Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-01-20


any portion Of our country rom the rest, or to
enieeble the sacred ties which now link together
| the various parts" and be added solemn warn
| ing against such geographical Determinations OF
parties as would be indicated by the names OF
Northern and Southern, EGsfern aud Western.
Without pausing here TO trace the various eyi-
dences of the constant presence OF these men in
the nation and their occasional demonstrations 1t
is sufficient to say that in later years they became
numerous and strong. But convention after con-
venton, and public meeting after public meeting
failed in producing any sensible effect in favor OF
their mad schemes, or in moving the great body
Of the Southern people to their views. The South
was wholly and heartily attached to the Union,
loved it, defended il, prayed for it's perpetuity.
The heart of the South was right, and there was
no hope for the new Government plan, until there
arose at the North party of men whose avowed
objects was the overthrow of the institution OF
slavery, which was the child Of the Constitution.
Right OF wrong, that institution was in every
Southern home, was the foundation of property
the support Of millions Of dependents and OF
owners. Abolitionists nigh have attacked the in
stitution with their maledictions produced no eff
feet They did furnish some fuel with which the
new Government men kindled fame in South
Carolina, but those men were poweriess still, al
length, however, Northern States began to join
in the enmity to the institution. They passed
personal liberty bills with the avcwed intention
of hindering, if not defeating, the operation of
the Constitution Of the United States. Those
bills were pronounced, as in Massachusetts, un-
constitutional, by the highest opinions in the
North and South, but the Northern zealots were
reckless of the consequences.
Rapidly, with a rapidity almost unparalleled,
the disunionsts of the South increased their
forces and grew in strength The statesmen, the
fathers, the few noble men who remained TO us
from an age of great men, besought the North 20
pause. The anti-slavery raid was fierce and un
Compromising. If a slave escaped to the North,
anti slavery mobs defended him and rescued him
from the officers of the Constitution. If an an
ti-slavery fanatic led murderous attack on Vir-
ginia homes and was hung as be deserved, anti
slavery newspapers praised him as a martyr, and
anti-slavery men sang songs to his memory. III
the Supreme Court of the United States enuncia-
ted a decision under the Constitution which ia
vored the rights of slavery. Northern fanaticism
denounced the court, refused TO abide by its con-
sttutioDal law. and boldly threatened to re-or.
ganize the court so that it should hereafter decide
as antislaveIy men wished it.
All this, by 10 means, justified rebellion at the
South. No, but this madness of the North
placed in the hands of the disunion men of the
South precisely the weapons they wanted. They
made it the call to organize Southern party.
They rallied around them many of the best and
noblest men of the South, who really believed
that this Northern anti-slavery element would
come into their homes and deyour their substance,
while it freed their slaves.
In the midst of this terrible excitement, an ex-
element on which patriots and calm men looked
with awe and horrible forebodings, the RepubIi-
can party came into existence and strobe rapidly
to power Its leaders we're INSCRIPTIONS men,
who sought political success at any cost. The
anti-slayery excitement was capital political
ally. The marriage was formed. Men who were
in the party and were not Abolitonists, could
not precisely understand where they were or what
they were. The orators of the party, on plat
forms, howled their denunciations of slavery to
catch the ant-siavery vote. The newspapers of
the party reiterated the antislavery cries charg-
ing the STAKEHOLDER with all crimes and shames,
"the sum of all villainies," but the party as
party never indorsed any of these fanatical prop
ositions and claimed to be free from them.
The object Of the Southern dsunionists, the
fear of Washington and of all the patriots down
to the lately honored dead of Kentucky and
Massachusetts, was realized. A sectional party
was formed. and its triumph was the excuse for
another sectional party to plunge into rebellion
against the Government. While we stood shout
ing to the North that they were putting into the
hands of the Southern disunion men the very
weapon they desired to accomplish their ends, we
but met the derisive laughter of the men who
now charge on slavery the war into which their
folly permitted a few disunionists to plunge the
nation.
Look back two years Who warned anti slave
rv men that they were furnishing fuel for a con-
faeration? Southern Union men and slavehold.
ersl Who besought the Northern dominant party
to cut loose their abolition allies and the
toni Southern Union men and slaveholdersl
Who most loudly, longingly, begged, prayed, be
sought the Republican party to pause in their ca
reer of triumph, and concede something to ena-
BILE them to save the South from the wiles of the
small and weak party of disunionists? Southern
shareholders, who would have died for the Union
then as bravely and as joyously as any Of US TO.
day.
We make no excuse for the rebellion. We do
not pretend to say that it was justified by any aci
of the Northern States, or Northern people. 1t
was conceived in sin and born in Iniquity. But
if the mother was Southern party, or was
slavery, the father was Northern fanaticism and
anti slavery, and the child of shame bears more
resemblance to the father than the mother. For
slavery was the protege, the adopted child of the
Constitution. while anti-slavery was the avowec
enemy Of the Constitution, and bore on its flags
its newspapers, on its very forehead the marks ol
| that enmity which are now assumed by the South
em rebellion.
Ii is hardly probable that we have convinced
the World that slavery is not responsible for the
war. but we have endeavored courteously to an
swer a question that was courteously put. W.
do not attempt TO "whitewash" slavery. Webu
defend the founders of the Constitution They
pledged US, their posterity. TO support that in
stitution just long MS any State desires it. W.
believe the truth to be as plain as daylight that
Northern States and Northern anti-savery mer
had observed the pledges of the Constitution to-
ward slavery, the Southern disunionists woulC
/ have remained impotent: and we also believe tha
Northern fanaticism, playing into the hands o.
Southern disunionism. is the cause of the war
while slavery. recognized by the Constitution. ha
been the silent subject which designing men o
both parties have used to produce the terrible re
suits we are now experiencing Y. Journa
/ Of Commerce.