Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-12-07

button OF honors and emolumcnts
But II our oratorical friend spares us, he shows
no such decoroua reserve toward the Southern,
who were accustomed 70 receive with kindness
add hospitality the exilss OF Ireland Upon tholn
be exhausts the copious vocabulary Of vitupera'
ton which no commands Now, Il h not forgot.
ten by me, at least, that whom 10 1854 the Know
Nothing party OF the Northern States sought 10
prescribe the Irlsh born population. the South
ern, with Me-. Wise, the Governor OF Virginia, nj
their head. CO operated with the nober spirits OF
the North In crushing that mischieyous fae'lon.
II Is not forgotten by me that nowhere did Ind
4 kinder feeling towards Ireland than at Charles
ton. whore the names OF Meagher aud OF Shields
were mentioned with an enthusiasm that they
would have failed 10 excite among the party TO
which Meagher has surrendered himself
In the letter which you have recently publish
ed, General Meagher repeatedly designates the
Southern rebels aristocrats. Now, am IN
able 90 discover upon what manifestations of
Southern feeling he POUNDS this charge that the
secession Is aristocratic and not popular
movement. IL seems TO me that there has sci.
dom been an instruction which has with such
unanimity embraced all classes of society as the
secession of the Southern States. IL this be so.
Il is unworthy OF a statesmen 10 condescend To
raise preudces against the Southerners by call
| ing them aristocrats. IL is the more inconsistent
because he taunts the Emperor Napoleon with
being parvenu. and because Il Il well known 10
his friends that General Meagher himself feels IL
20 be n subject Of honorable pride that he Is de-
scended from the chiefs Of Ikerrin. For my part
believe that the term arstocrat is Just as appli
cable TO the Northern as IL is 20 the Southern
and have been told that the moneyed aristocra-
cy Of New York are more purse proud
and more overbearing in their manners
than the richest and most aristocratic
planters Of the South | do not found this re-
mark on my own observation. for 1 experienced
nothing but courtesy in all parts of America
But General Meagher wholly msunderstands the
nature of Irishmen il he supposes that he can
raise in their minds prejudice against party
by calling them aristocrsts An Irishman nalur
ally loves the "old stock"--nor is this surprising
for many of our peasantry feel that, though they
have lost property and station by the fidelity of
their ancestors to their country and TO their re-
lgon, still as noble blood flows in their veins as
that which is TO be found amongst the proudest
potentates of Europe. The Southerner may,
therefore, accept with pride the designation arts
tocrats, and Irishmen will honor them more on
account of this appellaton, when they learn that
many of the most prominent families in the
South Quilted the richest homes of England and
Ireland because they loved religious aud politi
cal ireedom better than the delights which be-
lOnged 20 aristocratical indulgences in the land
Of their birth.
! Gen. Meagher is more sure OF exciting amongst
US prejudces against the Southerners when he
calls them slave owners than when he desgnates
them rs aristocrats. The Irish people feel an in
vineible aversion to the institution of slavery.
and il this war we're really war of emancipation
there would be few 10 Ireland who would not
pray for the success of the Northerners. But no
one knows better than Gen. Meagher that the
present war is not a war Tor the emancipation of
the slaves, but that il is a war which is carried
on for the purpose of upholding the Union. No
one knows better than Gen. Meagher that a large
majority Of those who are lighting in the ranks Of
the Northern regard the abolition of slavery as
a mschevous and fanatical faction-that this
majority would continue TO uphold and enforce
the detestable Fugitive Slave Law" anu all
the other appliances incidental to slavery, pro
vided that the slaveholding States would re-
turn to the Union. Had it been war of
emancipation, Congress would have seized the
opportunity afforded by the secession to enact
and promulgate the freedom of every slave in
the United States. But il has done no such
thing. IL has authorized President Lincoln to
declare that the slaves Of rebels over whom be
has now no sway are free. but the slaves OF
the loyal upholders of the Union, who are sub
ject to the legislation of Congress, still con-
signed to everlasting bondage
No one knows better than Gen. Meagher that
the condition of the emancpated slave in the
North is more humiliating to a sensitive spirit
than the enforced subsection which is maintained
in the South. He knows that, with few excep-
tons, the Northern emancipation will neither eat
pray, nor travel with men Of color-even though
they be as we'll educated and refined as the most
accomplished of the white population He knows
that the President has held out no other hope to
the emancipated slaves of the South than that OF
compulsory removal to some land distant from
the homes of their childhood. He knows that
the conditions and prospects of the emancipated
slaves are such that, OF the many millions oil
slaves to whom the present war has afforded an
opportunity of fleeing from servitude. only
few thousands have sought to escape, though
they have been stimulated by the Northerners
not only to fee from their masters, but also Il
plumber and to massacre the families amongsi
whom they have lived from their infancy. he
has yet to learn that the Southern may prefer 70
trust themselves to their slaves rather than sub
NIT TO Northern domination and that before this
horrible struggle shall be ended we NAV witness
the invasion of the North by half million of col
ored troops, artned and led by their former mas
tiers.
God forbid that should say word in favor
OF slavery. The one redeeming advantage that
have contemplated as a possible result of thi.
conflict, is that it may induce the Southerners tC
voluntarily emancipate their slaves; but l viii
not allow my countrymeu to be msled by grand
Eloquent ytuperation, so as TO believe that th.
present war is war undertaken for the abolition
of slavery in America AS for our friend Mea
CHER himself have no reason to suppose that h,
ever objected to being the guest or the friend o.
those "who grew sleek anS naughty on th,
sweat Ofthe black skim" and if, ike some of biz
friends at Mobile and Charleston, he had inherit
ed an estate to which hundred slaves were at
tached, | am by no means convinced that b.
would emancipate them.
Having thus endeavored to disconnect from
the main question at issue the various falacie
and prejudices by which il has been surrounded
] now address myself to the question whethe
Virginia, Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississ
ippi, and the other seeding States, have or hav,
not a natural and indefeasble right to determine
what form of government is most conducive Il
their interests, and acceptable to their feelings
This appears to me a question Which does no
admit of argument on the part of those who, lik
t. F. Meagher, have commended that Irelan ant
Poland have moral right 10 withdraw from th
domination of England or of Russia. There is
perhaps, no part of the world in which the press
ure of metropolitan dominion is less felt thar
in Canada, yet General Meagher would deny 3.
the Canadians the right to declare their indie
pendence, or to associate themselves with tn
States OF America. IL Is difficult, therefore
TO understand by what process of reasoniu,
he can satisfy himself that Ireland enjoy
such a right-that Poland enjoys such righ
that Canada enjoys such a right-thlt Aus
trailia enjoys such right-but that the State
of America, which never tor momen
relinquished the title of sovereignt
that belongs to them individually, ought TO b
debarred from the ENJOYMENT Of similar right
With very questionable taste, he gives, instead o
an argument, an anecdote, in which be relates
private conversation that WAS held at New York
by Mr.. Toombs, distinguished Southern. who's