Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-12-11

ported ~ the Augusta CnfOitcle. l he present
war. he said. is emphaticaliy the peoples war
Ii is the effort of one people To blot another from
existence. and il becomes every man in the South
to exercise every capacity IN aiding the army
which is preventing his becoming worse than
serf
In his appeal for contributions he alluded to
those whose pursuits, positions or opportunities
had enabled them to make money in these times
Opportunities TO realize unsusual profits upon Ia
Dor OF capital. in particular pursuits or trades.
were incidents ct all wars, and this
exception. These were evils of war. They
offered great temptations 10 frsil human nature
These Temptations by every one should he
sicled as the approaches Of The foul liend.
On the general subject of our present conflict
involving, rs il does, individual - we'll rs
national existence, he said all wars were calami-
tics--the greatest that befail people, except.
/, perhaps, direct ylsitatoDs IRON Providence, such
as flmines. plaques and pes,ileuce. The greater
the war, the greater the calamity. This war is a
great calamity All feel it, Ii Is the greatest
war, and wsgci on the greatest scale. of any
since the birth OF Christ. The history OF the
word. not excepting the crusades. furnishes no
parallel to it ia the present.
The responsibility and guilt Of il must he fear
full somewhere. As great calamities ms wars are
they are, however, sometimes necessary. Often
forced by the highest dictates of patrotism-like
come. They are, however, never right or justin
able on both sides. They NAV be wrong on both
sides but never be right on both sides. I'm
Just wars, by the unanimous consent OF civilized
men, are held as they should be, in condemna
ton and reprobaton. People. therefore, we'll
rs their rulers to whom such high trusts are con-
fded should look well TO il aud see that they are
right before appealing to this last and most
rife arbitrament OF arms
Some thoughts. on this subject. NJ Stephens
said. might not be out ct place. even there These
he dwet upon at some length, showing the Justice
of our cause and the wanton aggression of the
enemy. He traced the history of the contro.
versy between TIE Southern and Northern States
the principles and nature of our Government the
independence and sovereignty of the States, and
the right OF each to control its own destnes and
act for itself in the last resort, as each State
might think best for itself. IL was wholly imua
ternl. he said. in considering the question of
right and justice, now to look any further than
the solemn act OF the States of the South, after
mature deliberation. each acting for itself in its
sovereign capacity. Each State had the right
thus to act; aud when each fer itself had thus
acted. no power on earth had the right Justly to
gansay it.
This was was waged by the North in denial of
this right and for the purpose Of conquest and
subjugation. Ii was. therefore, aggressive. wan
ton and unjust Such must be the judgment Of
mankind. let its results be what they may The
responsibility, therefore, for all its sacrifices of
treasure and blood heretofore, or hereafter to
be made in its prosecution, rests not upon the
South.
Mr.. Stephens said that after the first battle
OF Manassas. duty called him TO our camps near
that point He went over the ground on which
that conflict had taken place. The evidence Of
the late terrible strife were still fresh and visible
all around. The wide spread desoation. the new
NADIA ar.As l.. a
Yet removed by the vultures, fully attested what
sceae of blood it had been. While surveying
the hills and de6les over which the various col
umns of men and the enemy passed. and were
engaged on that memorable day. among many
other things that crowded themselves upon his
mind were two dying expressions reported to
have been uttered in the midst Of the battle One
was by soldier on the side OF the enemy. who
fallen and welteing in his blood exclaimed
MY God what is all this FORT" The other
was by the lamented Barlow, who said. Boys
they have killed me, but never give il up
These two ordinations were made at no
great distance apart. and perhaps the same
time
What is all this fort" Mr. Stephens said be
could but think the question pertinent To both
sides. and most pertinent from him who uttered
it. addressed TO all his invading comrades. and
those who sent them. Well might he there in
the agonies of death, in the din and dust of strife
IN the clangor of arms and the thunder of arti,.
lery ask. "What is all this furg" Whv this array
of armiesr Why this fierce meeting in mortal !
combaty What is all this carnage and slaughter
iorf The same question is still pertinent To
those who are waging this against Us as it vas
then. The question. IL replied To by the North /
can have but one true answer. What is all this |
for on their part but to overrun the principle
upon which their own Government rs well AS I
ours, is based--to reverse the doctrine that Gov /
ernments derive lust powers from the consent of
the governed?" What is il for but to overturn
the principles and practices of their own Govern
ment from the beginningl That Government
was founded and based upon the political axiom
that all States and people have the nalienable
right to change their forms of Government at
will
The principle was acted on IN the recognition
by the United States of the South American Re
publics. IL was the principle acted in the recog
milton Of Mexico IL WIS acted on in the struggle
of Greece TO overthrow the Ottoman rule On
thatqueSton the greatest constitutional expounder
of the North. M. Webster, gained his first lau-
res a. an American statesman The principle
was acted on IA the recognition of the Govern
nent of Louis PHILIPPE, on the overthrow of
Charles y. of France, and again in the recogni-
ton OF the Lamartine Government, on the over.
throw of Louis Philippe. in ls4s AT that time
every man at the North in Congress save one /
Mt stephens believed, voted for the principle
The same principle was acted upon, without dis
sent. in 1882. in the recognition of the Govern.
ment OF Louis Napoleon The same principle
WAS acted on m the recognition of Texas. when
she seeded or withdrew from the Government of
Mexico
IL is asked on the side of the South. What is
all this fort The reply from every breast i, that
it - for home, for resides for our altars for our
birth rights, for property, for HONOR for life-in
a word, for everything for which ireemcn should
live. and for which all deserving to be freemen
should be willing. if need be. to die In whatever
trials and sacrifices ibis war NAV bring upon us
when the thought Of What is all this tori"
comes TO the mind, recolIect that it i. on our
part, for everything most dear and sacred; and
whatever reverses may await Us. in a struggle for
such objects let the watchword of the last sur
vivors be, Never give il up Let the world
know. and history record the fact if such should
be our unhappy fate, that, though our country
nav be invaded. our lands laid waste. our cities
sacked. our property destroyed. the people of the
South could die in defense of their rights, but
hey could never be conquered.
- FOney and the other parasites crack the