Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-03-06
n a Conce>.ton Democratic Prfn-
ciples.


sect.
4 n Concession tn Democratic Prin-
cipies.
With great pleasure perusei an article in
the Journal Of yesterday upon the disposition OF
'the rebel States thrown upon our hands by the
fortune Of war" In answer TO the inquiry "are
the seeded States Territories" that paper re
spends: I'VE know of but two forms Of political
organization under our Government, States and
Territories. members of the Union and mere ma
iional domain regulated by the Union II
the seeded States are no longer States in the
UuiOn, they are Territories. Which are theyi'
Answering this inquiry il remarks:
Are the seeded States out of the Union? III
they are il i either because they have right 10
go out. and have exercised K, or because without
right, they have accomplished il by force Have
the seeded States a right TO leave the Uniong
Nobody this SHE of the Ohio except a few
fools admit that Then are they out by a sue
cessful exertion Of iorceI Not quite. This war
Is waged for The very purpose OF deciding that
point, and the war Is not over yet. Till it is, and
IT. event proves favorable TO the rebels they are
not out OF the Union. Then neither by right nor
"a TACT are the seeded states out of the Union
They still members, diseased. feariully con
vulsed, but not amputated They have abdi
Gated their rights and privileges in the Union, il
Is true. but do not choose To consider them
dead because like little boy in the pouts they
say "they will 80 off and die
Assuming the ground that the seeded States
can not sunder their connection with the Union
voluntarily. and that they have not so done by
force. the Journal takes the position that sound
policy requires that the Government should main
tain the present State organizations, with the adj
dtional that il els more in accordance
with the spirit and theory of our Government and
more consistent with the purpose for which the
war was undertaken" tsays:
Loyal men in the rebel States will rally TO the
support OF their old Governments purified and
made loyal, but they will have little encourage
ment To support Territorial Government which
degrades them, and, TO all their suiferings under
the rebellion, adds the shame OF Acknowledgement
under the Union. Ii there loyal
men IN any rebel State than will fill the Offices
the Union ought ~ maintain that State Govern
men: and set il moving In its old channel .
The act OF a State can nterpose no shield be-
tween the delinquent citizen and the offended
Government His State not transfer his guilt
To Its Own incorporesl shoulders, because his
State is not known in the matter of his obedience
to what is lawfully ordered. Rebellion, there
fore, Is the crime only of the individuals con
cerued in IL. TIE State can not be guilty of IT,
and can not be punished for il. without admitting
that. in all the relations OF the citizen 10 the Gen
er1si Government, the State stands between them
and must alone be recognized and held response
bic by that Government. We should have 10 ad
init the secession doctrines of States rights in or
der TO lind the crime for which to punish State,
and h. admit that would be to admit that It's Sc
cession right aud that there was no crime TO
punish. As an individual oflense, therefore, re-
belion must be treated And in This view of il
the war was commenced. Senator Trumbul de
ciared In the Senate that 1.-THE Administration
could not If they would coerce State to obedi
ence, but could only coerce the dsobedient citi
xen.' The President advances the same view in
his first proclamation. April 10, 1861
The war was commenced, therefore, not to
punish States, coerce States. but to punish err
ring persons. To degrade a State to the terrific.
rial condition is TO punish a State, and thus re
cognize its guilt. which is in contradiction of the
true theory of our Government, and at the same
time il IS 10 punish all the citizens alike without
reference to their participation in the rebellion.
Such policy, il seems 10 Us. must be at once
unjust unnatural and impracticable.
This position of the Journal is in direct oppo-
sition to the views advanced by SUMNER. and the
radical Republicans, and the policy they advo-
cate. They argue that by the act of secession
the seeded States have lost all their rights in
the Union. and that they should be regarded and
governed as Territories and that Congress has
full power to regulate and control their domestic
institutions and policy This as the Journal
contends. is in direct conflict with both the spirit
and theory OF the Government
We are happy to record this concession to
Democratic principles and policy upon the part OF
the Republican organ. What said, as Governor
bogus" Democratic 9Th of January Convention,
and the platform upon which they jointly "spitS''
The ninth resolution says:
This war should not be waged in the spirit OF
conquest or subjugation. for the purpose of
oyerthrowing or interfering with the rights or in
sttutions OF the States, but 10 defend and MAIN
tain the supremacy OF the Constitution aud pre-
serve the Union With ali the dignity, elualit, and
rights OF the several States unmpaire,i.
These few lines contain the whole of the Jour
nails argument condensed Again: The sixth
resolution of the platform. which the Republican
organ boastingly says Governor WRIGHT "riddlel
and blasted with all the vigor OF his vehement
nature, reads thus:
he maintenance Of the Union upon the pr in
cipie- oi the Federal Constitution should be the
controlling object of all who profess LOYALTY to
the Cox ernment-and in our judgment this pur
pose can only be accomplished, by the ascendency
oi a mon party in the Southern States. which
shall. BY counter revolution. displace those Who
control and direct the present rebellion
And this proposition Of the Democratic Con
ssntioH ierseiy stated. is completely demonstrated
q be the true policy of the country and in accord
ance with the theory aud spirit Of the Government.
b. the argument Of the Journal in discus,in, the
best mode OF treating 1.-THE rebel States thrown
uDon our hands by the fortune OF war" In
Willingly the Republican organ has indirectly.
but none the les positively. admitted that the
doctrines asowed by tie Democratic party present
the only jus. method of restoring the Union. or
tie seeded States 10 their position in the Union.
spon the principles Of the Constitution and in ac.
eorianoe With the spirit Of our institutions And