Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-05-20
The Uass CouveutIon---Lette from
Hon. James ". wall, of New
Ier<eN
BURLINeToN. April 20 1868.


BURLINGTON. April &c, 1868.
il Bingham. Sscy Of Committee
Ny DEAK SsE: IL would give me much pleas
ure 10 be present on the 20th OF Nav next Il YOUR
Convention: but nv time wil be 30 occupied dur.
ing that mouth, with prior engagements, ~ to
make u impossible | am glad to find that the
great West is moving with vigor. and earnest
ness that the great cause in which they are EN-
Gagged demands The fearful condition OF the
times demand ali your energies. Let no one de
ceive sou that this is a war for the Constitution
and the restoration Of the Union. This is no
war for the Union The iron wedge driven into
the stalwart body Of the oak does not more surely
tear asunder It's twisted 6bres. than the advance
OF Linc0ln's army Dierces into and rends asunder
the hbres of this Union You need ONLY san
attentyely the acts OF the last and present Con
gress, and Of the President himself. 10 learn that
its war for subugation or humiliation. and for
upro0ting forever, from Southern States. the pc
culiar institution. for the Union forSoothi
Oh yes il il for the Union but il i for union Of
all the vilest elements of New England fanatic
cism against the Constitution and the laws-a
war for the union of all the public plunderers.
contract jobbers aud camp followers to rob the
public treasurv-a union Of place men and priests
10 create offices and salaries, that they NAV hang
like vampires on the full bloodei TANKS of the
body polite. Let any man close his own ewes.
commune with the honest impulses of his heart,
and be still, aud he will see the same horrid Wis
ion, that the Roman poet saw in Lucnns Pharsa
LA. While medltatIng upon the horrors OF the
the civil war then raging the poet falls asleep.
and sees vision of Rome herself plunging
the dagger into her side. and from the gaping
wound IL makes, flows forth "A mighty torrent Of
blood that deugeS whole cities and submerges
entire provinces, until the Roman land becomes
one vast sea of blood
He may toy with the delusi0n, that il is ONLY a
contest for the Union and the supremacy of the
Constitution. and that like phoenix. the Repub
lie shall sDring forth with renewed energy and
life from the ashes Of this cruel strife; but in
spite of the deluson he will find that the dread
vision will overshAdow him. while the most cruel
forebodings will fill his mind as to the future
This is not war when the foreign invader il
met at the nations threshold, aud the pride aud
the flowers of the country miv well be invoked
to drive him back II is civil war: a war wi h
men Of the same race aud with the same ardent
love OF liberty in their bosoms: war invoking
the most deadly passions. and brutalizing the
most refined feelings: a war where the conquered
will be demOralized the conquerers. and
where constitutional liberty will find her grave
We read and mourn over the horrors that the civil
war evoked We wonder at the fierce and deadly
struggle of the middle ages of Itily-thebloOdv
contests OF the Onelphs and the GhhbellneS. but
Mutafo nomins de fe tqbuiG BaSSatur. Change
hut the name and the story is told of Yourself 4"
Every victory Is victory over ourselves; ev
erv wound inflicted penetrateS our own vitals. 1t
is the suicide OF great Nation, unless the dead
Nv steel can be snltchel from the hands that
seem nteut upon consu m mating the deadly work
| see 10 hope for the country except through the
pathway of speedy peace Let Il convention
Of States be called by the first of next July. TO
devise ways and means for putting an end to this
strife A two years continuance OF it must in
vOlve US in hopeless ruin bv forcing to accept
a military despotsU to escape anarchy. This
Administration has falsely and wickedly declared
that this war was popular in its origin. Was il
popularg The people ne er were permitted
to pass upon il nd if they had been, we
should have had no war. But even if the
war wa popular in the beginning. no man in
his senses can pretend that it could maintain its
popularity under the deusions BY which the peo-
pie have been deceived This AdmnStr ton
has cheated the nation ny thousand misrepresen
tltiOns, by thousand false stories. and false
promises 1t has made war upon the liberties of
this people. and deprived them of their constitu
ti0nal rights If the Administration rushed into
this war because it was popular. they ought now
to conclude it, because it has ceased to he 50.
Whatever doubt there might he % its original
popularity there certainly can be no doubt of its
present adherence We. the people. have ac-
quieSced tamely in the abnormal acts of this Adj
ministration; but let us saw to them. if YOU go
any further, reject our advice. and YOU may feel
our vengeance. through the ballot box.
ours, respectfully.
JAMES ". WALL.