Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-07-11

70
tory has written the epitiph over the nobest com
moaWealth that the world las seenl | le T hat
there i a too prevalent dSpOsitiss 10 surrender
ourselves passive instruments into the hands
Of iate-too much of abandonment 70 The current
of mere events-tOo great a practical denial of
our own capacity % save our country by a manly
assertion of the moral laws on which It's preser
vation depends Can il be that we are losing
our faith in that Ruler who has made the safety
of nations TO depend on something more than
physical and material strength. who has given
Us moral power over our own condition and has
surrounded Us with countless moral weapons for
it, defenseg Applause
liz Is marvellous through what course Of In
strnction. through what discipline OF suffering
and calamity. the people OF this country have had
To pass. in order fully 10 comprehend the truth
that the nature other government depends upon
sound deduction from series of historical facts:
and that It must therefore. be defended by con
sistent popular action. Ii is now someWhat more
than thirty years since Daniel Webster, (app)
combining IN himself more Capacities for such a
task than bad ever been given 20 any other Amer
lean statesman. demonstrated that our national
Government can have no secure operation what
ever. unless the obviously true aud simple deluc-
ton from the facts of It's origin is accepted as
the basis of its authority. You know what he
taught You know that he provei-if ever NOR
tai intellect proved n moral pr0postion-that in
the exercise OF its constitutional powers the ma
tional Government Is supreme. because every in
babitant of every State has cOvenanted with ev-
cry other ihhabtant OF every other State that il
shall pe SO; that even when the national l., gis
lature l. supposed To have overstepped ITS consti
tutional limits, no State interposticn, no State
legislation. can afford lawful remedy or relief;
and that all adverse Stale action. whether called
by the name OF Notification, or bv any other
name, Is unlawful resistance We are glad
enough now 10 rest upon his great name: We
march proudly under his imposing banner 10 en-
counter the hosts of constitutional secession i"
But how WAS II with US. even before he was laid
in that uupretending tomb, which rises ia the
scene that he loved we'll. and overooks the
sounding sea, by the music # whose pillows he
went to his earthly resty Did we follow in his
fUOtS;epsI Did We requite his unequalled civil
servicesg Did We cherish The great doctrine that
he taught Us, as the palladium of a government
which must perish il that doctrine loses its pre-
eminence in the national mind? How long or
how well did we preserve the recollection of his
teachings. when our local interests and feelings
wee arrayed against the action of the FEEDER a
POwerg | will not open that record. | would
to heaven that il were blotted out forever But
! cannot stand here this day and be guilty of any
thing SO untaithful To my country. "a to admit
that under government whose authority can live
only when sustained by popular reverence for it,
sanctions and popular belief In It's foundations,
opinion in the South has not been affected by
what has TRANSFERRED in the North Applause
| have underworld To state. with fairness and
precision, the principle on which the American
Union was founded. and TO show that its preser-
vaton depends upon keeping the National and
the State sOverelgIt Is each within the proper
limits of its appropriate sphere, ] am that
the opinion has been formed Ia great extent in
foreign countries and IN the South. and by some
among Us, that this principle is no longer practi-
cable; that the Union of free and slave 5 ates in
the same nation has become an exploded expert
ment; and that our interests Incompatible
that reconstruction, on the old basis at least.
ought not to be attempted. We should probably
all concede that this view of the subject j. cor
rect, ii We believed that the incOmDatbty is
necessary, inherent. aud inevitable. But there
is not enough to justify the breaking up of III h
Union, ii the supposed incOmpatibility is but
the result of causes which can reach. or ii il
arises from an untai haul compliance with the
terms OF our association. We can make such an
association no longer practicable il we choose
to do so. We can prevent it from becoming i'm.
practicable if We are so resolved. Ii the free
States, one section, and the slave States, as
another. will not respect their mutual obligations
then there is AN end of the usefulness of all
effort If we, of the North, will not
reiigiously and honestly respect the consti
tutIonal right OF every State TO mali tain
just such domestic institutions ms il pleases 10
have, and protect that right from every Species OF
direct and indirect interference. then there is an
absolute incompatibity. If they OF the South
will not as honestly ard religiousy maintain the
right of the Federal Union to regulate those sub
jects and interests which are committed To il by
the Constitution then there is, in like manner. an
incompatbty of precisely the s,me nature. II
the parties, IN releIence 10 the common domains
will admit OF no compromise or concession. but
each insists on applying TO them its own poll as
national policy. then the incompatibIity is a.
complete from that cause as it is from the Others
The difficulty is not in the principle of the associ
alton, Tor nothing can be clearer than that prnci
pie; and when it has been hOnorably adhered to-
no Government in the world has worked more
successfully. But the difficulty has arisen from
disturbing causes that have dslocited the ma
chine and what we have now to ascertain is
whether the PEOPLE ON both sides will treat those
causes as temporary, and remove them, or will
accept them inevitable and ncurable, and thus
make the sepa9Rion final and conclusive
la the gloomy conception of the old Grecan
tragedy, 10 room Was left by the poets for the
moral energies OF man, there was no force in hu-
man innocence OF virtue. Higher than Jupiter
higher than the heavens, in infinite distance, in
infinite indifference To the fortunes OF men or
gods, safe the mysterious and eternal power OF
ana when the univer-e began, that awful chan.
Gerry was closed. No sweet interceding saints
could enter there, translated from the earth 10
plead for mankind No angels from love aud
mercy came from human abodes. to bring iidiUgs
OF their state. No mediator, once sufferer IN
the flesh, stood there to atone for human sin
The wall OF "a nation ia it, agony, or the cry
that went up from breaking human heart. might
pierce into the endless realms ct space nigh;
call on the elements for sympathy, but uo anss er
aud no relief could come. He who was pteOr-
dained to suffer. through whatever agency. suffer
Ell and sank. with no consolation but the thought
that all the deties. celestial aud internal, we're
alike subject 10 The same power.
Are We. too. driven 10y some relentless force.
that anuihiliie. our own free Wills aud dethrones
Him Who j. supreme! Are We cast helpless aud
drifting like leaves that fall uDon the rushn =
sireamg Must We give way to blank despair
No. no, mol There are duties 10 he done-to be
done by us: for whatever may be the result OF
this mighty array of army agans; army-what
ever may be the effect OF victories that have or
shall be won-whatever To he our future re
latiOns with the people of the South. the Il ne IL
coming when we and they face 10 face, and In
the eye OF an all seeing God. must determine how
we will I've side by side NJ the children of one
eternal Parent. Appl use For that approach.
ing day. and for the sake OF restoration of that
which arms alone not conquer, let me i'm
pore YOU 20 make some ht aud adequate pfepa-
ration OF instruments and agents anu means and
influences. Truss 10 the humaniz NJ enec of
new and better intercourse. Trust 70 the laws