Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-04-06

freedom as may be taken by obe who neither has
nor seeks any special place in your organization,
10 offer you a word of friendly counsel
What you need. il seems 10 me, is to he fully
impressed with a belief in your mission. and in
your capacity 10 FIJI IL That mission is 70 save
the Constitution of the United States. fCheers
By saving il, | mean OF course that you are TO
save it for the whole Union, for The South anu
the North, for the East and The West, with every
right which il protects, completely re established.
| can see no other mode of saving it; for IL IS TO
my mind apparent that a war prosecuted against
the South for the acquisition of powers over their
domestic Institutions which the Constitution ex-
pressly withholds from the Federal Constitution,
can result in nothing but the establishment of a
system under which there can be no local rights
of self government LETT for any section or State.
This it is your mission TO prevent. You cannot
prevent il by uniting With those who prefer sup
port of the war without the slightest protest
against the unconstitutiOnal policy with which il
is prosecuted. In all the late popular proceed
ings looking to the establishment Of What are
styled Loyal Leagues" laughter ] have not
seen one word OF indignant remOnstrance against
the unconstitutiona measures of the Administra-
ton. You cannot expect. need not look. for such
remonstrance from ssemblie largely composed
of those who are the peculiar political supporters
Of the Administration aud who are more or less
responsible for its measures. Public opinion, if
II is to make itSell heard and felt against all vio-
lations of the Constitution, must make its utter
ances through the action and the voice of those
who have never failed to protest against the poll
CIV that has created for MS so much peril. IL that
public opinion tails to recognize this necessary
channel Of expression-if il Yields itself TO a fatal
apathy, or will not see how il can at once save a
Government and change an Administrator
then all will be lost. and there will remain 10 us
only the consolation that We have individually
done our duty.
You are. then. permit me to add. to seek by
every constitutional and Upright meIhoI. to OBJ
tain the control of all the organizations OF Gov
eminent If, in the meantime. you cannot in
dnce the present Executive of the United States
to change his policy. then, remembering his p0-
siiiOn, possess YOUR souls in patience until YOU
can give him a constitutional successor. Let
every thing be prepared with one fixed and un-
selfish purpose, namely, TO make every successive
election reverse the doctrines and dogmss and
usurpations which YOU know you should condemn.
By this course of action. instead Of weakening,
you will strengthen your Government; for YOU
will make it apparent 10 the whole world that
the present arbitrary rule is to be succeeded by a
period when the Constitution is once more, in all
its beni6cence and all It's power. TO be THE So
PREME LAW OF THE LAND" Fail 10 do this. and
the nation. losing heart and hope. will lose sight
of the methods by which a constitutional success
sion can be preserved to a better day, and will
yield itself to the despair which welcomes des
potism. or to the rage which welcomes anarchy.
Applause =
know the difficulties of your position; but you
must not falter, and you must not admit that YOU
can fail. High virtues are demanded of you.
You must live down SANDER, You must despise
obloquv, you must watch over your own motives,
you must chasten your own spirits, you must
-"St eich every nerve,
And press with vigor on
20 .ho ..I-.t;o, g ,o,r ,,,t-- W, -,rst u;,
public confidence by YOUR purity, YOU must chal-
ienge public respect 10y yonr intelligence Above
all, and before all. without one instaDts besita
lion, without pleading one solitary excuse. YOU
z must be true TO the principles of civil liberty.
You must learn thai ihose principles are no
; chance productions OF the ''piping times Of peace"
but that they are the rules which IN all times Of
tranquility and IN all times of connection have
e been evolved out of the wisdom of ages, 10 ave
US from the mad thirst Tor arbitrary power that
has again and again seized upon highly civilized
, nations and DESTROYED the hopes of mankind.
: Great applause
Preparing yourselves in this way for the great
5 task that is before you, YOU will be able To APP
' proach the difficult problem Of this war with a
r firm and fearless step. You will see that this
E problem presents to you the alternatives Of con-
: senting TO a ACKNOWLEDGMENT of the country or
r of preventing that dismenibermen by n rever-
4 sal of the popular and governmental action
{ which has made il so nearly an accomplished
fact. You will soon hear IL said by those who
have urged on the wal upon this most disas
trous policy that il is too late now; that the
5 breach can never he closed; that the South
< must be permitted to go in peace. just here,
then, precisely here, before all is giyei up to
e the control OF the extremists, North and South,
e you must i~nterpose. You have a right to have
' other measures and other cOunsels tried.
L ICheers.l You are numerically a majority in
- l-.-f f,.-o &c ~ l.-uo-f Sfafo ~ tho ITrfon
You must r~ightfully demand that the Constitu-
ton, with all its guarantees. be rendered 20 the
: revoited States; and you may r%ightiully do all
e that can assure the people OF the South of its
{ protection. without calling upon our Government
!. TO change its military attitude Cheers. L
o know well enough the insidious answer that is
made 20 this suggestion; how confidently we are
o told that the South would reject your offer with
: scorn. But | tell you that history has never seen
a case of war, foreign or civil. IN which n nation
: could absolve itself from the moral responsibility
of doing rigat, BY asserting beforehand that il
4 knew It's adversary would Do wrong The ele-
. ments of a moral Judgment do not exist IN adj
vance of such an offer, either in the controversies
of nations or in the controversies Of individuals.
Whatever others may think. or say. or do, you, |
p trust. will act upon a principle which i am per
| suaded rests upon a moral foundaiian that no
~sophistry aud no casniSirv can successfully AS
sail If, after sush am ofel the war must still be
I carried on. no language can oveistale the adFan-
: tage that would be gained in the vigor of its pros
ecutiOn.
And here. gentlemen. | close One path of
duty is clearly open before Us ] can see no
Z other now. Sufficient unto the daY Is the evil,
sufficient unto the day is the duty thereof. He
{ who does that one dI-t IN a firm and humble
{ faith in the providence OF Goo prepares himself
: for a clear perception of the next that may arise
in The future.