Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-08-09
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remember that Il Is only because these States ART
States. and States 10 the Union in contemplation
Of the Constitution. that We are wagiDg this war.
The Presidents call for troops in April of last
year was 20 enable hin % execute IN The Union
the laws OF the Union, and to protect and bold
the public property IN the Union, aud to suppress
n combinations ct citizens in tie Union ros ersu
enough 70 resist successfully the sriiusry jsdica
officers. Iti- bec.use the-e States have declared
themselves out of the Union. ana do not respect
their constitutional obligations % the Union. that
We are justified In waging this war. let these
sentiments. such as have reld to you, control
your congressional legislation, and these
men and such as these YOU are urged TO
continue in power unconditional Union men,
and members Of the Union party. Upon princi-
pies and purposes such a. these, avowed by the
Senator from whom | have quoted. would they
conduct this Ii their assertions be truc--if
the seeded States are already out Of this Union
or bave ceased TO exist. and therefore no longer
members OF the Union, u Is because OF the ex.
ercse by them OF legal right. Tor il not a legal
right constitutional right, their act can be Of
no validity for any purpose whatever. II valid,
as Senator Harlan contends. tell me your justih
cation for making upon themr IL IS because
they are not out of the UIion 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 as States.
but against the rebellious citizens OF the seeded
States This Government OF ours has no power
TO coerce a State In proof OF this. will read
you a short extract from of Mr.. Webster's
speeches:
for coercion by law; that coercion which acts
only upon delinquent individuals THIS CONSTIIU-
TiON DOES NOT ATrEMPT I'd GEORGE SOVEREIGN
BODIES. STATES IN THEIk POLITICAL CAPACITIES.
II sfbuid attempt TO execute the Union
by sending armed force against delinquent State 1t
would involve The good ard the bad the innocent and the
81
GUILTY fSDyIpUAL ASD FURNISHES HIN FOR
hKEAKISe THE LAWS OF TUE UNION.
Again Mr.. Webster said:
The Union is too fun OF benefits be hszarded pro-
positions for changing its original basis. 20 for the
Constitute ON as IL Is and the Union as IL Is
We have heard much OF the dangers of foreign
interference. We have far more to fear from the
doctrines now sought to be forced upon the cOun-
try by the dominant party in Congress, than we
have 70 fear from foreign governments Who
believes that six millions o! hostile people. uni
ted ia purpose and determined IN action, occupy
ing seven hundred thousand square miles of ter
ritory can be either subiugated or exteTmnated?
Ii has never been done. aud until God shall
change his laws. never will be done.
In view of this fact, what should have been
our policyi We know that one year ago there
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 Stale Governments, taking adj
vantage ofpower conferred upon them by an hon
est and couhding 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. aud forced them into this
wicked rebellion. We were told that, after the
capture Of Fort Donelson many of the rebels in
kal.. Of
country. Since then, the Republican press has
been engaged in impressing upon the mind Of the
country the truth that the South is unit, aud re-
solved upon permanent separation. Why Is this!
How comes it that these people, who were divi-
ded few months ago. are united nOwG Turn TO
your Congressional records for the last eight
months. and you have the reason. Congress- at
its extra session, declared that the should be
waged TO maintain the Constitution and to lie
store the Union. with all the rights. dignity and
equality OF the States unimpaired. Congress, mt lis
regular session, by its legislative action, has de-
clared the 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 war
for the Constitution and the Union, but g-
ganlic crusade against the established rights and
institutions of the seeded States. The remedy
for these evils, NV fellow citizens, is IN your
hands II at the ballot box this fall men shall
he elected to the National Legislature who will
aid your armies in the field by such wise and iu-
dicous 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
seligovernment under the Constitution, you will.
l feel confident, soon have the qualification of
seeing the rebellion suppressed, ami OF Witnessing
the bow that promises sn early peace extending
itself across our political sky. There is not
power enough in jeff Davis aud 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, TO be welded
against them Ii was this apprehension that
gave to the authors of this rebellion the physical
force, without which il could never have been
inaugurated
Never would have have believed. prior 60
the meeting OF Congress, that in this struggle
for national existence. men could he found will
ing 10 subordinate the integrity of the Union,
and the rights of the people under the Constitu-
ton. 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 al the
Union underit The faith once had in the rep
resentatves of the people is gone. | rely alone
upon the people themselves, and believe that you
will not allow a 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 "a 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 Constitu-
ton, aud he who says that the existence OF sla
very is incompatible with the existence of the
Union, announces 10 the world that this Govern
ment of ours, this experiment of self government,
founded by the patriots and wise men who
achieved FOR Us our Independence, has proven a
failure. Yet tins Is their cry at morning, at noon
and at dewy eve. aud il may be il IS uttered in
sleep when visions of power and place and treas
ures to plumber fit before them. The Ameri
can Government. our Government. was formed
by slaveholding and non slaveholding States,
Twelve OF the States nominally slavehod
Ing, only five or six were SO TO any great extent.
Slavery, therefore, existed before the Government
formed, and it may be said that il was formed
by States one half free and one half slave. The
Federal Government depends for Us existence up
ON the State Gos ernlnents and j. basel upon the
principle that each State for itself determines and
regulates It's own Institutions ia other words, the
If fb.un Ill