Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-04-25


Treason. as defined In the Classification Of the
United States. can only occur d state Of war.
and Is in fact an act q var on the part Of the
citizen committing that toinous crime. In free
government. free spsseh % he citizen Is an absO-
lutte necessity They dizeu>s and desice through
their repfsentasives. the grzvs questionso peace
and varf Whoever has power 10 decide. must
ueeas l<ssthe risAi to discuss; cOn.eauensy. to
meke worsls criminal weald suppress the free
an ofspeseh II republic be engaged NJ
var and discussion on is conduct. or its dura
Zen, be prohibited. who viii be qualified to make
posee. or to provide for sbs future erigsneies of
~~f To prohibit discussion on ths subject Of
va. under our form Of government, is % change
the 6ovo.nsns Itself from free 70 desposic.
Henee ~ Ieeical consistency Of that party which
declare tb.s t.s Constitution Is suspended in
war; and thai tie whole authority cftbe Legisla-
ture and Judiciary Is vested in the Executive.
he Presidents being the sole depository Of power.
Thus comes the paradox. that the Constitutional
provisions relating to war. not applicable to
state Of war Nay. some have gone SO far as to
declare il TO be treason to speak in favor of the
Constitution. or to advocate the Union of the
States as established BY that instrument That
Is to say, in a time OF national passion. when all
men are more or less under the dominion OF
strong excitement, and consequently liable to
run into excuses, the restraints Of the consti-
tuition and laws ought to be imperative. This
seems about as wise, as If men were to decide
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Of the wise counsels of religion. 'rse e'.s ~
Therefore. in the time Of peace. these people
profsssed to be governed BY the Divine Law, dis
carding the authority of the political law. when
sotfn accord with their exposition Of the Divine
Law The mild and humane precepts Of the Cos
pei. not harmopizing with the violence Of their
pessions. shey seem to have determined that pei-
Their humane nor divine laws ought to have any
authority in controlling the operations of war
Instead Of thess they have installed that unde-
unable and mysterious power called the War
1ovsr. Thu power invests the Commander-in-
0hisf Of he Army with supreme and uni mited
sovereignty over the Nation, Constitution, and
the laws. Thus in their view the army and navy
too VI VIC noe"si, Sh-PsOy c1
in ia defense and under its control. but they are
its masters. Hence they deduce the idea that
the civil government Is suspended. and all things
are under the control of the military.
Yet notwithstanding all this. lis said the gov
ernmenf established BY the Constitution. is the
best government on earth Certainly il would
seem that a government which has no proper
provision for the necessities Of war, cannot be
very perfect one II Il has to be thrust aside
and superseded. the moment the nation falls
into any difficulty, the very time when its au
thoritv is most necessary, il is very defective in
deed Our Constitution was framed. directly
after the seven years war of the revolution. The
men who we're principally concernedin its forma-
ton. also actively engaged in that
They could not possibly have forgotten that war
might occur again. Twice since its adoption,
the nation has been engaged in war, and the
Constitution seemed amply sufficient to meet the
exgencies of those wars. Why, therefore. is il
not equal to all the exigences arising from the
present war? g.
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