Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-08-11

continue in power as unconditional Union men,
and members of the Union party. Upon prnci-
Piles and purposes such as these, avowed by the
Senator from whom have quoted, would they
conduct this war. If their assertions be truc-if
the seeded States are already out of this Union,
or have ceased to exist, and therefore no longer
members of the Union, il is because of the ex-
ercise by them Of legal right. for if not legal
right, constitutional right, their act can be of
no validity for any purpose whatever. 1T valid,
as Senator Harlan contends, tell me your justin
cation for making war upon themT lt IS because
they are not out of the Urion, and do still exist
as States in the Union, their people owing ale
glance to the Union, that are justified in
ging this war, not against the States States,
but against the rebellious citizens of the seeded
States. This Government of ours has no power
to coerce State In proof of this will read
you a short extract from one of Mr.. Webster's
speeches:
for coercon>by law; that coercion which sets
only upon delinquent individuals THIS CONSTiIU-
TI0N DOES NOT ATTEMPT TO GEORGE SOVEREIGN
BODIES, STATES in THEIR POLITICAL CAPACITIES.
If should attempt the laws Of the Union
BY sending armed force against delinquent State it
would involve the good and the bad the innocent and the
guilty, in the same calamity Bur THIS LEGAL COERCION
INDIVIDUAL, Furnishes
BREAKING or TIE UNION.
Again Mr.. Webster said:
The Union is too full of benefits to be hazarded in pro-
positions for changing its original basis for the
Constitution as tits and the Union as it is.
We have heard much of the dangers of foreign
interference. We have far more to fear from the
doctrines now songht to be forced upon the coun-
try by the dominant party in Congress, than we
have to fear from foreign governments. Who
believes that six millions Of hostile people, uni
ted in purpose and determined in action, occupy
ing seven hundred thousand square miles of ter
rtory, can be either subjugated or exterminated?
1t has never been done. and until God shall
change his laws, never will be done.
In view of this fact, what should have been
our policy? We know that one year ago there
was in every seeded State large Union ele-
ment, so large that the leaders of the conspiracy
to sever the Union, did not dare to trust the Sc
cession of their respective States to the people,
but, taking advantage of their position, holding,
for the time being, the offices, and consequently
the power Of their State Governments, taking adj
vantage ofpOwer conferred upon them by an hon.
est and confding people. they betrayed the conf
dence of those who had elevated them to place.
and turned the powers of the State Governments
against the people, and forced them into this
wicked rebellion. We were told that, after the
capture Of Fort DOnelson. many of the rebels in
arms wept upon again behoidng the flag of their
country Since then, the Republican press has
been engaged in impreSsing upon the mind of the
country the truth that the South is unit, and re-
solved upon permanent separation Why is this?
How comes it that these people, who were divi-
your Congressional records for the last eight
months, and you have the reason. Congress, at
its extra session, declared that the war should be
waged to maintain the Constitution and to he
store the Union, with all the rights, dignity and
equality of the States unimpaired. Congress its
regular session, by its legislative action, has de-
clared the war shall be prosecuted for the over
throw of the established rights of the States which
in their view no longer exist. The States say
they are territories, to be governed free from
constitutional restraint, and the people thereof
have no right to constitutional protection. In
other words, Congress would have this not
for the Constitution and the Union, but a gil
gantic crusade against the established rights and
institutions of the seeded States. The remedy
for these evils, nv fellow citizens, is in your
hands. If at the ballot-box this fall men shall
be elected to the National Legislature who will
aid your armies in the field by such wise and ju-
diciOus legislation will show to the great mass
es in the seeded States who were betrayed into
secession, that you will not permit the powers of
the Government to be welded for the destruc-
ton of their property. rights, and their right of
selfgovernment under the Constitution, you will,
i feel confident, soon have the qualification of
seeing the rebellion suppressed, and of witnessing
the bow that promises carly peace extending
itself across our political sky. There is not
power enough in JEFF Davis and all his co-work-
ers to keep an army in the field ninety days after
you have removed from the people he assumes to
govern the apprehension that the powers of
common government, created for common pro-
lection to the interests of ALL were to be welded
against them 1t this apprehension that
gave to the authors Of this rebellion the physical
force, without which it could never have been
inaugurated.
Never would l have have believed, prior to
the meeting of Congress, that in this struggle
for national existence, men could be found will
ing to subordinate the integrity of the Union,
and the rights of the people under the Constitu-
tioD to party, and attempt to WELD the powers
of The Government for the accomplishment of
party purposes, rather than the maintenance of
the Constitution, and the preservation of the
Union underit. The faith / once had in the rep
resentatives of the people is gone. | rely alone
upon the people themselves, and believe that you
will not allow thought of party to come be-
tween you and your country. Again and again
are you told that the existence of the
institution Of slavery in these States is
incompatible with the existence of the
Union. This is SANDER upon the wisdom
of the men who founded the Government and
who framed the Constitution, our only bond of
Union. The Union is the result of the CoDstitu-
ton, and he who says that the existence OF sla
very is Incompatible with the existence of the
Union. announces to the world that this Govern
ment of ours, this experiment of self government,
founded by the patriots and wise who
achieved for US Independence, has proven a
failure. Yet this is their cry at morning, at
ard at dewy eve, and it may be it is uttered in
sleep when visions of power and place and treas
urieS to plumber fit before them. The Ameri-
can Government. our Government was formed
BY slaveholding and non slaveholding States,
Twelve of the States were nOminally slavehold-
ing, only five or six were to any great extent.
Slavery, therefore, existed before the Government
was formed, and il may be said that il was formed
by States one half free and one half slave. The
Federal Government depends for its existence up
on the State Governments and is based upon the
principle that each State for itself determines and
regulates It's own institutions; in other words, the
people of each State govern themselves in all
matters of internal concernment. 1t follows,
therefore, from this principle which is the corner
stone of our Government, that each and every
State has the right to establish, continue, abolish
or prohibit slavery withinits own limits free from
all interference on the part of the General Gov
eminent Ii Congress has power to interfere for
the adjustment Of slavery in a State, it has
power to interfere for its establishment i'm a
State. If the public money can be used to afford
pecuniary aid TO State to emaDcipate its slaves,
il can be used to afford like pecunary aid to a
State to establish slavery. The Federal Govern
ment, having no power except that which is de-
rived from the Constitution, is not dependent for
its existence upon any of the domestic nstitu-
tons of the States. The Union was founded by
Shareholders and non-slavehoIders. Ii was form
ed foa both slaveholdng and nonslaveholding
States. Slavery existed at its formation and has
existed ever since. The existence, therefore, of
the Institution Of slavery in some OF the States of
the Union Is not incompatible with the Union,