Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-04-18


conclusion of the Secretary of State, having in
view always, as he and the President undoubted
ly had, the great cardinal truth underlying all
republican governments, deriving their just
powers from the consent OF the governed" If
the President and his Secretary of State gave
utterance to truth in 1861, is it any less truth
to-dayI Has not rather the experience of three
years of war confirmed IT'D / believed il then.
believe it now. But, Sir, propose TO call an
other witness to testify against this coercive poll
cy. who also spoke in advance of the war. Ed
ward Everett. in his letter OF May %. 1860 10
Washington Hunt, accepting the nomination as
Vice President of the Union party, of which
believe the distinguished gentleman from Mary
land Mr.. Henry Winter Davis) was a member.
and for whom number of gentlemen upon this
floor voted, said:
1.-The suggestion that the Union can be main--
tanned by numerical preponderance and military
prowess of one section exerted to coerce the
other into submission is, in nv judgment, as self
contradictory it is dangerous. IL comes
loaded with the death smell from fluids wet with
brothers. blood If the vital principle of all re-
publican governments lis the consent of the gov
erned, much more does union Of coequal SOW
ereigD States require, as its basis. the harmony Of
its members and their voluntary corporation in
its organic functions"
IL may be said that Mr.. Everett. has changed
his views upon the subject. That may be So but
have not. 1 believed it sound doctrine in 1860,
before secession occurred or coercion began.
Three years of experience in attempting by anu
merical preponderaDce and military proves of
one section exerted to coeree the other into sub
mission" has convinced me more thoroughly that
it is las self contradictory it is dangerous
contradictory because il violates the great prin-
ciple of free government, which "deriyes their
just powers from the consent of the governed"
and dangerous, because by ITS exercise, especi-
ally when welded by a weak, vascillatng and
INSCRIPTIONS man. it destroys, instead of main
tanning the Union, Constitution aud organic law;
civil liberty and personal security are forced to
yield TO what is claimed to be military neces
sity and the government itself, in the brief space
OF three short years, is to-day verging upon the
very brink of ruin.
lam well aware, sir, that the cry ofdisoyalty,
want of patriotism and lack of devotion to the
government, which is in every place and at all
times raised against those who have the indie
pendence to dlsapprove of any of the acts of Mr..
Lincoln. An inordinate desire for Government
patronage from the building of steamship and
"A shoddy contract down to the insignificant posi-
ton of taking charge OF mutilated and depre-
cated greenback in the Treasury building, has
changed the opinion Of many men, but the fixed
principles of free governments well as the
rules of right, reason justice and truth, are un-
changeable and although il may be unpopular,
.
like the present to advocate them, they are, new
ertheless, eternal and immutabe
! The distinguished gentleman from Pennsylva-
mia (Mr Steveus) who stands upon this floor and
before the country as an acknowledged leader of
the Administration party, has had the honesty
aud independence, in speech delivered at an
early part Of the session to announce what he
holds to be the true position of the Confederate
States. He says:
| 'Some think that these States are still in the
Union, aud entitled to the protection OF the Con-
stituson and the laws of the United Safes
This idea he at once regulates, and then bold
ly alfirms shat to which he believed to be true
doctrine.
"Others hold that having committed treason,
renowned their allegiance to the Union, discar-
ded the Constitution and laws. organized dis
! tnct and hostile Government, aud by force of
arms have risen from the condition of insurgents
to the position of an independent power, de fac0,
| and having been acknowledged "a belligerent
both by foreign nations and our own Govern
ment, the Constitution and Union are arrogated
so far they concerned, and that as between
! the two belligerents they are under the laws of
war and the laws of nations alone, and that
which ever power conquers may treat the
pushed rs conquered provinces, and may impose
upon them such conditions and laws il may
deem BEST
| In answer to any objections that NAV be raised
| to this position, he saws:
| "But il is said that this must he considered
contest with rebel individuals only, States in
| the Union cannot make That is true
long rs they remain in the Union; and the very
fact that we have admitted them to be IL state
of war, to be begerents, shows that they are no
longer in the Uniun. and that they wagng
war in their corporate capacity, under the cor
| pOrate name of the Confederate States, and that
such major corporation is composed of minor
corporations called states. acting in their associa-
! ted character
! "When an instruction becom S sufficiently
1 formidable to entite the party 10 belgerent
rights. it places the conteuding powers pre-
ciSely the same footing as foreign nations at war
with each other.
"No one scquainte with the magnitude of
this contest can deny to it the character of
civil war For nearly three wears, the Confeder-
! ate States have maintained their declaration Of
independence, by force of arms
| what then is the effect of this public war be-
tween these belliserents. these foreign nations2
! Before this war. the parties were bound together
by compact, by "A treaty called the Coustitu-
| ton They acknowledge the validity of munich
pal laws mutually binding on each. This war
has cut asunder all these gaments, abrogated
all the obligations"
Now. sir, Tor one nc least | agree with the dis
tinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania that
/
occupying the position of an independent power
de facto, have been acknowledged belliger
ent, both by 10, eisn nations and our own govern
! ment; maintained their declaration of independ
ence for three years, by force of arms; and that
the has cut asunder all the fragments and
abrogated all the obligations that bound them
under the Constitution. So far | agree with
him; and however unwilling may be to accept
such position rs the actual condition of the Con-
| oil ,fa Fha Of thrpp
years. the law of nations. the genius of gov
eminent aud resqrt@for truth, compel me at
least to accept il, and my judgment to approve
! il, and If the charge OF disloyslty IL brought
against me for this opinion. have only to shield
myself nnder the broad mantle of the distn-
gushei leader of the Republican party
At the commencement of the war England
and France both declared the Confederate States
to be belgerents: the United States has treated
with them as such in the exchange of prisoners.
and the Administration to day, without the hon
esty or independence of the gentleman from
Pennsylvania to avow it. doing precisely what he
| proposes to do under his war of conquest, waged
against the Confederate States foreign ma
| ton. Ii is not now even pretended that the war
is carried having for its object the restoration
| of the Union; reconstruction. = consultations,
''centralz ttion, :" with an entire change in the
Constitution" are the terms employed in speak
ing Of the government that is to exist hereafter
To speak Of the Constitution il was. and the
Union it was, is an offense, subiectiDg an OIL
Ger in the army to punishment by dismissal rom
the service and conclusive evidence of disloyalty
| in the citizen. Ii the time ever when the
Union could have been restored by war, which
do not believe. il has long since been -dispelled
| by emancipation, confscstou, amnesty and the
like proclanaiions; military orders annulng
State Constitutions, setting aside State laws. Oh
/ State affa tn mi