Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-08-25
From the New York Tribune Aug. 20.
The Abolition warfare upon the Press
rdenf-Ihc opening of hosfiIsties-A
Weren't and sean u Ions assault
TIE PRAYER OF TWENTY MILLIONS
To ABRAHAM LINCOLN, President Of United States:


DEAR Sal DO not intrude to tell you-for
you must know already-that great proportion
OF those who trumphed in your election and of
all who desire the unqualified suppression of tie
rebellion now desolating country, are sorely
disappointed and deeply panied by the policy you
seem 10 be pursuing with regard TO the slaves OF
rebels. write only to set succinctly and unms-
takably before you what We require, and what We
think We have right 10 expect. aud of what We
complain.
l. We require of you, as the first servant of
the Republic, charged especially and pre- emin-
emily with this duty, that you EXECUTE THE LAWS.
Most emphatically DO we demand that such laws
as have been recently enacted, which therefore
may fairly be presumed to embody the present
will and to be dictated by the present needs OF the
Republic, and which, after due consideration have
received your personal sanction, shall by YOu be
carried into full effect. and that you publicly and
decisively instruct your subordinates that such
laws exist and that they are binding o.. all iunc
tionaries and citizens, and that they are to be
obeyed to the letter.
Ill. We think you are strangely and disastrous
ly remiss in the discharge OF your official aud i'm
peratiye duty with regard 10 the emancipating
provisions of the new Conhscation Act. Those
provisions were designed to fight slavery with
liberty. They prescribe that men loyal to the
Union, and willing to shed their blood in her be
half, shall 40 longer be held, with the nations
consent, in bondage to persistent, malignant trai
tors, who for twenty years have been plot
ting and for sixteen months have been fighting 10
divide and destroy our country. Why these tral-
tors should lie treated with tenderness by you. TO
the prejudice OF the dearest rights of loyal men,
We cannot conceive.
Ill. We think you are unduly influenced by
the cOunsels, the representations, the menaces of
certain fossil politicians hailing from the border
slave States. knowing well that the heartily
Internationally loyal portion of the white citi
zens OF those States 10 not expect desire that
slavery shall be upheld to the prejudice of the
Union, for the truth OF which we appeal not only
to every Republican residing in those States, but
to such eminent lOyaists rs IL. Winter DAVIS,
ParsOI Brownlow, the Union Central Committee
of Baltimore, and TO tie Nashville Union; We
ask you 10 consider that slavery is everywhere
the melting cause and sustaining base of treason
the most slavehOlding sections of Maryland and
Delaware being this day, though under the Union
flag, in full sympathy with the rebellion, while
the free labor portions of Tennessee and Texas,
though wrthing under the bloody heel of treason,
are unconquerably loyal to the Union. So en-
phaticaly this the case, that most intelligent
Union banker of Baltimore recently avowed his
confident belief that majority OF the present
Legislature of Maryland, though elected and
still protesting to be Unionsts, are at heart desi
rous of the triumph OF the jeff. Davis conspir,.-
cy; and when asked how they could be won back
To loyalty, replied: "Only by the complete abOli-
tOn OF slavery" 1t seems to US the most obvi
Gus truth, that whatever strengthens or iortihes
slavery in the border States strengthens also
treason, and drives home the wedge intended to
divide the Union Had YOU from the first refused
to recognize in those States, as here, any other
than unconditional loyalty--that which stands for
the Union, whatever becomes of slavery-those
States would have been, and would be, far more
helpful and less troublesome To the defenders OF
the Union than they have been, or now are.
" We think timid counsels in such crisis
calculated to prove perilous, and probably dsas
trous. liz IL the duty of government wan
tonly, wickedly assailed by rebellion as ours has
been to oppose force to force in defiant, daunt-
less spirit. 1t not afford TO tempOrze with
traitors nor with semi traitors. 1t must not bride
them TO behave themselves nor make them fair
promises IN the hope OF dlsarming their causeless
hostility. Representing a brave and high spirited
people, it can afford to forfeit anything else bet
ter than its own self respect, or their admirinS
confidence For our Government even to seek,
after war has been made OH it, to dispel the AT
fected apprehensions of armed traitors that their
cherished privileges may be assaed by it, is to
invite insult and encourage hopes of its own
downfall. The rush 10 arms OF Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois, Is the true answer at once to the rebel
raids of John Morgan, and the traitorous sophis-
tries of BeIiah MagOfln.
'. We complain that the Union cause has suf
tered, and Is now suffering Immensely, from mis-
taken Difference to rebel slavery. Had You, sir,
in your Inaugural Address, Enthusiastically gwen
notice that, III the rebellion already com
menced were persisted in, and your efforts 10 pre-
serve the Union and enforce the laws should be
resisted by armed force, YOU would recognize no
loyal person as righttully held in slavery by a
traitor, we believe the rebellion would therein
have received Il staggering il not fatal blow. At
that moment, according to the returns OF the
most recent elections the Unonists large
majority of the voters of the slave States. But
they were composed in good part of the aged,
the feeble, the wealthy, the timid--the young,
the reckless, the aspiring, the adventurous, had
already been largely lured by the gamblers and
neSro-traders, the politicians by trade and the
conspirat0rs by instinct into the tolls OF treason.
Had you then proclaimed that rebellion would
strike the shackles from the slaves OF every trai
tor, the wealthy and the cautious would hive
been supplied with powerful nducement 60 re
main loyal. As il was, every coward in the South
soon became traitor from fear; for loyalty was
perlous. while treason seemed comp Irltively
safe. Hence the boosted unanimity OF the South
IA unanmty based on rebel terrorism and the
fact that immunity aud safety were found on that
side. danger and probable death OH ours The
rebels from the first have been eager To cOnfis- f
cate. imprison, scOurge, and kill; we have fought
wolves with the devices of sheep The result is
just what might have been expected Tens of
thousands are fighting in the rebel ranks To day
whose original bias and natural leaning would
have led them into ours.
VI. We complains that the con6-cation act
which YOU approve Is habitullly disregarded by .
your Generals, and that TO word of rebuke Tor
them from YOU has yet reached the public eur. f
FremOnts proclamation and Hunters order favor +
ins emancipation promptly annued by you;
while Halleck No. g. iorbidding fugitives from
slavery to rebels to come within his liues-an or
der unmilitary rs inhuman, and which receIy Ell
the hearty appreciation of every traitor IN Amer
ica-with scores OF like tendency have never
provoked even your temOnstrance: We complain T
that the officers OF your armies have habiualv
slaves who would have gladl, taken the risks of
escaping from their rebel masters 10 our camps
bringing intelligence often OF ineSti mable value
to the Union cause. We complain that those
who have thus escaped to Us, ayowing a willing
ness to do for whatever might be required
have been brutally and madly repulsei, and often
surrendered To be Scours ed. MANNED and tortured
by the ruiiiaH traitors who pretend To own them
We complain that large proportion of our regu
lar army officers. with many ct the volunteers
eyinco far more s0liciiude 10 uphold slavery than
To pat down the rebellion. And. finally we com
plain that you. Mr. President. elected a. a Re
publican. knowing we'll what an abomination