Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-12-14

national affairs it will be regarded with deep in
terest Its expositons Of thestate OF the country,
is suggestions and It's recommendations should
receive the careful consideration of every citizen.
Our institutions rest upon the theory thai man Is
capable Of self government, that ours is a gov
eminent of the people. hence both the right and
the duty Of the people to carefully scrutinze the
acts and the recommendations of those who rep
resent them-the servants or the should be ser
wants Of the public will. -
The last message of the President is written in
better taste than those which have preceded it. IL
is almost free from the idioms or the peculiar ex-
pressions of the President. and the exemption
may be due to bis reported physical disabilities.
As a contemporary remarks, the varioloid may
account for the absence Of those quaint illustra-
tons and expressions which have characterized
the communications of the President, and which
have lessened their dignity. There are many
omissions in the message. 1t does not dis
cuss those questions of political economy which
deeply affect the prosperity of the people, indi-
vidsaIly and collectively. The tariff question
is not even alluded to. perhaps the President has
TEN has but brief mention. These vital ques-
tons which occupied the ANXIOUS consideration
of his predecessors are subordinate to the single
and absorbing idea of negro emancipation. The
emancipation of the negro from his condition of
servitude in what termed the slave States, is
regarded by the party in power as the panacea or
remedy for all the troubles of the country. So
the President states it. So he argues as the rep
resentative of the Republican party. II the mes
sage foreshadows any idea, it is that every interest
of the country must be subordinate to the sbroga-
ton of negro slavery. The message of the Pre-
sideDt is abolition. The policy of the Admins
tratiOn is abolition. 1t is the purpose of the
President and the party in power to force the
country to yield or submit to that policy.
Our nation has prospered in a remarkable de-
gree. and its power and greatness have been at
tanned by accommodating itself to its diversified
interests and institutions. This policy has been
our strength, and if it had been continued, il
would have given US increased power and great
ness But an effort is being made by the party
in power TO force a homOgenety-to fasten an
iron rule upon people whose interists-the pro-
auctions of its soil, climate and labor-are nee
essary diverse, and can never be otherwise. No
government can regulate the laws of climate and
production, aud the attempt to do so must result
IN failure IL the nation is ever split into frag-
ments. that will be the error or delusion that will
occasion it. The idea of the message, from be-
ginning to end, is to eentralize power. That is
the object of the proclamation which accompanies
the message. 1t proposes to give the control of
State Government to one tenth of its popula-
ton upon the single condition thai it is entirely
That is the test of loyalty which the message
prOclaims and insists upon. Need We say that it is
in direct contradiction the theory of our govern
ment? Popular governments and free institutions,
such as we have enjoyed, cannot be maintained, if
State rights stricken down and power is
centralized in the Federal government. The
history of every empire will attest the fact that
the effort to force homogeneity Of policy and
institutions, when the interests of the different
sections necessarily antagonistic, has resulted
in disintegration. And in the present instance,
under similar circumstances, history will only
repeat itself. This is the rock which we should
avoid. And in conclusion we repeat the warning
of one whose sagacity and patriotism none will
now question. He said:
at is we'll known there have always been
those among US who wish to enlarge the powers
Of the General Government; and experience
would seem to indicate thas there is a tendency
on the part of this Government to overstep the
boundaries marked out for it by the Constitution.
Its legitimate authority is abundantly sufficient
for all the purposes for which it created; all
its powers being expressly enumerated, there can
be no justification for advising beyond them
Every attempt to exercise power beyond these
limits should be promptly and firmly opposed"
Interest ON the state Debt-
We published a card from His Excellency,
Governor MoRToS, yesterday. announcing that
he bad made arrangements for the payment of
the interest on the State debt due on the LIST Of
July last, and the interest which will fall due on
the lst of January next. The nature OF the ar
raBgement the Governor does not see proper to
advise the people Of the State We have no OBJ
lection to Governor MoRroS, Messrs. WISsLow,
LASIER Co., or anybody else paying the indebt-
edness of the State. but the payment of the in
terest in the way proposed, under the circumstan-
ces, is grAtuity. There was no necessity what
ever for any individual, or number Of individuals.
assuming this obligation of the State. As the
Governor says: "the failure to pay the interest
on July was not caused by the want of money"
But why the failursI AT the instigation, and
with the advice of the Governor, the Republican
members Of the House, at its last session, broke
squorum-seceded-so that the passage of the
laws necessary 10 meet the obligations
of the State 10 her creditors were defeated.
This was done with the full knowledge that the
action would involve the failure to meet the
plighted faith Of the State. The Democratic
members remained in their seats until the last
day that laws could be constitutionally passed by
the Legislature, but the Republican members re
fused to return and discharge duty which they
had solemny sworn to perform. The Governor
charges in bis card that the State officers refused
10 remit the money to New York. alleging the
absence Of technical appropriation" There il
a law upon our statue book which expressly for.
bids the Auditor and Treasurer from drawing any
money from the public treasury but in pursu
ance Of appropriations made by law. To
remove all doubt as the duty Of these officer:
In the payment Ofthe interest on the public debt
in the absence Of express legislative appropria
tons for that purpose. the question was submit
tad 70 the highest iudic,al tribunal in the Stafs