Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-05-15
Reply Of Hon. j.

people.
Reply Of Hon. Joseph X. EdgertOn To
GEN. H.scaITs Public Letter Adj
dressed tn Hi i'm the indianapolis
Journal.
NEW YORK Nav II, 1863.
SrR: have read in the Evening Express of this
CITY of SATURDAY last your public letter addressed
to me. under date of 9Th inst, through the Indi
annapolis journal, in reply 10 M private letter to
you of the 81 Of MAY. inst, asking explanation
of your Order No. 3. of the 25th uIt.
Your letter, which YOU seem TO intend as an
explanatory supplement to Order No g. is suffi
GENTLY explicit, think. to enable an, intelligent
citizen of Indiana TO understand that freedom of
speech aud of the press so far at least relates
to the policy and measures of the present
Federal Administration, are TO the extent of 1.-THE
force placed at your disposal, to TO be suppressed
in Indiana.
In thus drawing YOU to clear definition of
your object in Order No. :. | have accomplished
the main purpose OF nv letter to YOU. but much
regret that have neither time nor opportunity to
comment as would like to do. and as il deserves.
on your extraordinary communication. In pur
suance OF plan formed months ago. am now
here on nv wiv to Boston To take the steamer of
the 18th inst, for Liverpool. intending TO spend
the summer in Europe. | can therefore do no
more at present than. very generally, to notice
vour letter.
Nv first impulse on reading your letter was 10
postpone my intended journey. and return to In
diana 20 await the sequel of the new regime OF
military desDotism under which you have placed
the State, and il Is not without feeling of re
greet that shall continue NV journey eastward
When Constitutional Government il TO be de
Tended in Indiana against yourself, or any other
person or power. who NAV a-sail it, YOU NAV con
slider me among the number of its blenders Bur
am free to say. have no fer in leaving your
self and YOUR o,der No. in the keeping of the
people of Indiana. You have voluntarily made
a record, that will enable them To- fully under
stand both YOU and your order. The National
Democracy Of Indians will meet in convention mt
Indianapolis on the 10Th of Nav, instant. to coun
sci together for the public good. Thew will hive
your order before them, and have no doubt they
will deal with IT rs becomes the rights and dignity
OF freemen. determined to maintain in their in
tegrity. the Constitution Of the United States,
and of the State of Indiana.
Whatever may he my opinion Of the holiness
of the position YOU have t,ken. cannot commend
its wisdom. and it seems TO me strangely incon-
sstent with the desire professed in your order
No =. to restore harmony and good feeling in the
State. A you have done me the honor "to con
fer" with me. my advice to YOU is that YOU re
cede "a soOn and rs gracefully YOU can from
the arbitrary purpose YOU have Indicated There
will be no danger of serious disturbance of the
peace i'm Indiana. 40 long no attempt Is made
bv yourself or any other person in the State t.
invade constitutional rights When they are i'm
vaded. they will be defended. peacefully IL they
can be, and as long as they can be. aud forcibly
II necessary.
Order No 3. rs interpreted 10y you, will not be
respected nor oheyed by the people OF Indiana.
for the plain. substantial reason that. however
patriotic mnv have been YOUR motive in ssuing it.
it Is not entitled To respect and obedience 1t Is
not the law of the people of Indiana. They have
not made ~. nor assented 10 u. and YOU are NOT
their rightiul Governor. nor Legislator. Indi
ana is not province. nor u territory hut STATE
free sovereign State of the Federal L uion-one
of the United States of America. II is not in re-
heon. nor in y stale of war. nor 'disiovai II
has constitution aud laws of it, own, all ,ccor
'iint With the constitution of the United States
IL has constitutional Governor and Legislature
'md judiciary. TO whom belongs, of right. the
conffo' and conduct of the civil affairs of he
State-the making. administering and execution
ut its laws and the conServ alton o. the political
rights OF It's citizens. The whole machinery of
civil government in Indiana. is ready 10 work
and will work ia harmony with the constitutional
Government OF the United States ii YOU aIll let
the machinery alone. and recognize the f,ct rhar
the military should be subordinate To the civil
power. Among the civil rights of the people Of
Indiana, are the lights OF free speech free press
and free courts These rights are dear and e.t
m,ble tn freemen-formdi ble to tvrants only
The people of Indiana hive done nothing to for
felt these rights They cannot forfeit them, for
they inherent and inaenable They cannot
with - ey permit them To he violated in the
person OF one OF the humhle>t of the citizens oi
the Stite Your order No. 9. therefore. WHICH
p,lnahlv assumes authority in yourself. a
Ri it,ry Governor of Indiana. TO surrogate tr
suspend the Constitutional rights of free speech
and free press in Indiana. cinnot stand the
orIeal of Discussion. Judicial in veStigniou nj
tempted execution The merest tyro in the know
ei.ee Of constitutional law. knows this. The REQ
rlc of Indiana not s'ave>--thev are freemen
They Will REL and think-they viii assemble
and make and hear speeches: thew will freely
discuss public aH'r>. and freely resolve and vote
upon them-snd they will organize political par
ties. opposed To. some favorug the All
miui>tr alton. and YOU cannot prevent ii II J.
the constitutional nature OF the people o Inii ma
90 do these things. much as II WIS in the
tnre of the sea 10 roll in it, tide upon the beach
where Canute stood vainlv commanding the
waves "a roll back Aud the m,n ~ha spends
his time in issuing rrocsms,iois Ia the merican
people to stop tree thinking AMI tree talking. aud
free printing. and free holding of public meetings
and free voting. and doing other Ike things
which ffeemen are won't do and can't help
dung, might az well spcud his tine in'bayng the
beat tive slr.
liz - not in the iower of the Federal Aiminis
trsfion. of which you are mIiittry uih~er. n'r ,
in the power OF the political party OF which you
are active instrument. tn subveft freedom ~
speech and OF the press in Indiana or elsewhere
IN the United States. You NAV attack i, and
temporarily abridge or tramme II, but YOU c,n
nor sfhvert " On the contrary, 10 ses and the
Admnsssaton ard the party YOU serve persist in
your attacks upon them. free speech and free
press will certainly in the end sbvert YOU You
may arrest sni trv by court martial and sen
teace 10 death. imFrison meut or hanshment.
"psblic spe tkeTs Others who actively on i
pose the war policy Of the Government "a de
fned 10y you. but bye and bye even the deludei
people Who may nov approve aud applaud your
despotic acts. will awake A. from the sleep OF a
morbid brain. and look back In memory upon
these DAYS OF national madness and humiliation.
a. upon a borr.d vision. Then will come an
overwhel min demonstration of the public will.
re-en hronine Iaw. and constitutional right aud
order ia their majesty Then will come the DIV
u justice and retsibuticn. and il may be that
kidnapping. imprisonment aud murder done by