Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-03-09


liberties OF the people. Il was a bill 70 allow the
President to enroll into the regular army every
able bodied man in the country. IL was bill to
increase the regular army at the discretion OF the
President Ii entirely destroyed and Obliterated
the militia of the States, and thus destroyed that
check which the Constitution wisely provided
against the power of centralized government
ONLY despotic Governments require to be central
lied. But free Government must always de
pend upon decentralized power. Such an act was
never passed IN this country, even in our utmost
need, and England, with her many wars and
often scarcity OF men, never resorted to this des
potic measure. IL was mode of raising armies
only used by despots, but never by Republican
Governments. This principle, if adopted, would
produce large standing armies, which almost in
evitaby led to despotism. In a Government of
delegated power and which rested upon the con-
sent of the governed, such a measure was mex
pedent and unnecessary. Congress had not the
power under the Constitution thus to destroy the
milit of the States, which the Constitution pro
vidod for as the reserve force of the Union. Ii
this measure carried out, there would be no
check on centralized power. He would no. say
that the President would make bad use of this
power. But it was the principle he objected to.
IL was always dangerous TO centralize such i'm
mense power in any one man. Under an am
bilious man might not the fate of France be that
of Ibis country? Our forefathers saw the dan
gers, and wisely placed the checks upon too
great Capitalization of power. Ii had been said
that the lite of the nation was at stake. He be
leved that the liberties of free people were of
more importance than anything else.
And it he WAS to choose between an imperial
Government, stretching over the whole country,
including Mexico and Canada, aud two or three
separate Republics. he would have no hesitation
| in choosing the Latter. He had been opposed to
the war from the beginning. and in favor Of
peace and he was in favor Of pence now, even If
we had TO submit TO separation. The war, it
carried on under the present policy of con6>ca
ton and emancipation, could only se successful
in the entire subjugation of the South; and then
what would become of the liberties Of the people?
He WAS not willing to sacrifice the liberties of the
people for the mere extension of territory. We
existed Republic, and as free aud happy
people, when we haS not two fifths of our present
territory. Under the present policy he believed
that it was midsummer madness to attempt To re-
store the Union by the sword. He moved to
postpone the bill indefinitely.
Mr.. Turpie said he should vote to postpone,
not because he would decrease by one jOt the
power to put down the rebellion. but because he
/ thought this legislation unnecessary and uucOn-
stitutional The bill proposed to oblilerate one
step which had always been taken to raise troops;
they had always been raised by requisition on the
States. In 1912 certain New England States re-
/ fused To furnish their quota, a-d in this war Ken
lucky and Missouri had also refused to furnish
/ their quotas. These were facts, the merits of
which he would not discuss.
/ Mr.. Howard asked il the Senator was willing
to continue this Inconvenience, and allow States,
perhaps not loyal, TO refuse to furnish men.
Mr.. Turpie said the Inconvenience was simply
| the lack of power He was not willing to give
/ no Nafin no vio lafa
the Constitution, or take any step not contem-
plated by those who formed the Government.
The bill gave the President power 10 raise armies,
/ which power confined to Congress.
Mr.. Howard asked how Congress could raise
armies without agents. Would the Senator hav We
a recruiting office opened in these halls by Con-
gress?
Mr. Turpie: There would be few recruits if
| they did
Mr. Turpie further contended that the bill
would take away all the power of the States and
make the President dictator, if he choose TO ex-
ercse that power. There no provision made
in the bill to limit the quota of any district; and
| he oh rged that the bill would be used for pot-
ical purposes and to secure political victories,
and avenge political defeats. He said we had
had all sorts of bills to put down the rebellion.
But the Senator from Massachusetts Mr.. Will
son had taken the most ingenious and unique
|
his own loyalty and impugning that of others.
Ii the rebellion was to be put down by vapd and
stale vocieration oil the loyalty OF Massachusetts,,
then il would be put down surely. That Senator
talked about jackson, and Douglas, and about
the Democrats who had gone into the rebellion.
No Democrat had gone into the rebellion move
ment. A man who ceased to obey aud reverence
the Constitution and laws of the United States,
ceased to be Democrat. Had the Senator from
~ 4
jackson, he would have opposed him; and every
Islander uttered against that old hero would have
come from the lips of that Senator. Though he
might have had some reverence for Washington,
| had he lived in the DAYS Of the Revolution, he
would have been tory. and talked hppintly of
| rebels. and offered rewards for the heads of Sum
ter and Marion; and he would have BETRAYED his
country rs Arnold did Had he lived in the days
of Luther he would have sided with the Pope,
and feasted on the ashes of martyrs. and lighted
the fires At Smithfield He might have had some
reverence for the Deity who came to save the
world, aud in his name he would have burned
Luther H I'D he lived in the DAYS of Christ. the
Senator from Massachusetts would perhaps have
Obeved him; he certainly would have followed
him 10 the Garden of Gethsemane and TO the bar
OF Pontus PLATE; and there his voice would have
been heard but he would have said Release
unto Us Bara6aS; but for this Jesus, let him he
crucihei +"
Mr. Wilson, of Massachusetts,. said he had no
reply to- make TO the personal illusions OF the
Senator from Indiana He did not know what he
might have been had he lived in former DAYS
Bui he knew that now he was no traitor, no SYM
pathzer with treason; and his associates we're not
those who labOred day and night to assail every
man that was supporting the country He thought
the Senator had not the right to speak for the
soldiers as regarded this bill. The soldiers were
every day expressing their delight at the meas
ure. The Senator also assaulted Massachusetts
for failure to respond to the calls for troops.
Massachusetts had furnished 2,702 more men
th IN were called for. and yet that Senator came
here and repeated the slang of the COpperheads
OF his State, who spat their venom &C that brave
old Commonwealth But that Senator could not
reach Massachusetts by his assaults.
Mr. Turpe said he had a light TO speak for he
soldier and he would speak for the Western vol
un. GERS who hated Secessionists and hated Yam
KEGS Just as much The Senator had said that he
could not reach Massachusetts, God forbid he
ever should reach her or set foot on her soil
The Senator from Massachusetts by his speeches
was making the Rebels believe that there was a
party at the North hostile to the Government
and he was doing the dirty work of Il scavengeI
for the Rebels
Mr. McDougall said the evil of our times was
that we were governed too much by particular
and not by general laws; and the Senator from
Indiana had INDUCED himself much to partic-
ulars finding fault with details. In times like
this we should be governed by general principles
and give such power to the Government AS would
give it vim and force in its action
Mr. Garlic spoke at length against the bill
IL DESTROYED rather than preserved the Govern.
ment, taking away power IRON the States aad
giving il to the President. To-day we had "a re-
bellion stronger than when il first commenced
To day we had divided North aud u united
SOuth-brought about by Congress and the Elk