Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-04-20

Wehave heard several prominent Republicans
express an anxious solici,ude for the payment of
the interest upon the public eebt. They urge
that the State officers should assume the respon-
sibility of meeting this obligation of the State, in
violation of Law, but they manifest no concern in
regard to the payment of the claims of her do
nestle creditors. For the payment Of the inter-
est, they say, the faith and honor Of the State is
pledged While such is the case, it is no less true
that the good faith and honor of the State is
equally pledged to all her creditors. We would
make no distinction between foreign and domestic
creditors. The latter are certainly entitled to as
much consideration as the former, and they are
likely to be put to more inconvenience by the
failure. of the State to pay her Indebtedness, than
the boBdholders. If the State officers have the
rightto pay one class of creditors, they have an
equal right to pay all classes. There will be no
want of revenue to pay the entire Indebtedness
Of the State. There will be money in the Treas
ury to meet all her obligations. A ~factious mi
nority in the Legislature defeated the passage
of the appropriation bills which are required
by the Constitution aud the laws of the State,
to pay its creditors. in assuming the respon
sibility of defeating necessary legislation they
well understood the consequences which would re-
suit from such action. Those evils and Difficult
ties are now upou us. And is it just or fair to
ask the officers of the State to transcend their
duty, to disregard law and their oaths of Office,
to remedy the troubles which the minority in the
Legislature forced upon the State?
The State officers have la VS. for their guidance.
1t was the object Of the legislation of 1859 and
1861 to so protect the Treasury that the Auditor
and Treasurer of State could not assume any re-
sponsibilitv in'disbursing the public funds. They
have no right TO pay out a dollar unless appropri
ated by law. 1t was made a crime to do so.
Such disbursement was declared to be embezzle-
ment, a penal o%ffense, to be punished the same as
felony, by confinement in the peniteutiary. When
such guards are thrown around the public treas
ury, should they not control the official action of
the officers of State ? No honest man say but
that those officers should adhere strictly to the
law, and let the responsibility of the failure of
the State to meet her obligations fall where it
properly belongs.
But there is a remedy for our present difficult
ties. The Constitution has provided for the ext
gency. 1t gives the Governor the power to con.
vene the Legislature in special session, when
ever in his opinion, the public ~interets demand it.
There can be no doubt but there is an occasion
for this exersise of his official functions. The
path Of safety is to adhere to the Constitution
and the laws. No party will gain any advantage
by disregarding either. No government can be
stable or permanent when its public officers set
the example of disobedience to or disregard OF
law. The present difficulties of the nation have
been brought about by the failure to fulfil consti-
t%utional obligations, and we hope the unfortunate
experiment may not be repeated upon a smaller
scale in Indiana.