Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-08-01
speech OF fh~ Hon. w. a. Hicha rd-
son, az the Democratsc CoBN cution
mt Ind a ma potfs guiy so. 1862.

Mg FfiloE tnl1fHs.--lt hH- ottb ny pfut aHo
my pleasure frequently to sliude to tie greatbess
Of our country. aud the prosperity ane happiness
OF oar ,e pie. The sun ofheaven never shone on
= people prosperous and 20 happy were
two years ago. Our people from three millions
of people. had increased to- thirty millions From
little Line OF population along The Atlantic. Ne
had grown aud spread until our shores were
washed 10y tNp oce We bad stretched gu.
Our arm, from the lakes OF tie North 90 the Cult
Of Mexico We embraced esers quality OF soil
and every kind of production. The sails OF our
commerce whiteued every .ea. aud the happy
American tar. standing upon the Geek OF his YES
sci, Io0kei proudly up az the starr and stripes
floating glofi0usly above him. and felt that IN
that flag be had safety and protection every
where Around every Preside were c0nteDtmeut,
happiness aud plenty. But what Is the scene that
meets our eyes at the present time. From every
vocation in life the soldier j. hurrying TO arms
From the ploa and from tie anvil-irom the
physicians office and from the halls OF justice
We are hurryng to
The Union has assumed the appeasance Of one
vast military camp. The lax gather. too, viii
soan he upon ~ 10 wiring from Us our substance
There are grave and important questions for us
To decide How can we return 10 that happiness
and prosperity which once enjOyedT would
answe EFT eau only be done ny enforcing every
where the Constitution n il is aud the Union
u
and in whatever form. to enforce that principle,
ought 10 lac and masi b. employed rebellion
embracing thousands of our former fellow -citi
zef now arrs ell IN arms sainsE the Government
mast be put down 10y force OF arms. Aud at the
same time that this being done for the rebellion
in the South. that class Of our fellow cit zeus in
other parts Ut the country who are. seeking b,
other means than those OF cannon shot ana bay
onets 70 destroy the Government. Must be driven
~ Oh
acknowledge Their obligations and perform their
duty their country must be put IN their places.
To accomplish that object depends upon YOU
and upon me, but more upon YOU than upon me.
You will have 10 begin the work right here. Ii
you haze already begun THE good work. IA
trust i'm God you have. let urge YOU To keep
tuP 10y every means IN your power-ior, remein
Der. the Go, eminent, the very existence OF the
country. depends upon Il.
am aware, my fellow citizens, that those per
sons who have deceived YOU heretofore, will en-
deavor To do IL again.
They always promise what your interests seem
to demand. but their performance i very poor.
Let us inquire a little Into the past history of
these men, and see whether they deserve to be
trusted for the future. You remember that "a
few wears ago We warned the people that the for
nation oi sectional parties dangerous to the
Union and the Consultation You will recoliecl
were Constitution and Union savers" They
told you then that all talk about danger to
the Union and the Constitution the nierest
braggadocia They asserted that there 10
danger of the South sece,iing-that YOU could
not get them out of the Union--thcr slaves
would up and murder them Well, we did tot
find that exactly the case, did WEI These men
cheated YOU then, didn't thew Some of them
cheated themselves; Others, and by tar the larg
p-t AFT no I nat aIIh hoy
cheated YOU
Well, NC passed along as usual, and what
turned up neytg When there began 10 be signs
OF trouble IN the Southern country, we. conserva-
tive men, stepped forward and said-Let's Com
promise. They fepIied-Nol We will never com
promise with rebels in They protested
the prOloundest contempt for the SOuth-Said
our women should 90 down there and drive the IN
ali together into the Southern ocein-it Was
mere breakfast spell. Again they cheated you.
Again they proved false prophets, and like
false prophets OF old, they ought all To he
stoned TO death, [Cheers and laughter.l No.
they would not compromise. They wanted "A
little blood -le,ting-it was absolutely necessary
for the future peace They said il would not
come to much-the>e people down South would
not fight at all: and when at length your Pres-
dent called for army OF seventy five thousand
men, you we're told that they would make rapid
work OF the rebellion. twas To be annihilated
at single blow. So said these men Well how
does the matter STAND nowI We have already
mustered IN six hundred AMI ninety three thou
sand, and still there Is room for more. Laugh
ter All, my friends, these men were never more
mistaken in their lives than when they assumed
10 place such slight value upon the strength of
the rebellion and the courage of he people OF
the South. lie is no particular circuit to any
American 10 say that he will fight; that is one
quality that Is common to the Whole American
race. They have always displayed TINT charac-
teristic wherever they have been These men,
therefore. when they told YOU that the SOutherH
people would not fight, either did NOT exactly un
derstand the subject, or they wilfuiiy mislei you
Well, what next; They come now after they
have found out that the Southern soldiers will
fight, they come to you again and cry, Eve
have been mistaken this time, hut we have il
now-ju>t arm the negroes. and the work will be
finished IN short order" Fellow citizens, a. Of
ten - hear a man talking in that way, | come
TO the conclusion that he wants To fnd some ex-
cu>e tor changing the issue 10 Get somebody
else To do the fighting. He don't want 70 vol
unieer. Laughter No man OF common Ia
telii-euce can be Induced To believe thai the lie
gro, naturally an interior race aud debised bv
i'll GRANGE a. he l., can ever compete with the
white man upon the battle field any more than
he can anywhere else Set them against each
other. three to one, aud the white man will be all
the time the victor.
In Mexico. where our soldiers fought mixed
race they we're victorious every battle field.
although ou,nulnteIed in the ratio Of five To one
Now, ii the African i afraid of anything on this
earth, it is eunposder. Ia what estimation can
YOU hold that man who tells YOU that the liberty
Independence. anu constitutional government of
the country, depend upon iew miserable. ignor-
ant. cOwarJly negroes! We have a population
OF twenty millions OF white people and immense
wealth: properly directed, we are capab,e OF beat
ing any army the world ever saw or ever will See
and he who has the efirontery to say that we can
not maintain our Government without the help
OF negroes, utlerS libel upon the American ma
tiOa.
IL is false that slavery is the cause of the pre-
ent unfortunate condition OF things. The cause
does not lie there; il lies in another place. The
mischievOus legislation of these Aboliti0nists in
Congress is the cause and the only cause |
speak plainly. but | speak precisely what think
Now one thing
When We met one year ago in Congress both
branches lsedged themselves that the war should
be prosecuted for the preservation of the Union
ami the Constitution. and for that alone All q.
these AboHtoniSts either voted tor the resolution
which WIS adopted embodying that sentiment or
rn out of the House 10 avoid voting AT all
Well. the resolution was adopted The President
issued his call for volunteers. and six hundred
and ninety three thousand rushed To arms upon
the faith of the solemn pledge which Congress
had gwen 10 the re,nie Time rnllei an, and