Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-05-19

the Mississippi. viii never cun-ent that the mouth
oil THAI river shall be held subject % any tor
eign power whatever. Such | hakve. would
be the Consequences Of a dissolution OF the
Union. But other Confe3egacies would sprug
up from time 10 time. a dissatisfaction and dis
content were disseminated over the country.
There would be the Collederacy of the lakes
perhaps the Confederacy of New England and OF
the middle States
But, sir, the veil which covers these sad and dis
astrous events that lie beyond possible rupture
of tbs Union - too thick - be penetrated or lift
ed by any mortal eve or hand
Mr. President. l am directly opposed TO any
purpose OF secession or separation. ! am for
staying within the Union, and defying any por-
ton OF this Union 20 expel or drive out of the
Union. am for staylng within the Union and
fighting for nv rshts-if necessary, with the
sword-within the bounds and under the safe
guard OF the union. | am for yindieating hose
rights. but not by being driven out of the Union
rashiy and unceTemvniously by any portion OF
this Coniederacy. Here am within il, and hen
| mean to stand and die. far my individual
purposes or wishes can gO-within IL % protect
myself. and to defy all the power on earth To ex
pei or drive me from the situation in which | am
placed. Will there not b, more safety in fight
Ing within the Union than without tl
Suppose your rights to be violated; suppose
trated upon yOu-cannot you better fight and
vlndicate them, If YOU have occasion to resort to
that last necessity of the sword, within the
UuiOn, and with the symp'thes OF a large portion
OF the population Of the Union of these States
differently constituted from you, than YOU can
fight and vndcate your rights, expelled from the
Union, and driven from il without ceremony and
without authority?
said that thought that there was no right on
A Il. -
from this Union. | think that the Constitution
OF the thirteen States was made. nQs merely for
the generation which then ext ted, but for poster
ity. underlined. unlimited, permanent. and perpet-
ual-tOr their pOSterty, aid for every subsequent
State which might come into the Union, binding
themselves by that indissoluble bond. Ii Is To
remain for that pOsterity now and forever. Like
another of the great relations of private life, it
was marriage that no human authority can dis
solve or divorce the parties from; and. if ! may
be allowed TO refer TO this same example in phi
vate life. let us say what and wife say to
each other: We have mutual faults; nothing in
the form OF human beings can be perfect; LEI Us
then he kind To each other. forbearing conceding
let " live IN happiness and peace"
Mr. President, have said what | sOlemnly be
heve-that the dissolution OF the Union and war
are identical aud inseparable; that they are con.
vertble terms
Sch war, too. that would be, following
the dissolution of the UniOnl Sir We may search
the pages of history, and none so furious. none
so bloody, so implacable, so exterminating, from
the wars Of Greece down, including those OF the
Commonwealth OF England and the revolution
OF France, none, none of them ragged with such
violence, or was ever conducted with such blood
shed and enormities as will that war which shall
follow that disastrous event-if that event ever
happens-Of dissolution.
And what would be its termination? Standing
armies and navies TO an extent draining the reve-
nueS of each portion of the discovered empire
would he created; exterminating would fol-
low, not a war OF two or three yeIrs bW OF inter
mlnable duratiOn-an exterminating war would
follow, until some Philip Alexander. some
Caesar or \ poeOn. would rise to cut the Gordmn
knot, and solve the problem OF the capacity of
man Tor self government, and crush the liberties
OF both the discovered sections OF the Union
Can you doubt itI Look at historv-consult the
pages OF all history, ancient or modern; look at
human nature; look at the character OF the con
test IN which you would be engaged, in the sup
position OF a war following the dissolution of the
Union-and ask you if it is possible for YOU to
doubt that the final but perhaps distant termina-
ton OF the whole will be some despOt treadng
down the liberties of the peope?-that the final
result viii be the extinction OF this last and glO-
rOus light which is leading all mankind who
gaze upon 1t 10 cherish hope and anxious expec-
tarion that the liberty which prevails here will
sooner Or later be advanced throughout the civil
lied world
Can YOU, Mr. President, lightly contemplate
the Consequences Can you yield yourself to a
torrent OF passion, amidst dangers which have
depicted IN colors far short of what would he the
reality, il the event should ever happen? | con
jure Sentlemeu-whether from the South or the
North. by all thev hold dear in this worldly all
their love Of liberry-by all their veneration for
their anceStors-by all their regard for posterty
by all their gratitude to Him who has bestowed
upon them such unuumbered ble>sings-by all
duties which they owe to mankind, and all the
duties they owe to themselves--by all these con
sderatons implOre them TO psuse-solemnly to
pause--at the edge of the preclpce before the
fearful and disastrous leap is taken in the yawn
ing abyss below, which will inevitably lead TO
certain and irretrievable destruction
Aud, finally, Mr. President. / implore, the
best blessing which Heaven can bert0w upon me
upon earth, that il the direful and sad event of
the dissolution OF the Union shall happen, may
not survive 70 behold the sad and heart rending
Spectacle.