Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-03-30

threats and insulting boasts OF power on all hands
against the majority of the people by yonr tenn
porary servants at Washington. and their Sat
raps, minions and tools all over the country.
The Democratic party gave nearly a hundred
thousand majority of the popular vote in the cleo
ti0ns last fall. Is il 10 be crushed out and robbed
of the peaceful and happy fruits of a constitu
tional victory by an arrogant, insolent and tyran-
meal minority? Shall We bow the knee Of sup
plants 10 those whom We have utterly defeated
according to iaw2 Must our tongues be silent at
their bidding. Nnd our arms be paralyzed because
they swaggc. and buster in our presenceI On
what meat do these upstart C@sars feed. that
they stride over our humbled and PROSTATE forms.
and scarce give us leave to find dishohorable
graves between their legs? Have we masters
ready booted and spurred to ride us2 and shall
We, like Isacher, bow to the loathsome burden?
Who are the lords of the hour who shall thus
strike down the high and immortal estate of lib
erty In this landf Is Abraham Lincoln your
Government Is Edwin NJ Stanton your Gov
ernmentl The Constitution says the people con
stitute the American Republic. Who shall gain
say this fundamental doctrine of free government
He who would do so is only fit 70 be n slave, and
should wear a collar with his masters name on it.
He is too base to claim his own inherent rights.
and readily becomes the abhorred instrument of
those in authority who seek to inhict a similar
degradation Oh all Others.
Gentlemen, this servile class is, unfortunately
ut this time very large in our midst. and, not
content with their own abasemeni, they seek TO
avenge their self humiliation by doematizing and
debating TO men who possess upright and true
souls. They belong TO a very ancient and very
infamous type of humanity. In all ages, in the
most remote periods of the world, they have ex
isted to mar the peace and happiness of mankind.
They were the Pharisees of the Scriptures. They
wore sour faces and slandered their neighbors as
they do now. Tney were tyrannical and dictsto
rial in their manners. aud sought to control the
opinions OF men by violence, as they do to day.
They thanked God that they were better than
other people. when. in the sight of the blessed
Master, they were a generation Of viDers. In a
later day this same class of malignapts and intol-
Grants were seen inside the walls of Jerusalem,
when Titus was encamped before her gates.
They were then melting mobs and iuhuman mas
sacres against those who dared to differ from
them in opinion. These lessons of blood and
crime are inherited by the lineal descendants of
those who perpetrated them, and we see them
again TIN eatened and reproduced in our midst.
The ancient Republics Of Greece aud Rome were
filed with this class OF ,~irulent prosecutors for
opinions sake. Nero and his abject slaves about
him, who charged disloyalty and treason on any
Roman citizen who dared to question the hateful
tyrant's purity and policy They did their mas
tiers bidding Just rs the hired suies and perinrei
informers in The pay OF this Administration do
theirs. They smote down life and liberty in the
name of loyalty to-a ruler who violated every
principle of Roman law, and every instinct OF
justice. We are now witnessing exactly the
same thins-the same base principle at work
here. They now rage at such men rs you, be-
cause you dare to assemble here, although the
Constitution secures you That right. They say
you are traitors, as Nero's soldiers did. because
in the exercise of your legal privilege YOU ques
ton the policy and the honesty of your public
servants. You are to be Ostracised in social life,
oppressed and hunted down in business. traducel
in your characters. If YOU dare to use your own
judgment in affairs which vitality affect all your
interests. You arc lot to be allowed to select
what YOU shall read. To be seen with a Cincin
natl Enquirer. is to be turned out of church and
charitlbly consigned to the flames of perdi
ton. Your company is also to be chosen for
you. Certain men you are not to speak to or be
seen IN association with. You are, gentlemen,
in all things, and in every FORM. 10 comply with
the dictation OF thee. your self CONSTITUTES mas
tiers; and then. perhaps, they will sraciously per-
nit you to be considered loyal and faithful citi
zens. In what terms shall | characterize these
miscreants, these pirates on the rights of the peo
Pile, these invaders of constitutional liberty. these
most profigate traitors To- the laws Of God and
MANI They have not been seen alone in civil
affairs. The men who are now denouncing free
dom of opinion and freedom of speech, would, il
they dared, do now as their prototypes have done
in times past in the great struggles for religious
liberty. Thsy would have kindIed the a ines of
martyrdom around Ridley and Latimer, and lis
tened complacently TO the dying groans of John
Rogers. They would have hunted to death the
Catholics of Maryland, aud bored the ears of
Quakers on Boston Comm n Nv free born lel
low citizens. I'll unhallowej spirit must he met.
defied and crushed, or like the huge and slimy
folds of a serpent, it will crush US. The struggle
mag he fierce. and it may be bloody, but the issue
is sale Eternal right and justice are with Us.
Some may fall, hut their graves will be MS the
graues OF Hampden and Russell. Flowers of i'm
mortality will bloom over them. Their names
will be embalmed in the rich odors of a blessed
memory, while those who betrav constitutional
liberty ana the right of cnnscience will take rank
along side OF Arncitl in tie roll Of infamy.
Why, how came this Government to be fund
ed. this land tn be possessed by our faihersi
They fed from the shadow of thrones to escape
just such prosecutions as now assail American
citizens. They escaped, the we will also escape.
but in a different mode from our ancestors at that
time We will not flee. We will abide here.
We will faithfully obey all The laws This is
our strength. We have ever been a law abiding
party. But before God and man. ] this day sol
EMMY warn the Republican purity that it shall
obey the laws also. IL has spent its last hour OF
lawleSs violence with ~impunity We know the
lesson of the Declaration OF Independence h-
heart. Certain rights are inalienable. We will
not be robbed of them. King George tried that
He arrested citizens without law MS they have
been arrested here in Ohio He transported them
to distant rngions. as your citizens have been
TRANSPORTED. He held them without trial. So
has Mr. Lincoln. The violations of personal
liberty creatvd "A revolution in l776. and the total
abandonment of similar outrages can alone pre-
vent a Ike result in 1867
D we stand in awe of th0se who would DENY
Us the rights which our 81, es purchased at Bunker
Hill aud Yorktown I do not. nor do YOU
Death comes bit 8iIce 10 The brave, while a COW
ard die a tiiou<and deaths before is time in
fearful anficiHarion. No extent of Territory. no
expanded Union. can compens tie Us fer the loss
of civil liberty. and in support Of this assertion |
am willing to endui all that malice can infiict.
As to the terrible issues involved in the prose
cniion OF the war ia which we are engaged. |
have nv decided opinions. aud | expect ALWAYS
to express them. have ALWAYS thought. and
now think. and - assert, that IT, could have been
avcrfel if the spirit of con,rrnmi>e had prevailed
in Re; ublican councils. Not one blow need TO
have been struck. All might have been peace
and Union 10 day.
The record ofthe Thirty sixth Congress shows
who defeated compromise. and thus brought war
with all its train of horrors That j. one of the
settled questsons which cannot escape history.
You have Witnessed the progress of this wsr
IL was to be ended ia sixty days. according Ia
Cabinet authority. We are now approaching the
end of the second year. 'Watchman tell MS oi
the night. what the signs Of compromise How
does the problem OF a restoration OF the Union by
the means of the sword look to YOU and to the
world nowl ! never believed. and do not now
believe, that war will ever restore this Union. |
have done all nv duty. This is my Govern
ment. owe il allegiance. and | have paid it.