Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-09-22

request them to compare the ticket published by
them with that which appears in the Sentinel.
Hon. GOdIOve =. Orth and the Peace
Congress.
The weight of responsibility resting upon those
who have in any wise aided in bringing upon the
country the present civil war, who aided either
by acts of omission or commission in preventing
peaceful solution of the differ ences between the
North and the South is terrific. Upon them rests
the blood tina, has been so freely shed, and popu
lar condemnation should be visited upon them
whenever the opportunity presents itself.
The Republicans of the Lafayett district have
nominated as their candidate for Congress Hon.
GoDLovE S. ORTIZ, and we desire to present to
the electors of his district portion Of his record
that they may determine to what extent he is re-
sponsibe for the ills that secession and its cOnse
quences have brought on the country.
When the Congress of 1860 81 met, it was evil
dent to the Statesmen of both sections of the
country, that upon the eve of civil war,
and there was earnest desire in the hearts of
the people that it should be averted if possible by
concession and compromise.
Animated by this feeling, the venerable States
man of Kentucky. on the 18th of December, in
troduced to the Senate his celebrated plan of adj
justment.
Influenced by the same notions, the Legislature
of Virginia invited the other States to unite with
her in earnest effort to settle the unhappy
troversies, and to send Commissioners to meet
those of her appointment in Convention, to con-
slider and If possible, to agree upon some suitable
adjustment The Legislature of Indiana accepted
the proposition, and authorized the Governor to
appoint FIVE Commissioners for that purpose The
Governor selected the following gentlemen, all of
whom were Republicans CALEB B. SMITH. p. A.
HAcxLEMAS, GoDLovE S. Ortiz, E. W. II. Ell
LIS, and THOMAS SLAUGHTER.
Mr.. ORTH was thus sent concede and COM
promise, to make every effort in his power to pre-
vent dissolution of the Union. and to save the
country from the calamites that have since visi
ted US How did he perform his mission as a
patriot partisan as Statesman apprec-
ating what was due the country, or as narrow
minded politician, willing to wreck tie hopes of
the nation to save his party platform intactg
In the Convention each State had but one vote,
and for the purpose of preventing msconstruc-
ton, any delegate was permitted to enter upon
the record his dissent from the vote of his State
By this means enabled to ascertain with
certainty the position of Mr.. Ortiz.
The Convention met on the 4th of February,
1861, and on the 9th of February committee
was raised. Of which Hon. JAMES GUTHRIE. the
eminent Unionist of Kentucky, chairman, to
whom the whole subject was referred
ka he 9Th Of Fab
through their chairman, reported as the basis of
compromise certain proposed amendments to the
Constitution, embraced in seven articles.
After these articles had passed the ordeal of
discussion and amendment they came up for the
final action of the Convention
Upon the first resolution Indiana did not vote
at all. Upon the second she voted in the affirma-
tive and Mr.. ORTIZ dissented. Upon the third
she voted in the negative. Upon the forth she
vo.ed in the affirmative and Mr. ORTIZ dissented
Upon the fifth sbe voted in the affirmative ard
Mr.. ORTIZ diSssRted. Upon the sixth she voted
in the negative Upon the seventh she voted in
the affirmative and Mr. ORTIZ dissented. IL will
thus be seen that upon each section Mr.. ORTIZ
either did not at all voted against it. thus
committing himself against all plans of adjust
ment and voting to prevent the adoption of any
plan.
The bitterness of his hostility is more fully ap-
preciated by reference to his votes on the fourth
and fifth sections. The fourth is a declaration
that the Constitution should not be so construed
as to prevent the State judicial and ministerial
officers from aiding in executing the fugitive slave
law, the fifth prohibited the foreign slave trade
in all its forms. The fourth was a concession by
the North. the fifth by the South Indiana voted
in the affirmative upon both propositions. and Mr.
ORTIZ dissented from both votes.
In addition to this, on the 25th of February
Mr.. CLAY, of Kentucky. moved to substitute the
CRTTTESDEN compromise for the proposition re-
ported by the committee. and upon the question
of agreeing TO the amendment Mr.. ORTIZ voted
with the rest of the Indiana delegation against
the substitution, thus showing his hostility to the
CRTTESDES compromise as well as to the plan TO
which we have referred.
Thus did Mr.. ORTIZ contribute his efforts to the
defeat of any plan Of adjustment and his position
was fully appreciated by the Union members Of
the Convention.
When Mr.. GUTHRIE returned to Kentucky and
in a speech at Louisville gave an account of his
stewardship, all he could say for our delegation
was, that Indiana represented by Ave Black
Republicans
After Mr.. ORrH's return to Indiana he stated to
agentleman of this city at Lafayette, that the
CRITTESDES compromise would have been &C
ceptabe to the of tine Southern members,
and in this declaration be is borne out by the
fact that Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina,
Tennessee and Virginia voted for the motion of
Mr. CLAY.
Now how does Mr. 0RrH stand before his dis
trict and the State. He shows what great things