Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-04-14
Selettt0 Mlstellanp.
From the Albany Atlas and Argus.
Drifting Away!

An election is to be held in Connecticut on the
7th proximo, and the people of that State are
preparing for the contest. We notice that the
usual calls to Democrats and Republicans are
put forth, and the old rallying cries shouted, un
der which men are invoked to follow the ira
ditional banners of party. Yet how imperfectly
such phrases define the issue, or parties, founded
upon .he questions of the past, represent the
principles involvedi
The question before Congress, repeatedly
pressed in the Senate and in the House. in vari-
Gus FORMS is whether this Government. under its
present Constitution, is to exist or be destroyed
The ultra Republicans, taking the same theoretic
ground the Secessionsts, declare that this is a
rebellion of States, instead of an nsurrection of
a portion of the people of several States, and
hold that the States, having gone out OF the
Union, cannot come back except with new Con-
stitutions framed to suit the anti-savery views of
the majority of Congress.
No reasons are offered to justify this position.
The power to extinguish the Government and
revolutionize the Federal system is called the
power, and this war power is another form
of Mr.. Stewards higher law, who has a long time
been erecting divinity which was To absolve all
obligations to law but whose Moloch features
and revolving acts show him to be demon from
below instead of God from on high. Those
who consult this power for rules for the adj
ministration of great state, in crisis like this,
are little above the Fetish worship of the Afri-
cans, from whom they seem to derive their crude
ideas of religious and political duty.
In the storm of passions artfully excited, and
under the delusion of false principles, the people
apt to lose sight of the landmarks aud be
come unconscious how rapidly they are drifting
from constitutional duty and safety into the
abyss of untried experiment and the chaos of
revolution
1t is sixteen years since, on the proposition to
negotiate with Mexico for territory, Mr.. WIlmot
moved the proviso that in such acquired territory
''neither slavery nor involuntary servitude should
be admitted except for crime" The prohibition
was limited to acquisitions from Mexico, and was
not intended to reach such case as the annexa-
ton of Cuba, which was then in the contempla
ton of the Northern as well as of Southern
statesmen. The proposition was amended SUBJ
sequenty, by adding proviso that this clause
should not affect the rendition of slaves in the
Territories clause not required by the letter of
the Constitution, which imposed this duty only on
States, but undoubtedly conceived in its spirit.
This proposition, in far it said to the
Federal Government, "you shall not undertake to
alter the condition OF acquired territory, for that
is not one of the attributes of Federal power"
was based upon the Democratic idea of rigid
construction Of Federal authority. 1t was only
adequately met in theory, when another school of
Democrats proposed to carry the negation of
Federal power step further, and leave the con-
dtion of the future States to themselves when
formed. The Constitution had been silent in re-
gard to the acquisitions of territorory, and left
necessarily wide margin for diverse construc-
tiOns and for latitude of views for which there
should have been most tolerant indulgence.
Instead of this, the question was agitated in
the most iaDatical spirit. Now that we look back
at il, it is clear that those were most wrong in
their views who insisted that the Federal author
ity should be exercised for the interior Govern
ment of the Territories; for even Europe had
abandoned this system as regarded its Colonies,
and bad left to them large. though still quail
fed, condition of self government. Neither
school of Democrats fell into this error of max
ing Congress the legislators for the Territories
That was essentially doctrine of the Federal
school.
But the result has rebuked the fanaticism of
all parties while il has falsed all the prophecies
and pretensiOns of those who made this matter
the occasion for prospective and excited agita-
ton. No Wilmot provisO was passed to protect
the Territories from slavery, no decision of the
courts defined the statute of slavery therein, till
long after their fate was practically settled; no
general rule OF action adopted by the Terri
tories; some of them forming free State consti-
tutions, like California and others discountenanc-
ing slavery. and others refusing to act either way
Yet the result was the same in all: after an ex-
perienee of fourteen years there is not slave in
any one of our acquisitions-embracing terrific
nv larger than the original Republic, and nearly
as large as civilized Europe.
The last half century has seen here the sue
cessful emancipation of slaves in the several
States. their exclusion from all the territories.
and the prep0nderance of the North over the
South in the Federal government; and the move
ment which has brought about these events has
been going on with continually increasing rapid
itv. 1t was when the North had gained all the
territory had acquired the predomDance in both
houses, had shaped tariffs to its own profit, and
had mon0polized the commerce of the South,
that il became most intolerant. And all this be-
canse fanaticism taught that the conquering and
triumphant section was victim OF injustice and
tyranny on the part of the dwindlng mnorityl
The treason of the demsgogues of the South
has robbed the North, for while, of the fruits
of It's triumph We can imagine no greater
prosperity than that which the free States OF thin
Republic would have enjoyed, If it had not been
interrupted by this civil war. IL may yet return
with some temporary abatement of cost and con
FUSION occas1oBed by war and debt and taxation
Bat IL can only return upon restoration OF tnf
Union, as il was under the constitution OF the
fathers. We do not speak of any immunity e
De offered to slave property. IL must share tn'
ia'e OF all other property; and we care no mor'