern
ment and putting down the rebellion, is legiti-
mate and proper, and, in some respects. desirable
there is one subject upon which there can be no
diversity. We refer TO the existence of the Gov
7 pf nd nf fha
were guaranteed for the purpose of preserving
the republic, not for the purpose of destroying it.
/ Every man has the undOubted and inalie1able
right to his own opinion, and TO the expression of
his opinion as TO the mode the Government should
be carried on. His neighbor has no legal consti
tutiOna right, nor moral right, to deprive him of
1t. If the one has the right to destroy this right
of opinion in others, he has a right to destroy
! the Government, because the Government is
made up of the opinions of others.
All men have the undoubted freedom to express
their views and opinions of public policy-to add
i vocate one policy and oppose another, and none
are justified in saying such men are not loyal be
cause the views expressed by them do not coin
eide with their own. Beyond this none can 60.
/ If man, or party of men, do not like the pol
icy or the course of the Government, they are
free to combat and overthrow that policy by wea
pom of argument-by the power of reasoning
with the intelligence, cOnsciences and common
sense OF the people, but not overthrow the Gov
eminent itself. A resort TO force and violence
is treason. An adherence to those who resort to
| force and violence is treason. knowingly and
willingly giving them aid and comfort is treason;
and traitors of all these kinds are tit and proper
subjects for incaI ceratoh in dungeons and mill
| tary prisons. But there il ends. A. being loyal,
cannot demand that b., also being loyal, and diff
fering from A. in his views of policy and politics,
shall be sent to prison. 1t cannot be said that B.
is guilty of giving laid and comfort to tine reb-
els. in the meaning Of the clause Of the Consti-
tuition providing for the punishment of such par
ties, by starting a difference of opinion among
loyal men. any more than it can be said that our
Generals give aid and comfort to the enemy by
sometimes abandoning forage and supplies which
fall into the hands of the enemy.
Who so great and powerful and supremely
wise, at this time to rise up and say this
for the preservation of the Union, "My policy is
the policy, my views the views, and all Others
are contra0and and reasonable, and the penalty
for adherence to them are dungeons and military
prisons" Such language is used only by fools
and those who have been bred on plantations,
where the will of the negro driver has been the
law, and all men beside the driver are considered
as many negroes, over whose heads the whip
can be cracked at pleasure.