Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-06-16
WHOLE NO. 1,197.

the rebel city of Richmond with great applause.
On the very day on which this Convention was
held, rebel batteries were frowning upon Wash
ington; Fort Donelson had not been taken; the
sunlight of success had not broken over the
country. If the armies of the Republic were
beaten he had heard gentlemen say, then the
platform would stand. If not, then the platform
might slide. A resolution endorsing Douglas
could not pass, but a resolution endorsing the
Sentinel and its editor was got through without
any trouble.
Judge Hughes took up the resolutions. Com
menting on one of them, which proposed 10 re
store the Democratic party TO power, he said that
could not be done unless JEFF Davis and all 9TH
er rebels were taken in; unless the whole rebel
lious South was restored to the Union.
He proceeded, coming to the resolution insist
ing on compromise. He denied the facts set
forth. No seeding State had ever asked for
compromise. JEFF. Davis had said that there
must be separation or war. Throughout the Sc
ceded States il was proclaimed that the flag Of a
separate and independent sovereignty had been
unfurled, and it would be maintained by blood.
All propositions of compromise from the South
had come from Unauthorized individuals. Mr..
Crittenden's proposition came from Mr.. Critten-
den, who had not seeded himself.
Before the 4th of March-before Lincoln came
in-secession was an accomplished fact. Wheth-
er the Republicans ought to have compromised
this matter not, that does not relieve US Of our
duty now.
1t was very hard that men should submit to the
Unionl 1t very hard that men should be
compelled to obey the laws of the country
The resolution, however, upon which he chiefly
based his objections to this platform was the 9th.
If il had not been for this resolution perhaps he
would not be speaking here tonight. They say
that the only way to restore the Union is 70 con-
cede all the demands of the rebels. We were to
lay our hands upon the Constitution and alter it.
instead of laying them on our swords and our
muskets and compelling obedience to it.
What did General jackson sayg 1t was better
to err with General jackson than shine with John
g. Davis He would rather follow the admins
traitor of General jackson, or somebody who ha0
drank out of creek with him. or had seen some
thing of his, than follow the leadership of John
G. Davis, man who had belonged to all politi-
cal parties, and was now not in very good odor
with any. What did General jackson say-that
the Constitution should be changed to meet the
views of the nullifiers of South Carolina? MOI
but that that Constitution should be obeyed and
the laws made under it executed.
He referred to Hendrcks's speech, also part
of the proceedings of the Convention. He ridi-
culed the statement therein that hundreds of
thousands of conservative Republican citizens
would Join the Democracy on the platform
adopted. For his (Hughes's) part, he had not
and he proposed, as he could not see them in the
Democratic Convention, to 60 into a convention
where he could find them. The very men who
were driving the Government to such extreme
measures as Hunters, for instance, were the men
who were seeking to divide and destract the loyal
people of the North. Mr.. Hendricks was as
loyal and patriotic as any man, but the force of
habit bound him to party, overlooking the inter
ests of his country. Ninety men out of hun
dred supposed that the platform indorsed the
Crittenden resolution, whereas, in quoting the
Crittenden resolution, the vital words were left
out What was this done fort For the purpose
of misleading honest farmers, who had read il in
the newspapers day after day.
i The whole animus of this platform was oppo-
sition to a for the maintenance of the Con-
stitution and the Union.
The last resolution, complimentary TO the SOL
diers, was adopted because the boys had votes,
and because the boys had left friends behind
them who had votes. The soldiers would say 10
the trainers of this platform, and to this Conven-
ton which refused to pass resolution indorsing
Douglas. but which passed resolution indorsing
the Sentinel and its editor, depart from me, ye
cursed, we know you not"
This war was not for the emancipation Of the
negro. Whoever said so knew that he lied. The
President had modified Hunters and Fremonts
proclamations. He had reserved the right of
proclaiming emancipation to himself as a last
resort. He (Hughes) hoped it would never come
to this. He hoped every negro in the country
would have good master or a good mistress.
If peace is made in any reasonable time-and
it has to be made, for the rebels cannot fight
much longer-the next census will show that,
although there may be fewer negroes in the
country, there will be more slaves. But if in
the progress Of the war every negro should be
freed, he would not have a word TO say. II
every negro was freed, not one line or letter of
the Constitution would be thereby changed. BE
combatted at length the idea that the war would
result in emancipation. 1t was reserved for men
here in Indiana, who never owned a slave. TO
profess all this alarm about the negro while they
let the white mans government go 10 ruin.
Mr.. Hughes concluded by declaring his deter
mination to 20 into the Union Convention"
called for the 18th inst. 1t was an awful thing
to associate with Black Republican-an awful
thingl but not so bad as to associate with q
traitor.
He invoked all to come up in this crisis of the
country, laying aside all party predictions, for
the maintenance of the Government and the
Constitution.