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

rob the Government without censure.
If the offer of Messrs. PUErr and EcKLEs
had been accepted, the people of the 9TH District
in thirty DAYS would have raised the two regi-
ments And the 5th District would have done
likewise.
The Republican Conspiracy to Divide
the UnsOn-The History Of DisuniOn-
ism IN Indiana.
There can be no doubt but there was an ex-
tensive conspiracy among leading Republicans
Immediately after the Presidential election of
1850, to divide the Union, the object of which
was to fasten upon the Northern States,
and perpetuate the rule of the party that
had been successful in that election. These
men well knew that the Southern States,
aside from the question of slavery, could
have no sympathy with the public policy that the
men who had got into power would attempt to
fasten upon the Government, and while those
States remained in the Union, these schemes
could not be carried out. Hence will
be seen the object which the leading
Republican organs had in view, as soon as
the election of Mr.. LINCOLN was known,
in proposing that the dissatisfied States should
be permitted to secede from the Union in peace.
In fact, they were invited to 60, and they were
assured by the papers representing the senti-
ment of the successful party, that the Republi-
cans would offer no obstacle to their sliding out
of the Union Thus it will be seen that the Sc
cessionists of the South had every encourage
ment from the leading Republican journals, rep
resenting the Republican party, in carrying ont
their wicked schemes. Day after day, week af-
ter week and month after month, did those pa
pers furnish arguments to justify the dissatisfied
States in Withdrawing from the Union. What
motive in thus advocating dissolution of the
Union, separation of the States, as soon as it
was known the Republican party had been sue
cessful in both the State and National elections,
unless for the selfish and unpatriOtic purpose of
securing partisan control of the Government!
We do not charge the mass of the Republican
party with the purpose of dissolving the Union
and changing the character of the Government
to perpetuate Republican rule, but the evidence
is uncomfortable that such was the object of
INSCRIPTIONS Republican leaders, and we ask
every candid Republican to carefully and dis
passionately read the facts we shall present in
proof thereof.
On the 9th of November, 1860, the Presiden-
tial election was held. On the 9Th day of No
vember, three days after the election, the New
York Tribune thus advocated not only the right
of the seceeding States to set up an independent
Government, but the policy of permitting them
to do so. 1t said:
From the Tribune Of Nov. ., 1901
If the cotton States shall become satisfied that
they can do better out of the Union than in it,
insist letting them 90 IN peace. The right TO
secede may be a revolutionary one, but it exists
nevertheless. r We must ever resist the
right of any State to remain in the Union and
nullify or defy the laws thereof To withdraw
from the Union is quite anOthermatter; and when
ever a considerable section of our Union shall
deliberately resolve to 90 out, shall resist all
coercire measures designed 10 keep II IN. We hope
never to live in a republic whereof one section is
pinned to another by bayonets.
The indianapolis Journal, simultaneously with
the Tribune advocated the same policy. We
quote in proof thereof from its columns:
From the indianapolis Journal, Nov. 10, ls6O.l
Let the two, or three, or four States which are
bent on disunion go out, and go TO ruin They
solicit their peril, and we are willing they should
experience its virtues.
A few days thereafter when the news came
that Georgia. Florida, Alabama, Mississippi aud
Texas would join South Carolina in secession,
it said:
/ From the Indianapolis Journal, Nov -, 1860.
They know very well that if they are deter
mined TO leave the Union, no Republican WiU care
.. al l. -
intimidation and force is a mockery, and It IS
better broken than elOle If South Carolina and
her associates in folly really want to leave the
/ Union they can go without a word of objection
from any man north of Mason and DixOn's line.
We do not believe in resisting any
secession movement in the least
From the indianapolis Journal, Nov. Is. 1860.
There will be no collision of hostile forces
unless she (South Carolina) makes it, for the
people of the North WiU herer raise army
10 force any State to stay IN the Union. Such an
Union would combine all the burthens of Union
and all the weakness of disunion. Coercion
we regard as out Of the question in any case.
We call the special attention of the reader to
the following, We may say, prophetic, description
of the horrors of civil warfrom the same source
an evil great that ''the separation of the whole
Confederacy into independent nations would be
harmless beside it," Read:
From the indianapolis Journal, Nov. 10, 1850
There are higher considerations than the in
tegrity of the Constitution, and they enter into
the case when called upon to decide upon
compelling State to submit 10 it by force. Sc
ceSSiOn sreUoton and the first act of it lifts the
whole case above all questions of forms and laws.
We are to decide, then, not "What is legal and
constitutional" but " What is beSt?" 1t may be
besT TO follow the Constitution to the last, and
enforce it at all hazards. But il may also hap
pen that this will not be best Insthe present
case it seems clear to that if the enforcement
of the Constitution leads to civil war, we shall
be better off to let the Constitution be broken,
and save boodshed. All history proves that no
war is so relentless and cruel as a war of rela-
tives. And a war between relatives so irritable,
high spirited and courageous as the Americans,
will certainly be the most cruel kRO,cn. Eng
land never fought the French so murderous as
she fought the English when Cromwell encoun-
\ tered Prince Rupert. And Americans never
fought Englishmen with the ferocity with which
they will fight each other when Gen. Scott shall
encounter jeff Davis. We can imagine no evil
equal to American civil war. The separation
of the whole confederacy into independent ma
tiOns would be harmless beside it. We can not
endure the thought of il. The main question,
therefore, is not the constiutionaity of secession,
but the bloodand horror ofcoercion. VIII coercion
produce civil ware To our mind it is beyond
question. But this is not the only reason why
secession, if it is resolved upon, should not be
/ checked by force If coercion means anything,
it means to preserve the Union. OF what value
will an Union be that needs link of bayo-
nets and bullets to hold il together! What bet
ter off shall we be with South Carolina in the
Union than out of it, if she is to tester with the
u