Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-11-16
INDIANAPOLIS, ND, MONDAY, NOV. 1e, 1868.

abolished in the District of Columbia. This did
mol good to ANYBODY, heaped expense upen the
Government, and irritated and embarrassed the
Union men of the South TIE act was done
unseasonably.
Next, the Wilmot proviso, the exclusion of the
Southern shareholders with their slaves from the
common territories, was passed Was this done
TO put down the rebellion and increase and
strengthen the Union men of the Southl Why,
this excluded them from right which the Su-
preme Court of the United States had solemnly
decided they were entitled to under the Constitu
ton. What could Union men in the South say
to the rebels in excuse for this2 And when the
rebels there would point to the act and ask Union
men if that was the evidence upon which they
relied, of justice and fairness from the Washing
ton Administration, what could they say1 To
which OF the parties did il give the advantage in
the argumentl
Then followed the non-return, general
rule. of fugitive slaves, to even Union owners,
emancipation by du.ess. moral coercion, the
proclamation freeing all the slaves in certain
States. arming the slaves, proclamation OF the
doctrine that the negroes were citizens, the cut
ting in two of the State of Virginia, &c, all
measures, out of season, irritating to and indie
fensible by Union citizens in the South. and the
effect of which has been to thoroughly convert
all the people of that section into rebels, and TO
reject all terms, 20 suffer everything poverty, ex-
termination, even death ITSELF rather than return
to the old Union In short; the unfortunate
policy, to call il by no harsher term, of the Ad
mnstration has brought about this state ofthings,
viz: No mode remains. ng instrumentality is
left Us, for the restoration of even territorial uni
ty, but force. war. blood, fire II has come to
this; that. under present rule il is Union by war
or dissolution by peace; aud, now. what shall
the citizen do? You go to the Administration,
and say | am willing to prosecute this war to
put down rebels, hut | demand, at
the same time, that the civil Ad-
mustration shall be so conducted as to encour-
age Union feeling in the South, to leave open
a door for their return; so conducted as to leave
for the Union men, when they get possession of
their State Governments all the rights of States
and citizens they formerly possessed, under the
Federal Constitution. The Administration re-
plies, your advice is imper,nent; we have charge
of the Government. and shall manage it to suit
our views; and we shall resort to no instrument
ality but war to save the Union: and we shall so
prosecute the war to make all the South rebels,
so that we NAV make the war "A means to exiting
ush, or remodel to our liking, all their institu-
tioDs; we do not intend to take them back, If
they offer to come, till slavery is abolished; and
we require Of you the necessary men and moEey
to prosecute it; will prosecute it thus or not
at all; and if YOU refuse to give US the means to
thus prosecute it, well make peace by dissolving
the Union. Now, what are you going to do?
Abandon the war, and dissolve the Union by Civ
ing the South independence or support the war,
wretched may be the civil policy of the Gov
erEment connected wtht, and try to save at least,
the territorial Union. elect to support the to
cling to the shattered Government OF the Union.
in order, if possible, to keep il on its base. and
avoid anarchy, till it can be repaired hoping that
by some kind Providence, it may yet, in some
future time, by conservative agency, again arise
"aDd spring TO immortality. It has ever been a
fundamental principle with me never to consent
70 its dissolution. And what | have said. ex-
plains my meaning in saying that | support the
war for the Union. because the Administration,
under the control of the radical wing of its party,
as fear il is will not allow it to besaved by any
other means, and will give the South independence
rather than receive her back until slavery is de
stroyed. 1t will only allow it to be saved by a
mode that shall first bring it, at all events to the
verge, possibly, admit, plunge it into the vortex
of ruin. And do you object to my support Of the
war? Do you not support it? Don,t you pay
your income tax? Do you discourage Volunteer
ing? Do you not give for the relief and comfort
of the sick, the weary and the way worn soldierf
Do you resist the Provost Marshals? Are you
willing to stop the war. while the present Admin
israti0n is in power and thus hazard not only the
Union. but the existence of ans general govern
ment? You support the war without saying so.
/ support il and say
ONE FALSE srEr BEGETs ANOTHER.
How true it is that one false step begets an
other The Administration, having determined
TO administer the Government upon a policy TO
make as well as TO destroy rebels. was very ap-
prehensive that Northern conservative men would
halt in its support Ii feared it might be dis
L.
behind and gallows before. 1t determined 10
maintain itself bv any means at hand. Corrup-
ton and force were available. Ii was announced
that the Administration was the Government, was
the State, and that all means we're right, from
necessity 10 save the life, as the people thought
of the Government the President and Cabinet
thought. OF themselves. The Administration
went to work The Walpolean doctrine that cor
ruption is a legitimate means of securing support
to administration acted upon. if reports be
true, to an appalling extent. Money, contracts
appointments beyond anything in the history OF
the nation we're used: till it seemed TO me that
Mr.. Lincoln, as he looked out from the vessel oil
state upon the sea Of civil life and strife might
well parody Attilla. the Hrnic chief, by singing
Corruption is the ship steer,
And plunder sits upon the helm"
Preventive force, also. was resorted to- The
military were spread over the loyal and peace
able and patriotic Northern States, where no re
bellion existed or could be provoked by the Ad-
ministration Provost Marshals occupied the
towns; the mob element was excited to overawe
individuals; everybody who did not say he ap
proved of the radical policy of the Government
which tended 20 create rebels in the South, was
denounced as a rebel and IA traitor; arbitrary ar
rests we're made on suspicion that men did not
approve that policy: the habeas corpus was sus
pended; horde of spies and secret police were
appointed, acts which are never resorted to except
by uneasy, suspicious and tyrannical governments
and which, SAYS the late British Minister in his
work japan. in speaking of the detestabls
system of espionage in that despotism, cannot be
perpetrated except in despotisms. He asserts thai
such spies. "venal nformers," "habitually invent
more than they discover" that 1.-The worlds ex
perience has established as universal truth the
fact, that personal liberty, security and independ
ence cannot erist side by side icifa system o.
secret poiice;'' that it constitutes a System o
government which sows distrust between man anC
man, deprives the subject of manly sense o
self-respect. and builds up its security on the
rotten foundation of degrading and demoraliz
ing betrayal Of the secrets OF every family hearth
The entire people are thus brought PROSTATE a
the feet of the President. | admit il: but wha
are you going 10 doy Is that sufficient reason
why you should abandon the and the country
TO It's fate? What relief will that abandonment
bring? Will itrestore the writ of habeas corpus
Will il bring back your free suffrage? Theq
ton is, what will you do, and what will yor
accomplish by it?
think the Administration has usurped anC
exercis ed powers not granted by the Constitution
Ahink it has. in reality. changed our government
from constitutional republic to government o
unlimited. arbitrary power. This is my individual
opinion / may be wrong. The administrator
says it has not disregarded the Constitution, but
acted strictly within it. The Administration say
il is constitutional to dispense with the Consti