Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-05-30
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The Journal and kindred patriots are exceed
ingly FESTIVE under the charge that the present
difficulties Of the country are clearly traceable to
the doctrines proclaimed and the influences exer
ted by them. The evidence upon this point can
not be successfully controverted. The strongest
and most urgent advocates of the present policy
Of the Administration, are the men who before
the Inauguration Of Mr.. LINCOLN we're in favor
Of disunion and the right of secession From
whom came the petitions to Congress praying for
a dissolution Of the Union for years before the
presidential election of 1860 Z Did they not
come from the very men who are now the most
intense supporters Of Mr.. LINCOLN They hold
at the present time just the opposite views they
entertained before the Administra ton of the
Government was placed under the control Of
abolition Influences. We propose to cite a few
examples in proof of this declaration. In l847
Mr.. LINCOLN was a representative in Congress
He made a speech upon the troubles then exist
ing with Mexico. In the course Of it he made
the following strong argument in favor OF the
right Of secession. We quote his words:
Any people anywhere, being inclined, and
v u NnC BOHNNg " ~ ~ " > w w
shake of the existing government. and form a
new one that suiIs them better. This is a most
valuable, a most sacred right, a right which |
hope and believe is to liberate the world. Nor is
this right confined to cases in which the people
OF an existing government may choose to exer
else il. ANY portion of such people, that can,
may revolutionize, and make their own of so
much of the territory as they inhabit. More than
than this; a majority of any portion of such peo-
pie may reyOlutioDize, putting down the minority
intermin5led with or near about them, who may
oppose them.
Certainly no rebel has placed the right of Sc
cession upon higher ground than that.
Hon. B. p. WADE, one Of the Republican SEN
ators from Ohio, expressed himself equally strong
while a representative in the 34th Congress.
He said:
You cannot forcibly hold men in this Union;
for the attempt TO do so. il seems to me, would
subyert the first principles Of the government un-
der which we live.
Did even JEFF. DAVIS make a stronger case
than thatT
After the election Of Mr. LrScoLS, in 1860,
nearly all the leading Republican papers were in
favor Of a separation-permitting the dissatifed
States TO go in peace The Chicago Tribune,
VIC C7pCStat OiSah " MI 6i@NVLHB uhuC II ii
lowing declaration on the LIST Of September,
1850:
If peaceable secession is possible, the retiring
States will be ASSISTED to go 10y the incoming
ADMINISTRATOR
Was not this an invitation to the rebel States,
from the incoming Administration, to leave the
Union2 Similar views were expressed BY the
New York Tribune, the Buffalo Express, aud
other radical Republican organs. About the
same period. the Cincinnati Commercial, now
rampant for coercion, remarked, in view OF the
secession Of a number eff States:
WAR for the subJugation Of the -seceders,
would be unwise and deplorable. There is no
province in the world conquered and held by
military force that Is not a weakness TO its
master"
Is its present position consistent with that I
As the Journal charged the other day that we
had misrepresented It's position and that of the
leading representations Of the Republican party
We make a single extract from that print, and we
ask for it a careful perusal. referring 10 what
it termed the Secession fuss. The Journal. ON
the 18th Of November. 1860, made the following
remarkable declarations: