Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-01-13

iOreOOulng contrasts; that the pride and glory OF
the past stand side by side with the humiliation and
abasement Of the present Forty-seyen years ago
our Fathers were united; united not alone by the
forms of law. and the obligations Of the Consti-
tuition, but BY that honest, fraternal love that
made them indeed one people; and when the
January sun lighted up this land, the earnest in
quiry was upon every tongue, what will be the
fate Of New Orleans this dayl viii that Capt.
tai of our late acquisition become the prey of
soldiery imbruted by the war cry of booty and
beautyI" The setting sun of that day threw
back his rays upon the banner Of our country
floating over a victorious field; and as the news
ran from the border settlements over the towns
and cities and States, a wild shout of joy went
up. from people of one heart. As deep and
earnest as was the loye of that day, so profound
and implacable is becoming the enmity of the
present Fanaticism. bigetry and sectional ha-
tired are doing their work of evil upon great,
/ generous and roble people.
The propriety and policy of holding this Con-
vention have been much discussed; but to me it
has seemed most proper and polite The Demo
cratic party, with well defined system of poiti-
cal principles, and animated by an intense devo-
ton to the interests and honor of the country,
comes down to us from the early days OF the Re-
public, with a history intimately identified with
our progress, and the greatness we have achieved
as people. Bold, confident, and determined,
the Democratic party has always assumed and
occupied its position upon every question, affect
ing either the honor of the Government, or the
prosperity of the people. 1t has never sought to
avoid the responsibility which. because of its in
fuence and its power, of right belonged to it;
and when its mighty weight has been thrown for
or against any particular system of public policy,
il has been felt throughout the whole framework
Of government. j do not mention these things
to boast thereof, but that, we stand in the pre-
sence of the past, invoking its spirit and feeling
/ its power may be stimulated to follow where
duty beckons. whatever dangers beset the way.
| Do we not now hear the wailing cry of our coun-
tryl And does not the sobbing voice of civil
liberty, coming from out the ruins OF a violated
Constitution and the broken pillars Of our insti-
tons, call US to the rescuel Then let the word
pass along the serried ranks of the Democracy:
Every man to his post, every man for his country.
Ifthe Democratic organization be not maintain
ed, then where are the hundreds of thousands of
honest, conservative and patriotic citizens who
have heretofore acted with the Republican party,
but who now regard the success of that party as
public calamity, to 60, that their influence may
be exerted for the salvation of the county? They
will go with Us, if we but maintain our organza-
ton, and occupy a wise and patriotic position.
But il we abandon our organization, under the
false cry of no party, in whose hands do we leave
the State and Federal Government, and the rights
and interests Of the peoplel In the hands of the
leaders of the Republican party, the most pro-
scriptive and Indifferent ever known to the coun-
try-the very men who for wears have laborel to
build up sectional party-who for the sake of
political power and by the arts and appeals of the
demagogue, have taught the people of the North
that they have separate and opposing interests to
the people of the South-who, by appeals to Sec
tional pride and prejudice have excited, first ieal
ousy, and then hatred. until now the power of the
sections is embodied in terrible armies, ready to
join in the death grapple-who, as late as last
winter and spring. when the storm was coming.
and the sky growing black, refused and
spurned every proposition of adjustment that
would have quelled the storm, swept the dark
clouds away and again let in the bright sunshine
of peace-who, when Virginia and Kentucky
called for peace Congress, that terms OF concil-
iation and peace might be made, refused to re-
spond in the spirit of the call and dsregarding the
democratic & conservative sentiment of the North,
appointed a controlling number of the delegates
distinguished for their party rancor, and known
to be opposed to all conciation and compromise.
Can we then, patriots, without an effort to
il, surrender our country to the control of a par
ty, whose history, thus far, is written in failure,
in corruption. and in public ruinI May l not say
in failure when in vain / ask for one good act of
that party, one single measure ofits adoption that
adds to the prosperity of the people, or to the
greatness OF the cOuntryI All men VIII say IN
failure when the results of Republican rule are
examined by the light OF promises made before
the electon-when the good times promised are
compared with the hard times brought May not
say in corruption when the factions of that party
contend in mutual accusations of more enormous
fraud and peculations-when the supporters of
Fremont throw back the charges preferred and
proven against him, by the extraordinary defense,
that the sappers and miners, at and about Wash
II = -
| Morgans and the Cummingses, are more hagrant
plunderers of the treasury than the camp follow
| ers of Fremont-when this reeking corruption is
not confined to the miserable wretches who sell
hospital stores. or give short weights, adulter
ate the food and drink of the soldier, but crawls
upon the very council table of the President, and
mingles in Cabinet deliberations, and is now
brought to the knowledge of the President by in
dubitable and record evidence, and vet the public
wrong is not rghted; when to such astounding
lengths these things have gone that, the Times
newspaper of Cincinnati, bitter opponent of the
Democracy in a recent article has been COM
PEELED 10 say:
'God help the nation if these things are to con-
tinue We must confess we are losing our pa
tience. The Congressional reports show that the
/ War Department, at least is in the hands of
thieves. The mastery inactivity of the Admin
| stration is broken ony when il comes to the
/
Congressional Investigating Committee thrills
every honest man with horror. 1t is the saddest
exposition of our national history
..It exhibits a degree of corruption in the War
and Navy Departments, not expected in this crit
ical hour The public treasury is in the hands
of thieves. whose only solicitude Is plunder. IL
Congress was honest, it ought to be, Simon
! Cameron would have been hurled from his Office
in disgrace before this, and F. LAFAYETTE crowded
| v~;fl he Errn fbo
and the host of plunderers proved guilty by that
investigation. But even this terrible exhibition
does not seem to have created sensation in
Congress. Does the plunder conspiracy extend
even theref'
In this connection, it is right that honorable
mention, and exception be made OF the Cabinet
officer from Indiana, and as an Indanian, ! thank
him that his official conduct allows me this pleas
| ure.
said the history of the Republican party is
being written in public ruin; and does any man
hesitate to believe ity Ii let me refer him to
broken institutious--to disturbed commerce and
interrupted trade--to deranged currency, and
the low prices of all our valuable productions
and let me ask, is public ruin not marked upon
allY In what single thing that we value. are we
now as secure, as we were before the Republican
party came into power7 Is il individual
wealth, or public credit? Your deprecated es-
tates and the bonds of Indiana refused In the
market at eighty cents on the dollar furnish the
answer Il il individual security. and liberty
Hear the response. in the groans of men confined
without charge, and denied the privilege of a
uial.
Is it the honor of the nations The surrender
of Mason and Sliden tells us, that we have, for
the first time in our history, bent the knee to our
ancient foe.
The times never so demanded thorough and
efficient organization Of the Democratic party as
at the present. Throw out the banner, and upon
It's ample folds let the people inscribed their
time honored principles, and they will gladly
rally around it, as of yore.