Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-02-09
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9.


Republicans Justify ing Secession.
Hon. DAVID c. BRANHAM, a well meaning and
no doubt very patriotic gentleman, by consent Of
his political friends. is made the leader and CHI m
pion Of bis party in the lower branch Of the Leg
isIature. The Republican party processes to be
very bitterly opposed to secession. Its leaders,
its papers. its orators. and its preachers ex-
ceedngly eloquent in their denunciation of this
modern political heresy. They talk against it,
write against il, preach against il, and pray
against it, but it is little remarkable that in ey
cry State which was carried by the Democracy at
the elections last fall, these very loyal Republi
cans are Of the opinion that the minority not the
majority. should rule.
fhe great crime of the Rebels. in Republican
estimation. is their refusal to submit to the ex-
preston of the popular will in l660-the rule of
the Republican party. To compel the Rebel
States 70 submit thereto we are engaged in the
most gigantic civil war ever waged. The true
doctrine say the Republicans, is that the majority
must govern The refusal to do so, says the
same authority. is rebellion against the Govern
ment Notwithstanding these lofty professions
of loyalty, it is very remarkable that none bur
Republicans in the present Legislature have
countenanced and justified the heresy of seces
sion. Mr.. BRANHAM, the Republican leader
aforesaid, in a speech short time ago, declared
with great emphasis and earnestness and JUNCTION,
that minOrities had the right, the constitutional
right. to defeat the will of the majority when
ever the former thought their rights were in
vaded. In debate yesterday the same distin-
guished gentleman declared that he would not
submit TO the will of the majority upon certain
measures
These are the very grounds upon which the
Confederate States justify this rebellion The
corner stone of secession is in just the arguments
or sentiments expressed by the Republican leader
of the House. The Rebels could not ask for a
complete vindication than that presented
by Mr.. BRANHAM, but we suppose he stated his
positions without comprehending their logical re-
suits. And the acceptance of them by the Re-
publican members commit the party to the here
sizes of seeessionism-
In his speech. Yesterday, Mr.. BRANHAM stated
e that the resolutions offered by the Democrats
during this session of the Legislature, on Federal
affairs, were calculated to inflame and unsettle
the public mind. 1t is pity that the Repub-
lican leader cannot see himself as others see
him. The doctrines he has uttered during the
session, and his speech of yesterday, could not
have been OutdOne by the most violent Jaco-
bin Of the French revolution. If his senti-
practically carried out, revolu-
ton, civil war and anarchy would prevail
throughout the North. Mr. BRANHAM no doubt
means right. but he belongs to a class in this
country who prefer to see the Government over
turned rather than the defeat of his party, the
principles upon which it is based, and the policy
it is now attempting to enforce. This is the Re
publican leaders idea of the moral power to
which he so often alludes as controlling the des-
TIMES of the country, and it is about as luminous
as his notions of a constitutional government