Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-03-03


by the oppressed in destituiionl l. your motto
the sccpicr OF exaggerated and bloaied authority.
or Is It the farmer At his plow-handlc. in grand
though humble demand for bis right a. a free
man under the Constitution The mission OF
the law, a tho chosen apostle Of freedom, has
always been 10 succor the oppressed the feeble,
the suffering and the poor and 20 minister, in the
spirit Of the great Master, 20 those whom Christ
blessed upon the Mountain of Olives Sir, for
me, my way i chosen. / shall turn my back on
the Establishments Of executive power, and,
though prison. though death assail me in the
pathway of duty, shall follow the examples and
the precepts Of old, and vindicate alike the dig
nifty Of my birth and the honor Of my profession
by defending the privileges OF the people To
me this i labor OF love. Ny whole nature re-
spends 10 IL burning appeal. Wherever the
spirit OF unlawful aggression has been rcpelled;
wherever tyranny has been dctied and resisted;
wherever honest, upright manhood. in whatever
condition found has asserted It's right TO glori-
Gus sovereign equality. there my heart has paid
n deyout pilgrimage. and prayed for the success
Of every effort which tends to enlarge the liberty
of tile citizen.
But. sir. the blow has fallen, and turn TO sur
yey for few moments is CHASTITY consequences.
In defiance Of all law, in contempt Of the judi.
ciary In dcrison of the teachings OF history. and
in scorn and mockery Of the holy principles of
personal liberty. the writ of habeas corpus stands
suspended. The will of the Executive has for
more than year been the sole law OF the land
10 which the outraged citizen has been permitted
90 appeal The Constitution with it, harmonious
machinery Of justice has been set aside, and the
exact principle of n supreme and irresponsible
despotism has reigncd in t. stead. Nor has this
been the mere naked assertion of on unwaranicd
and dangerous power on the part of the Exccu-
tive. unaccompanied by those revolving scenes
which always distinguish nm arbitrary from free
Government. Ii has borne 90 the lips of the
American people fruit, In horrible abundance,
more bitter and deadly than the Dead Sea apples
of Sodom and Gomorrah. Sir, how shall dwell
upon the deep humiliation, the open shame which
this Republic has suffered in the imprisonment of
is loyal and faithful citizens How shall 1
fashion my tongue to speak in the hearing of a
free people, in the presence of their Representa-.
tiyes. surrounded all hands in this Hall by the
symbols of liberty, aud looking on the bengnan.
face OF the Father of his Country of deeds en-
acted in our midst which recall 20 the mind in all
their frightfu detail the mournin stories of the
dungeon which have been waited 10 Us across the
ocean, and which come down tn Us from the ages
of chaos. night, and cruelty! Shall stop TO
count over in u melancholy array the names Of
those who without crime, without criminal charge,
with no law but the law of hideous violence. have
been seized by the rapacity. the ieonous rapacity
of this Administration. and buried out of sight of
home, friends, and iusticeq The list would be- n
long one. and would start tears aircsh around n
thousand fircsides. This task however, must he
assigned to the impartial pen of history. a book
will some day take its place upon the shelves of
our libraries COMMUNICATING the wounds which
liberty has received In this enlightened age In the
wrongs and outrages inflicted on American citi.
zcns. lam to-day dealing with the principle
which Is involved. and a few instances of The Ii.
ceniious abuse of power will illustrate the bold
attempt which has been made 10 subyert the lib
critics of this Government
No age, no SEX no condition In life has been
exempt from invasion, unlawful arrest. and i'm.
prisonmcnt | speak simply what every man in
the hearing of my voice knows 10 be true. | have
seen the ministers Of the gospel of peaceful Sa-
vor ON their way To prison, leaving wife. children
IND congregation a thousand miles behind. ior
| preaching peace ON earth and good will toward
men. One, the Rev. Mr.. Bundy. ~ nm IN.
formed by my friend from Illinois Mr.. Allen.
living in his district. was dragged away from the
open grave of his child. over whose remains the
burial services had not yet been closed: denied
the privilege of returning to his house to take a
final leave of another member of his family then
dying. and hurried like nm atrocious and danger
Gus criminal to the safe keeping of u cell. have
seen the upright aud conscientious lawyer seized
by the lonthsome instruments of oppression. for
bi,4lcn Co console sick wife, the mother of hi.
chiIdrcE, with single word 1T parting, and con
vcycd by furtivc and rapid movements to adistani
and arbitrary military tribunal, because he had
| dnred ns became n freeman Ia declare what hs
conceived the Inv Co be- I have seen men who
had been trusted and honorcd In public life b,
those who had known them most intimately IL
every relation, arrested in my own State for ne
oilcnscs known 10 any law. and without warrant
without commitment. made To cnt "ihe bread
which captivcs tears have watercd' in every ~,
of dcspotism. In the month of October last
met three friends, distinguished citizens of lndi
ana. who six years ngo served as Senators 90
gcthcr In her Legislature. | met them. sir, sery
Ing together in the same prison term Of impris
onmcnt which had no other duration or limit, nc
other beginning or end no other cause or concu
sion, no other condition or circumstance to sup
port IL than the mere arbitrary. unlawful, unen
lightcncd. and nudncious will of one man here IN
| Washington City. Sir, ~ stood in their guarded
ROOM listened 10 the story of their wrongs, and
looked out upon the sunshine and the nir-and
the flag of the white mans freedom floating IL
the distancc-strangc thoughts possessed nv
| mind, aud strange visions arose before me.
new sensation penetrated my heart. | seemed e
dwell Cor awhile beneath the shadow of the Bas
tile. and hear the cries aud groans which final,
rent It's walls. The dungeons of Austria opened
around me. and the prayers of their victims foi
liberty seemed 10 Gil all space AMI all time. TIL,
damp vaults of Venice and the fearful caverns o
the Spanish lnqusition Welded up their horribl,
secrets The Tower of London that mclnnchol,
tomb Of genius and Of beauty. the hyperion,
form of Henry VIII. the hoadsman's ny, the
rceking block, oil became distinct a. my view
and looked ns IL were. face 10 face into tho
irightiul. appalling countennncc of tyranny
studied L. terocous and revolving features in th,
light of historical associations. But when cam,
Co reflect on all this and reason from cause Z,
effect. found that precisely the same tcrrihl,
principle of oppression which has disgraccd IN,
past. and filled other countries with tears an,
blood. was lriumphing in my very presence.
turned away, and took my appeal from tyrann,
4 20 God.
But. sir. the people Of this whole country an,
of the civilized world have beheld worse scene,
than even these enacted in our midst. This Hons,
has been invaded The principle of popular rep
Presentation. on which the theory of this Govern
ment Is based. has been assailed in the illegal an,
brutal arrest of two members of the American
Congress. The honorable gentleman from Mary
land Mr.. May early fell a victim 10 the spirit o
executive usurpation. which has since spread lik,
an evil shadow over the entire land. He haf
dared. in an hour of envenomed popular frenzy
TO raise his voice in this Hall and assert in n,
suppliant tones, his rights ms a Representative
He had dared To assert that The Constitution o
the country was binding in all its provisions. il
time of peace a. well n in time of war, and tina
his allegiance was due 10 il and not 10 the part,
which had assembled into power by trampling i
under their feet In the exercise of his undoubteC