The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1863-01-23

/ Congress, aud certainly events tha. have
occurred since that time should induce the
+ Senate to turn their attention to il !; | allude
to the granting of letters of marque and re-
prisal l hopo that during the time shall
remain III the Senate l shall have an oppor-
tunity to give vote in favor of a measure
! OF that character. l took occasion in the
month of July last. when proposition OF
that nature was pending, to give my views
to the Senate upon the subject.
] The senator here gave some account of
the action of the British Psrliam ent in issu-
ing " commissions to private ships agains.
American privateers in i777, adding:
Sir, | regard this Congress as derelic,
: in duty every hour that it abstaius from
giving to men who are loyal to this govern
ment the power to take property upon the
sea, upon the lakes. upon the rivers, that
belongs TO the rebel government, wherever
they may find it, and appropriate it. if you
please, to their own use, for in that way
you cripple the strength of the rebellion -
ON THE NECESSITY OF DEFINED POLICY.
Wisdom and earnestness in council and
promptness In execution are demanded
Unanimity and vigoI In the Executive de-
partments, and field operations that will
strike terror to the rebel hosts. the people
expect this. or they expect change of the
men TO whom their power is confided.--
Weakness and vacillaion endanger our best
interests; Indulgence to traitors iSseruelty
to the loyal. The people have expressed
to see a sublime heroism that mocks at fear.
and not an inert prolongation of hostiities
that mocks their hopes.
Ineficiency in administration
will present the Executive. therefore, with
out excuse, for he has the choice of his
counsellors. and should not tolerate imbecil-
ty or discordant elements in his cabinet ::
and the people have the right to know what
council they give. Without defined princi.
pie and concentrated action, the Adminsra
tion must be vacillating or ineffective and
in crisis SO fearful, our country and our
firesides in peril. the large, throbbng heart
of the nation, depressed with dark forebo
dings. beats with anguish, and the earnest
prayer ascends for executive enlightment.
for the infusion of an indomitable will an
iron nerved energy. and united counsels
based on determined policy. Without a
policy. our high hopes will be blighted. and
hence We reterate our cry for a policy
Oh. for policy
CORRUPTION AND REGULATION.
One of the many questions in the West,
and, perhaps. one of the leading ones, which
was made to operate on our elections, was
the ten thousand stories magnifed. bad as
they are, of the peculaton and thieving go.
ing on under the Administration. Well. sir,
war brings with it, among other evils, al
ways this.
The senator gave a number of instances.
showing the immense corruption and pecu-
lation in foreign countries IN times of war
He added in regard to this country:
One fact, however, must be observed, that
all this corruption is not accomplished BY
one party. In my experience as a public
man for thirty years, | have found that in
such times as this, when peculation goes on
it generally goes on by pairs. As the beasts
went into Noah's ark. our plunderers go in
two and two--a Democrat and Republican.
These heartless Williams are carrying on
their schemes of public plunder even now,
while the nation is making every sacrifice
and struggling for its very existence even
amid the groans of the dying on a hundred
battle fields, and while the widows wall is
going up ovee all the land. No wonder the
honest patriots of the country have grown
sick at heart while brooding over this great
evil. A righteous storm Of indignation is
brewing, and cannot be long delayed The
people demand that We at once wage a war
of extsrminstion upon these miserable vam-
pyre miscreants. and sweep them from the
country and from the face of the earth, to
receive the doom Of devils damned.
may say further on this point. that |
have every evidence that the President and
his Cabinet are doing everything they can
to detect and punish frauds; but gentlemen
will see, when they look over the history
OF other countries, how utterly impossible il
is TO reach all the cases of swindlng which
occur We may legislate here, we may pro-
vide law after law, but. in spite of all we
can do. improper influences will be brought
to bear to obtain contracts, and improper
men will obtain them, and the government
will be defrauded and the party out of pow
er seizes upon every such case, and repre-
sents 1t SO as 10 poison the public mind; not
because that so doing will advance the in
lerests of the country. but simply that they
may get into power
HOW THE REBELS NAY OBTAIN PEACE.
If the people of the rebeIious states real
y desire to enjoy their rights under the con- /
they ave it in their power to do
50 at orce-the door is open before them.
They have but to accept IF the invitation
of the President. lay down their arms and
return to their allegiance TO the government. /
and they will find at once that the consti-
luton is the palladium of their rights and
Liberties. But on the other hand, If they I
,purn this invitation, and persist in their bar
oarous rebellion. they can claim no rights
under the constitution-they make them.
selves outlaws. The constitution is to them
e,lo r
il they shall be saved; but il it falls upon
hem it will grind them to powder.
WHAT THE GovERSNESr HAS ACCOMPLISHED.
Now, Mr.. President, it may be asked
md that question desire to answer 10 a +
brief, summary manner-what is TO be the
end of all this; when are these things to
cease? I answer, frst. the war is not to
cease until we secure the salvation of ererv
nch of the territory of this country Dark
Is the hour may be, who can tell what NAV