Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-03-23
To Edaors Of Sentinel. Indianapolis:


BELOW CITIZENS: At the close OF a Legisla-
tive session rem Hkable for its want of s~atisfac-
tory results. we address you in explanation OF the
causes which produced them. This is due alike
to the claims of truth, and TO a correct knowl-
elge of the history of the General Assembly Just
adjourned. The people of the various counties,
and the citizens OF Indiana IN the aggregate, are
entitled to a full aud particular explanation Of the
difficulties which beSet US at every step of our
late eveutfui session. We shall endeavor 70 do
this in a spirit of candor and fairness and under
a sense of the responsibilities which attach to
concerns of such grave Importance. By the ac-
ton of 4 portion of the House OF Representatives,
the Government of Indiana has been left without
the usual and necessary appropriations. Its pub
lie creditors are postponed, the various officers of
the State deprived of their payythe soldiers in the
fed neglected. and the inmates of the benevolent
institutions liable to be sent home to their re-
spective counties, for the want of a timely APP
preparation Tor their support. IL would be crimi-
nal in the majority of the present General As
senbly to remain silent, while revolution, dis
order, and lawless faction arrests the legislative
functions of the State, and gives 10 a minority
the power to control the free action of a deiioer-
alive body constituted by the people themselves.
That some Irregularities would result from a
conflict of opinion was TO be expected, o., at
least, not to be wholly avoided. But no good
citizen was prepared for the revolutionary and
partisan cOnduet of the minority in both braches-
It WAS given out, soon after the October election,
and By a no less conspicuous character than Mr..
Colfsx. that the General Assembly might never
probably meet and that the minority could lind a
Justification for their absence from indianapolis
in the character Of the men whom the people had
entrusted with the legislative power OF the State.
This animation was given in the South Bend
Register. a paper owned, controlled and con-
Quoted by the member of Congress from tile 9th
Congressional District Hints of a similar char
acter were thrown out in other quarters, in a more
nrivatq "a bnt ali LEADING 10 the irroSistiiio
conclusion that some ltwie5s measures were con
templated to prevent a fax and full expression of
the views and sentiments of he mlj0rity. There
can be no doubt that the party leaders of the
minority had seriously reflected on the best means;
If there can be such a thing as employing the best
means for a very bad purpose; of preventing the
minority of the General Assembly from inter
posing its voice in the correction of abuses in our
National and State affairs There seems to be "A
settled purpose that the minority and not the
majority should rule, and the entire history of
legislation bears US out in this declaration. Ii
vas. from the beginning TO the end. a bold and
caring attempt to prevent any expression of
condemnation Of the party which has well nigh
brought this nation to the verge of ruin, and
which wild yet complete IT'S dreld purpose, if not
checked by the efforts of the people.
The session had but commenced. when the great
central power began its work oil detraction and
Islander. In whispers and inuendoes, il was ihti
- 80 ANA@[A - CA-hNC - thC
CapItal-that a secret conspiracy existed to sub
vert the State GOvernment-that the Arsenal was
not safe-that the property of the General Gov
eminent was about to he seized-thata armed men
were IN and about the legislative halls, and more
within hailing diStance-that the knights of the
Golden Circle we're organizing in all the neigh
boring counties; and. finally, it was said that the .
Governor had received an anonymous letter from
a woman. in which IL was stated that her husband
had been led into a conspiracy to assassinate His
Excel eneyl Then followed the brainless,
wicked and weak assertion that the Democrats
of the Legislature had resolved to take Indi-
ana out OF the Union, and carry her. body
and soul, over - the so called Southern COnfed-
eracyi How many more silly and foolish reports
were put in circulation privately. amongst the
weak, bigotted and credulOus of the prosecuting
party, we have no means OF knowing, but il is
fair TO presume that men who would consent to
listen to these tenacious stories would gulp down
everything that might be presented for their ac-
ceptaDce Since The days OF the celebrated Gun
powder Plot in England there has been nothing
approaching these new revelations from the polit
ical story tellers at the seat of Government. Ii
was the easiest thing in the world 10 get these
things circulated The party which was to DE
benefited by retailing them had spies. agents,
tools and understrappers everywhere in the State,
and out OF the State, and what the newspapers
failed to do in the way of libel, the party guer-
rillas supplied by the way OF scandal. IL WAS a
plot inaugursted by cowartice At the start. prose
cuted by d~epravity throughout, and ended IN the
establishment cf the most OdiUus system OF seces-
si0a and rebellion against the Government and
authority of the State A half dozen weak per
sons originated il. from Il conviction that they
deserved punishment at the hands of those whom
they had maltreated. ard as conscience makes
towards Ot US all. y the forms Of the wronged aud
prosecuted occupants of the Lincoln Bastiies'
were ever present before their ewes. They kaep
that they had not performed their duiy-tney
kaeIc that they had allowed the Constitution OF
Indiana TO be shamelessly irod1en under foot-
they knew that the rights OF the citizen had been
invaded-they knew that men had been impris-
oaeti without warrant or authority of law" aud
that State officials had stood mutely by and lifted
not a finger to assert the m jesty OF the Cousti
tuition. For these and other reasons they feared
that public vengeance might follow them They
especially feared a legislative exposure of their
wicked aud ~culpable cOHnivsnce at the arbitrary
arrests which, IL they did not counsel, they al
lOuee 70 be made on the tree and peaceful soil of
Indiana There was another reason for these
vile ISLANDERS on the majority: They fe red tie
legislative Investigations which would soon fol-
low; and ii thew could make the people OF Indi-
ana believe that the new General Assembly was
ga traitOrOus banI OF cOnspiratOrs," it would 20
far to break the influence of that body and
weaken the force of the Investigations which they
might institute for the restoration of public lib-
erty- They also feired the passage Of a law
which would stay the hand Of usurpltion in this
State, aud give 10 the citizen arrested the rights
which are guaranteed to him by the Constitution.
Aad lis our deliberate opinion that the sar Of such
an iacssfigatiOR, and fhe eaacfment of a PAR
soSAL LtBERrY LAM FOR THE WHITE PEOPLE OF Is
DIANA had more 20 do acih the secession Of the Re
DsbiieaRs from the House than the militia iasr,
which was only made the pretert forthe desertion
Of their piaeesi Whatever may have been the
motives of the minority in breaking up the Leg
stature BY revolutionary means. and whatever
the evil designs Of the scandal0us and disgrace
fnl EalsehoOds spread out from indianapolis
against ourselves, we are gratihed in being able
70 say, that the majority proceeded in good TEN
per TO discharge their legislative duties. asking
only the enactment of such measures as were
necessary in their judgment. for the interests and
protscfioa Of the people Of Indiana.
Que fact should be stated here, which shows a
design, on The part Of the minority. TO force its
viess upon the majority On the second day Of
the session. and before there tcas a military bill Of
any kind before either House. and before one was
mstured az all, the Senators on the Republican
side sscelsd from the Senate, 10 prevent the cleo
ton of a y ) Senator and other officers, and
wished to impose conditions on the majority be
fore they consented 10 return to execute the du
ties which belonged to their place as Senators.
There we're Two or three honorable exceptions in
this ease. and Messrs WHITE. OF Montgomery,
HURRAY, OF Eikhari. aud GRAVES. OF Kosciusk0.
stood up IN their places, and refused 10 rank
themselves on the side of the t" Rebels" There
may have been one more, but. If so, his name is