Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-06-29


Constitution in the North. TO give the South just
cause for attempted secession. The election of
a national man upon a national platform, will
prevent such a result and give peace 10 the cOun.
try. Such platform - that of popular sOve-
reigDty, and such a man is Stephen A. Dou-
glass. &c He proceeded.
Well, Lincoln was elected-elected in Novem-
Der. more than quarter of a year before be was
10 be inauguratei. During this interval, aud be
fore any State attempted to withdraw from the
Union, the South came to Mr.. Lincoln and the
leading Republicans in the States and in Con-
gress, and asked them If they were going to
carry out their threats of excluding them from
their constitutional rights in the Union; they
wanted security, guarantees on that point. They
said that when mems rights were threatened they
had legal right to security for the peace. They
said as the Republicans refuse 10 respect the
decisions of the Supreme Court, they did not
see anything left for them.
They wanted security for three constitutional
rights:
/. That their slaves should be let alone in
States where they were.
?. That when they escaped they should be re-
turned.
g. That the people of the South should be
permitted to settle with them in the common ter
ritories.
These three rights the Supreme Court of the
United States had solemnly decided were theirs
under the Constitution. This Lincolns Judge
Advocate admits.
The Republicans told them they would give
them guaranty of the first, but they could not
Of the other two without violating the Chicago
platform, and that that was more binding upon
them than the Constitution.
The refusal of these guarantees was a great
moral crime on the part of the Republican party
has cost US oceans of blood, billions Of trea-
sure, and the loss of the Union, if the Republ-
can party is suffered to remain in power
They ought to have been given, and the war
averted. Why. the kings of England. he said
the proud Henrys, were willing to pledge them
selves to observe Magma Charta--to give con-
formations of it. / thought, said the speaker
that peace ought to have been preserved by Civ.
ing just guarantees.
And in a speech before the Democratic club at
indianapolis, in accordance with these views, on
the 18th of January, 1862, after showing the
failure, thus far, OF the course which the Repub-
licans had chosen, 10 restore the Union he had
said: ''Y on ask what is to doneI This is a diff
cult question 10 answer; but | see no better
course of action than To stop the for time;
procure an armistice; give time for the passions
TO cool and for the people TO reason and TO meet
in National Convention Go back the start
ing point. Compel the Aboitionists to do what
they ought to have done before the war was
commenced; do justice; put themselves rieh be-
fore High Heaven; offer guarantees; satisfy the
South that if she comes back she shall be let
alone by the Abolitionists forever; that her
rights shall be accorded to her. for let me say
that until she j. satisfied of this fact she never
will return, she otherwise would only expect
to 60 again through the same series of Abolition
prosecutions; satisfy her that her interests will
ha tad Nv la ITfnin st,a I bal,o
she will, sooner or later, again unite with us in
concord. If she does not. then will it be time
and then shall we be able to adopt proper course
of action toward her."
The course of the Democratic party, all the
way through. had been eminently patriotic. Ii
had been this.
1. They had held that the people of the South
we're just as much entitled to the rights the Con-
stitution gave them as the North was. and that
these rights should be given, and the Union
thereby preserved. and war averted
,. That after war commenced, il should have
been stopped, as il easily might have been in the
early part of it. by even then giving the South
her constitutional rights.
8. That II not stopped by such inst course,
it should have been prosecuted in snch manner
rs, at least, not to increase the distrnst of the
South in the constitutional faith of the North,
and would soonest end the rebellion
But the Administration, a sectional one placed
in power according TO the forms. but not the
spirit of the Constitution, and thus having the
power and legal right To adopt its own policy,
elected to c0ntemn the advice of the Democ
racy, and not only To give no guarantees for OBJ
servance of these constitutional rights which had
been violated before the war, but even to go fur.
Their and take away others: in short. to irritate
the South TO the utmost unity. and then fight it
TO determination The Democracy, then, had
no course left but to acquesce in that policy and
give IL, ut least. passive support, or resist il,
with no hope OF success
They acquiesced. as good law abiding citizens
in the policy of the Administration. gave it all
the men and money it desired, determined, how
ever, To hold il accountable for the result of its
policy at the proper time
That time. the time for electing "a new Admin
istraton under the Constitution had come.
That policy of the Administration had not only
been failure, it had well nigh ruined the ma
ton aud now, in a constitutional mode and time,
let Us hurl that Administration from power, and
relieve the nation of its blasting influence.
And here, said the speaker, the question might
justly be asked. why did the Republicans refuse
the guaranty OF the second and third rights above
named? The South was entitled TO them under
the Constitution; the Republicans were disre-
garding them and threatening to continue TO do
so; why did they refuse To confirm the coustitu-
tional rights of the SOUTH He had no doubt il
was premedtatedy done in order TO involve the
country in war that it might be made the means
OF aboshing slavery, and perpetuating the Re
publicans in power. This was shown by Chand
ler's blood letting letter of the 18th of February
1861, and another by Chase, of about the same
date recently published in the Cincinnati En-
quirer.
He said he wished TO proclaim here. and every
where, that the strength Of The rebellion lay in
that refusal Ii placed the blood of the slain
Jointly upon the Republican and rebel skirts
Chambers letter ne read to them thus:
WASHINGTON. Feb IL, 1861
My Dear Governor:-Governor Bingham and
myself telegraphed you on Saturday, a, the re-
quest of Massachusetts and New York. to send
delegates to the Peace or Compromise Congress
They admit that We are right and they wrong:
that no Republican State should have sent dele
gates; but they are here and can't Get away.
Ohio, Indiana. and Rhode Island are coming in,
and there is danger of Illinois, and now they beg
Us for Gods sake to come TO their rescue and
save the Republican party from rupture hope
you will send stiff backed men. or none. The
whole thing was got up against my judgment
and advice. and will end in thick smoke Still.
L hope a matter of courtesy To our erring
brethren that YOU will send the delegates.
Truly your friend,
Z CHANDLER
His Exceeney, AUSTIN BLAIR
p. S-Some of the manufacturing States think
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