Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-10-19
senator Summer on WAR.

There Is NJ higher loyal" authority upon any
question touching foreign or domestic reia
tons Than the Hon Charles sumner. He gives
his party its law and it, Lltin. He is. besides,
man who t,lks much at virtue. 80 that on all
ethical questions hi "ipse dirt is DOT less con
elusive TIA an was that OF socrates his disciples
From the speeches of this great apostle, therefore,
we propose. this morning, To show what his views
i'm reference 10 war have been, and 1T another
time how far a moral Massachusetts, man can 20
in opposing an Administration when carving on
a war
On the 2sth of Nav, lo49, he delivered an od
dress 10 the American Peace Society on The
War system of the Commonwealth OF Nations.
which will be found in the volumes Of. Orations
and Speeches" published by TicknOr 4 Fields.
He preiaced it bv several aphori-ms, among
which was this of Franklin
I've daily make great Improvements IN natur
al-there i one wish 10 see IN mordl-phllOSo
ply: the discovery of a plan that would induce
and oblige nations To settle their disputes without
first cutting one another's throais When will
human reason be sufficiently improved to see the
advantage of thiSf'
And this from Jean Panl:
"Onv the toughest har>hest barbarsm of past
ges-war-remnins yet to be yanquiShei by our
innate authoritarian There is growing in
sight of its unla wiuness.
And this of Emerson:
"W4r l. on its legs, and universal peace l.
rs sure as is the prevalence of civilization over
barbarism. of liberal governments over feudh
forms The question for US l. only, How soonr'
He then proceeds TO argue that nations should
give up the system. aud 10 prove The business
/ OF war cannot be other than a damnable profes
sion-a trade of barbarsm; and war itself is
/ certainly hell on earth p" In the course of his
remarks he INDUCES in this curious reflection:
/ "Unhlppily. Congress is expressly authorized
/ 10 declare war-that i. To appeal To the arbitra
/ ment of arms And the Constitution proceeds TO
/ state that all giving aid and comfort 10 the enc
my shall be deemed traitors Mark, now .
/ what the Gospel has said: Love YOUR enemies;
I ii thine enemv hunger feed him; If he thirst.
give him drink Thus shall Obedience to this
positive Injunction of Christianity expose per
son under the war system. II the penalty OF the
highest crime known to the law Can this be a
Christian SvStemt
Not less Characteristic is what he saws in an
swer To the question: Is the militia obnnxous
to the slme unequvocal condemnatiouf BE
replies:
so far as the militia constitutes part OF the
war system il i impossible diStsng uish IL from
the rest Of the system IL l. portion OF the
apparatus provided for the administration of inter
national Justice From this character IL borrow
the INV hOe>oue attractions OF war, while. Ike
North American Indian. it di-port- Itself ia
fuery and parade OF the latter feature will
only incidentally spe,k l. war he a Christian
ins ti,ution let those who act it. ministers
shroud themselves in col0rs eongeniai With their
dreadful trade"
HIS horror Of the "nOrdinate expenditure by
which the war system i sustained ! stiii great
er. however. than his antipathy 70 uniforms and
he INDUCES freely in exclamation points - lie
dilate> upon the two Thousand millions Of dollars
which cur Government had spent from the afop
ton of the Constitution 10 that time. IN breed
irg and fsttening a cloud OF eagles aud vultures
trained to sweep upon the land
After much more of the same sort he proceeds
TO consideration Of the metns 10y which this
system j. 10 be abolished AMI he gives The palm
TO the device of our own Constitution. be says:
The United States OF America are Federal