Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-12-21
INDIANAPOLIS, IND, MONDAY, DEC 21. 1863

created by less than netenth Of the legal voters
And to cap the aSsurdity this is to be done under
color of that provision of the Constitution by
which the United States guarantee to every State
a republican form Of government II is an odd
kind Of republicanism m which divides a communi-
~ into two classes by presenting an odous oath
which a vast majority are certain to reject, and
then erect the minority into a privileged class,
and investing them with all the political power.
Mr.. Madison, in explaining in the Federalist the
provision Of the Constitution relating to the guar
antee TO the States of !. republican form of gov
ernment, asks, What, then. are the distinctive
characters of the republican formf" In answer
ing this question (the talic word is his) he says:
alt is essential TO such a government that it be
derived from the great body Of the society, not
from inconsiderable proportion or a favored
class of It," And yet Mr. Lincoln, pretending 70
act under this very clause of the Constitution,
proposes to invest the government OF State in
one-tenth Of its voting population. And he
makes sure that his political aristocracy or gov
erning class will not be too large by compelling
all its members TO swear allegiance to the Eman-
cipation proclamation. eHah
Mr. Lincoln's allegation against the disloyal
States is as false in fact IL is absurd IN theory
Ii IL not true that these States, any of them,
have abandoned the republican form Of govern
meat. While adhering to republican govern
ment, they are committing treason by levying war
against the United States. Mr. Seward. in the
dispatch from which we have alIeady quoted, ad-
mits and maintains that the seeded States have
not changed their republican form He said:
4 "The rights Of the States and the condition Of
every human being in them will remain precisely
the same, whether the revolution shall succeed or
whether it shall fail In one case the States
would be federally connected with the new con-
federacy; in the other they would, now. be
members of the United States; but their constitu
tions and laws, customs, habits and institutions,
in either case will remain the same"
IL is clear. then, that Mr. Lincoln's scheme is
not only preposterous in ITSELF but that it is the
very hight of absnrdity to pretsnd to find suthor
ity for it in that part of the Constitution which
guarantees to the States republican form Of
government 1t is well adapted for immediate
political effect in the North. and for obstructing
and defeating the object Of the war in the South.
The New York News styles the message "The
Despot's Edict,' and comments upon it in this
wise:
The ''policy of emancipation "and of EN-
poying black soldiers" is frs. alluded to in con-
nection with our political situation, and having
been thoroughly exhausted, gives place to the
laJyrinthine outlines of plan to make abolition
No unprecedented mind can dwell upon this part
of the message without the conviction that Mr.
Lincoln has determined to prosecute this war
hereafter exclusively in the interest of emancipa-
ton and according to the extreme purposes of
the radicals. If the intention we're openly avowed,
one might give the man at least the tribute due
to boldness; but there is low cunning exhibited
in his parade of sophistry that jars upon the
feelings as something which. when associated
with ideas of official dignity and honor,
bring shame and humiliation to the entire people.
The plot. for it is nothing less than treacherous
aud despicable plot, is not developed in the mess
age proper. To give it at once the force of an
Executive edict. he appends proclamation, pur
porting to be one of amnesty, but in reality de-
signed TO give 10 the retainers Of the Adminis.ra
tion in the seeded States the power to create
new State Constitutions hostile 10 slavery. "a
number of persons not less than one tenth in
number of the votes cast in such States at the
Presidential election of the year of our Lord
1870, each having taken the oath Aforesaid. and
excluding all Others" may IRE establish State
government" which ''shall be recognized as the
true government of the Slater" ''And it is en-
gagged as not improper that in ans State. the
boundary. tile ub-divisions, the Constitution and
the general code of laws be maintained, subject
only to the notifications nude necessary by the
conditions herein before stated Chose of the
emancipation prOclamatior.) and such others
which NAV be deemed expedient by the new
State Government The suggestion is that it
is not "improper" to retain the old Con-
stitution. but the suggestion amounts to an in
vitatiou to do otherwise BY observing the
tenor Of ''the oath aforesaid it will be seen
that no person can assist in the formation of
these new State governments who is not sworn to
"abide by and faithfully support all acts of Con-
gress passed during the existing rebellion, with
reference to slaves" and also Ito abide by and
faithfully support all procamations Of the Presi-
dent made during the existing rebellion having
reference 20 slaves" Putting this and that to-
gether. the simplest ogician will perceive that il
becomes impossible for any State to return to the
Union except under the oath of its citizens TO
sent to the abolition of slavery.
Is not this an etfectusl bar to reconstruction?
Is not this a prosecution of the war directly for
the consummation or emancipation? Having
sacrificed to much of their bes. blood and under
gone so much financial, social and political mis-
fortunes, with the prospect before them of years
of rninous warfare. the people of the North can
not be blind to the propriety of establishing some
standard of reconciliation that it is possible for
the South 10 accept. Yet now We have it distinct
ly proclaimed by the Administration that the only
avenue TO reconstruction leads under the yoke OF
abolition. Who shall say that is not the plant
tool Of fanaticism. that il is in accordance with
our Republican institutions for one tenth of the
voters of State TO remodel. and in fact TO re-
create the laws aud Constitution of that State
especially when it is in the power OF the admins
tration, in the event Of military occupation. to
food such State with the emissaries of its wilt
So far from being self government. the realiza.
ton OF such scheme would he worse than tyran
nv it would be the beusyal of the principles
fought for by our iaters. by mean and treach
erous trick which would eternalize discord, sus-
picion and hatred between the sections.