Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-03-16

of the Constitution into a war for the Liberation
OF the slave and the prostration of State rights
a war of pr0clamatiqhs, by which State sover-
eighty IS struck down., bnt they have seen the
proclamation making black men free. very ap-
proprmtely followed by one making white men
slaves
allude to the proclamation OF last September,
which attempted 70 discuss at some length the
other day-a proclamation subjecting 10 the Pres
ldent's will the whole population of the country
This, TOO, comes as an incident, and in connec-
ton with the prosecution of this war; and YOU
have at last reached point where the popular
mind IS thoroughly impregnated with the belief
that the further prosecution of the war on the
present line Of policy will result in the overthrow
OF the Constitution, in the overthrow of civil lib
erty. in the overthrow of the Federal Govern
ment, in the elevation of the black man and the
degradation of the white man in the social and
political status of the country
The subject of arrests made under the proclaim
alton suspending the habeas corpus has been too
ably discussed for me 10 enter upon it now in any
detail. The subject mas been exhausted by the
eloquent and able and distinguished gentleman
from Ohio, Mr. Vallandgham,l who preceded
me ia this debate But, sir, it is dangerous in
gredient to cast by the passage of this bill into
the boiling cauldron of popular discomfort and
popular Indignation; and the popular voice comes
up here to night ringing loud and clear over the
storms and dissensions in this hail. saving to the
members on the other side, "go back to your
broken pledges; 90 back to the Constitution;
cease, as YOU value your lives; cease, as you
value the peace of the country; cease, as you
dread the lurid flames of civil war at your own
homesteads; cease these nfIactions Of the Ameri
cans birth right-the Constitution Dare no
more to lay your hands on the white mans lib
erty go no further in the line Of policy which
you have attempted. | say 10 you, 1gentlemen
that as the Lord God reigns in heaven, YOU can
not go on with your system of Provost Marshals
and police officials arestng free white men for
what they conceive &C. be their dutv. within the
plain provisions of the Constitution and main
tain peace in the loyal States Blood viii flow.
You cannot and YOU shall not forge our fetters
on our limbs without struggle fOr the mastery.
l say this ia sorrow; but would be false to the
| people whom | represent. false 10 my own con-
victiOns of duty, if did not tell you plainly here
this night not in bitterness bnt Ia candOr, that
the people are determined on this subject The
blood OF race of freemen Is up, and will not sub
init TO this assault. The great American heart
is fired anew with the love of liberty and the peO-
pie are arousiug like the giant after his sleep
They have erected their heads and warn you not
to lay the weight of y0ur finger, of your smallest
hnger. on one of the great munimemts OF personal
! freedom which adOrn the history of the world
Ii YOU do, 1t is at your most deadly peril.
This may be lost on some who sit before me.
Ii may fall on deaf to night; but when YOU
go back TO the people YOU will heed it, They
know exactly what the Constitution is Never
was here time when there was so much iitelIi-
gence as now. Never there a time when The
people read SO much as now They have got all
at stake in this matter-their farms, their homes
their liberties and their lives and the liberties and
lives of their children. They have examined the
whole question They know the record by heart
! 1t l. to them a blazing line of light. You can
deceive the country 10 more, nor can you iatim-
| idate or coerce il into your measures You may
pass this bill to cOnseript citizens from their
homes into the army, but if il is true that the
popular heart is no longer for the prosecution of
this war do you think can compel il to be 80
by forceg lfthe people will no longer of them
selves pursue war a renew for our troubles,
do you think you make theml Are you
more powerful than they aTeI Does not this
Government rest upon the consera OF the gov
ernedI Con YOU force the North TO conquer the
South? Are you snpremeI Dir, if the American
people, deceived, betrayed and outraged. are un-
willing to support the policy of this Admins
tratiOn any further. unless coerced TO do so by
such legislation this CONSUMPTION BILL then let
us stop fighting at once. and try what virtue
there may be in peaceful remedies.