Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-08-18


mment can never be preserved by force The
act of compulsion changes it to despotism so
far as the parties affected by it concerned. 1t
is no Government of theirs any longer, and des-
potism is simply Government that the govern
ed don't create. Consequently if coercion"
preserves the body, it surely destroys the life of
this great popular Government 1t secures us
an Union without unity, an aggregation of States
without sympathy. And it does no more.
Whether that is worth preserving at the fearful
price of civil war it Is hardly worth while to
cue TO sensible men. Practically then.
coercion costs us great deal, and gives us moth
ing. Theoretically, it costs us still more for it
costs us our consistency. Secession is rerolr-
ton.
To show still further the designs of the Re
publican leaders, after the election of 1860, and
that they were a unit for disunion, we quote the
following evidence from the Chicago Tribune, the
leading Republican organ of the Northwest:
From the Chicago Tribune, Dec. /, ls6O)
Not few of the Republican journals of the
interior are working themselves up to the belief
which they are endeavoring to impress upon
their readers, that the seeded States be they few
or many, will be whipped back into the Union.
We caution all such that in language of that sort
they are now adding new fuel to the flame which
is already blazing too fiercely; and that the prob
abilities now are that the result will prove them
to be false prophets. No man knows what pub
lie policy may demand of the incoming Admin
istration; but the drift of opinion seems 10 be that,
DPeacea5e secession IS possible, the retiring States
lc be assisted 10 90, that this needless and bitter
controversy NAV be brought to an end If the
Union is to be dissolved, bloodless separation
is by all means to be coveted. DO not let us make
that impossible
They will not only be permitted to go, but if
necessary they will be assisted to 60. But the
Indianapolis Journal goes still further 1t is not
only willing to let the seeded States go, but it
argues the impossibility of conquering the slave
States if they determine upon separation. Read:
THE FOLLY OF ATTEMPTING sUBJUGATIoN.
From the indianapolis Journal Dec. I, 1901
But let us ask all who butt all these considera-
tons over with their resolute determination to
show that this isa strong government" and shall
look so to nations abroad, how will war
strengthen the Government! In the first place
a war will concentrate every slave State against
the Government. That is certain, and may be as
well taken into consideration first as last. If it
Is, we must then measure ourselves for war of
twenty millions against ten millions, each side
equally brave in arms and military duties, and the
t,centy millions to 90 10 the land and igt round the
homes of the ten millions. How long would the
war last, think you! Ten years! Yes, fifty
years-forever-for the enmity begotten of it
never would die. The very contact of our peo-
pie and territories would perpetuate it. Then
we would never conquer the ten millions. Con-
sequently our Government, instead of being
proved 'strong." would be proved nothing but
a bloody feebleness a tyranical stupidity. But
if we should conquer the ten millions, as with
the help of slave Instructions we might Though
it might lOoi little inconsistent for us to use
such help after protesting against the use of
Indian help by the British during the revolu-
tiOnary war; what have we donel Made our
Government stronger! No, we have hopelessly
split it. a peaceable separation might some
time be peaceably bridged over, and a reunion
effected. But war buries in blood the last hope
of reconciliation. We conquer the slave States,
and they are no more of our Government or
our people than if they had been allowed TO leave
both. We can't force them to exercise any of
the rights of members of the Confederacy unless
they please, and all can do is to collect the rev.
enue at their ports. As We collect about 81 ,OOO,
600 year in all the gulf States, and it will cost
100000 600 year TO keep an army down there
bic enough to prevent the people from going
off from US, and about IS, OOO, 900 to maintain
navy to collect any revenue at ALL it looks TO us
that as money operation, it foots up badly for u.s.
As to the seeding States, we saw
LET them 90 out" We can not keep them in
this Union, though we conquer them, and it is
better to have them friends out of the family,
than enemies in in it.
Discussing THE Philosophy of Disunisn," a
few days after, the Journal says:
from the Indiana Journal, December II, 1860
An alliance between the two sections may ex-
list, but never an union. = This philosophy of
secession, then, in our Judgment justiies us in
advocating the peaceable departure of the Gulf
States.
On the 2lst December 1860, the same paper
thus illustrates what it terms the folly of ''coer
cion," and
THE ADVANTAGES OF SEPARATION.
From the indianapolis Journal December 81 1850
| Those who talk so glibly of Coercion" do
not stop to think of its evils or its uselessness.
IT. then the dissatisfied sections lciH not agree to
remain together, they should agree to part peace
ably, to arrange such treaties for the con-
tinuance of trade between them as exist be-
tween other nations, and divide the national
property and debts fairly. This is not only prac-
ticable but it is far easier than any other
And if it is done, the interest of neither section
will suffer greatly. Cotton will be sold North,
and the grain, meat and goods sold South,
before, simply because they can be sold in each
case to a better advantage than elsewhere. We
of the North will have only our due share of the
national debt to pay, and will have fair share
of the national property. Business will soon
fall into the changed channels, and 90 on as
prosperously as ever. 1t is at least as easy to
keep up profitable business with the South
with England, if we are willing to take the same
steps to do it. But if we are not, and insist on
preserving the Union by force, we shall destroy
all trade, North and South, utterly. We, as the
remainder Of the Union, will be saddlcd with the
IL l.
nue., and worse than all, with debt fifty times
as large tokeepup the WARMTH the South. When
all is done. both sections ruined in trade one full
of rcbeiOus slaves, the other full of starving
workmen, and both loaded with war debts, the
Union is just as utterly dicided 1t Jetore the
'cdr began. For all our expense, bloodshed, ill
feeling and ruin, we have got--what! Nothing.
Think of it, We coercion advocates and profound
statesmen, who deem force the wisest power of
this nineteenth century! You have had your
war, and You have got its evils for pay, and you
have got nothing else. Your Union is thou
sand times more hopelesly divided than ever.
DisuniOn, then, can do no harm however wisely
met, but it will ruin both sections If unwisely
met 1t is the dictate of human
/ ity and the demand of the enlightenment of the
nineteenth century that war shall never be re-
sorted to to decide question of humanity. Let
us face disunion calmly, measure it fully, and we
shall find that, however we may lament it, we
need not be frightened at it,
1t will not be forgotten, in connection with the
/ foregoing Argument that the seeded States sent
Commissioners to Washington to arrange terms
for pcaccable separation, the division ofthe ma
tional debt and the public property.
From the indianapolis Journal, Dec. "A, 1901
If South Carolina comes to the Union, asking