Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-07-27
NATIONAL POLITICS.
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intensifying and debasing the struggle for power.
and sowing the seeds Of corruption broadcast
tice in government becomes almost impossible
under this system and their restoration aud main
4 tenaDce demand is amendment change nv
/ which the great body of public officers would
| hold for fixed terms. and be removable only for
lawful cause, would be one Of great merit and
wisdom, and is among the most desirable objects
to be sought in our public policy.
+ AMNESTY.
Another provision pertaining to reconstruction
+ is that "a TO individuals there shall be amnesty
/ except for particular offences All the excuses
! of state of war cannot be visited with Judicial
+ punishment Both necessity and policy require
/ that, At the conclusion of such struggle the
mantle Of oblivion shall cover the past na-
+ ton torn by civil demands repose at its con-
ciusOn, that society NAV be recognized and
/ that the passions aud decentralization produced
+ BY war NAV disappear before the renewed action
OF moral force. Laws Of confscaton and treas
on may be polite aud necessary To prevent in
surrection to check it in the outset, but thew
become inapplicablc when revolt has rIpened in
to public war, and one entire people are organiZ-
ed against another. Penal enactments. when
directed against whole population. odiou>
useless. and their tendency l. To prolong and in
ien-ify war, and 10 embarraSs frevent its just
conclusions Their office Is to chastIse individual
! offenders within Government jurisdiction, and
not entire communities cOntending for indepen
dence OF other public objects The laws OF war
/ necessarily and properly obtain betwee the par
/ ties to pending the contest. and displace
or supersede those of municipal enactment. Am
nesty. therefore, within the limit of public sale
". follows, Of course. tie termination Of such
+ contest as that in which we are now engaged.
/ IL may be added that clear justice requires
/ that Unionists who have fled from the revOlted
country should be restored TO their estates, and
/ that the particular wrongs inflicted upon them
+ should. as far as possible, be redressed.
CONTRAST
We have thus taken notice oil several ques
/ tons connected with the subject of reconstruc-
/ ton and indicated our views upop them How
much opposed those views are 10 the policy of
/ the administration will appear upon the most
curScry examination They point 10 the deter
! minatoh and settlement of disputes of the coun
/ try; against the recurrence of war hereafter
while the policy OF the administration points to
simple alternative between the subugaton
and independence of the South. Ii we succeed
| in the war, we have conquered country To-
/ hold aud govern ~ best may; and if we fail
1 IL the war, rival aud hostile power will be es-
! tabshed beside us The administration has no
1
| cal force (which it has shown itself hitherto
/ incompetent to weld,) and whether il succeed
/ fail, the future is enconpassed with danger
/ Representing radical and violent elements OF
! population among Us, its party interests require
Of il an uncOmprOmisng and hostile attitude,
not only toward the Confederate government,
but TO the whole Southern people.
! In fact, the President virtually announces to
US in his bogus State proclamation, that he can
I -. u.
stringent oaths of approval Of his policy. anu
within the direct military influence OF the army.
Under the pr esen administration. therefore, each
party 10 the strives for a clean victory an
utter defeat. and no agreement between them.
except of disunion, is proposed or is possible.
We submit To our countrymen that this state
ment of fact pronoHnces the utter condemnation
of the Administration. aud establishes solidly the
argument for its removal from power, and this.
too, independent OF the other considerations
which we have presented. Impotent in war. in
capable OF securing just and speedy peace,
competent only to waste the blood and resources
of the people il stands as fully condemned in
its policy against the enemy as il does in s
measures of internal administration And we
are Justified in concluding upon the whole case
that, if the Union IS 10 be restored. liberty pre-
served. and prosperity renewed to this country,
those results must follow the defeat and reiec-
tim of the Administration by the American PEG
pie.
The defeat of Mr. Lincoln removes the main
obstacle to reunion, and restores at once the just
rule vt the constitution over the adherng States.
CONCLUSION
There are but two classes of men in this coun-
try who may rejoice in existing coIvtion':
| First. Those who make money out of the war,
and second, those who desire to achieve eminci
patton by it. As TO the former. their thirst for
sudden wealth l. gratihe1, and IL IL not in their
nature to regret deeply those calamties which
| fall upJn their fellow cOuntrymen but from
which they exempted And to the radical
abolitonist, his cupO enjoyment is almost full.
He believes that emancipation will take place or
the Uniou broken forever Either result satisfies
him profoundly and wholly, and TO possible event
! during his existence compete with either OF
these in merit and excellence
| But has not the country borne all it can res
sonaby bear, in fact much more than it can Iea
sonably bear, TOR tue qualification of these two
classes of men. and shall not the al ADMINISTRATION
of the government under favor of which they
nestle in power aud crafty their unhor greed
and their detestable passions. be thrown out 81
power, thus relieving the country from the
| nightmare of corruption and tanaticism which i
pressing out It's very existence?
Short-sighted and passionate men rush on to
accomplish an Immediate obeci. unable TO per
! ceiVe the consequences Wnlcn lie DeNODd the
present moment, and unwilling to believe that,
new obstacles IN their path OF passion aud cen
geance will succeed To the existing ones They
vaialy think that ii slavery be struck down bs
force, regardless of law or civil obligations and
negro equality established in It's stead 10 subject
of difficulty no cause OF national peril no "stone
OF stumbling" will remain in the path of national
/ progress Vain deusion, Such expectations
are proved 10 be false by thousand examples
| in history The source of danger Is 10 these
wild passions let loose in the land. which vii!
not regard civil obligations, and which, in their
/ headlOng fury tread under foot both public law
and individual right We 10 not decry theory
but We assert that statesmanship is concerned
mainly in the domain OF the practical. anu that
1 in the present imperfect condition OF human AZ
! fairs, il is obliged to modify general ideas and
/ adapt them To existing conditions. which are in
i 6nitey diverse in different countries and al dif-
! ferent times And. as all political powers are
| conventional-that l.. established by express or
| implied consenl-the validity of any political ACT
must rest upon the ground that il is authorized
/ Some distinct authority for il must be shown or
We must deernine AZ inst its existence
/ And To the existence 81 free government. and
To the harmony and prosperity OF q country
wherein II j. established. there must be profoGnJ
and constant respect by rulers and by people tor
| all those things which have been agreed upon or
| instituted IN aff,ifs Of government. auG there
must be careful repression of all the destruc