Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-03-04

ing households snd lens Of thousands Of manned
aud shattered wrecks of youthful manhood all
over the land. tell too truly how well and brsseiy
our soldiers have fought Let US stand by them
and do our duty TO them and all who are de-
pen5ent upon them. we expect our soldiers TO
do their duty 10 VA. Ifit be necessary. as II may
be. 10 break the military power Of the States IN
arms against ", let il be broken speedily and
enectually. not by paper proelamations and paper
couhscatiOns and bureaus OF freedmens affairs,
but by battles. sieges strategy, and all the high
est skill and power Of war on lard and sea.
But. sir, there is a power which, IN the expert
ence of history, ever has proved and ever VIII
prove more potent than armies and navies TO
quiet discomfort, to restore order, establish law,
and give 70 n government its strongest and be-,
foundation in the love OF it, people-that l., the
power OF right; and by right mean not alone
justice, bot equity, charity, mercy, kindness
all those noble attributes of humanity which
unite men in the bonds OF mutual respect and
affection
Sir. bave we no faith in God. no faith in the
divine religion Of Christianity, no faith IN the
kind charities whose golden threads interace,
like nervous fbres even the most rugged human
natures, if we will but feel for them with aten
der hand, that we, as legislators, should declare.
majority of this House have declared. upon
the resolution of the gentleman from Kentucky
Mr. Smith that
The only hope of saving this country is by
the power OF the sword, aud that We oppose any
armistice or intervention or mediation or propo.
sition for peace from any quarter. so long as
there shall be found A rebel In arms against the
Government 7"
l. that, sir. the spirit in which this Union was
formed and waxed great in power aud glory un-
der the benign influence of peace l. that the
spirit 10y which the Union is 10 be restored and
preserved Far from IT, in sober reason | ask
SIR shall the foolhardine-s or wickeduess OF one
rebel IN arms be enough To silence the myriad
voices pleading for peace and continue upon thi.
nation the curse of disunon aud civil wnr
trust il is not so Will the world scorn US
Will history reproach US. will wise and good men
doubt our wisdom our manhood, IL, while we
maintain our armies as We should, TO defend our
States and our supreme law from the power OF
the rrmies of the rebellion, we also use. ali the
while. IN every way, by arguments, by appeals
by forbetrtnce. 10y concessions, il need be. the
power aud influence of peace TO bring back. as
willing lreemen, not as relnnctant slaves, TO the
common shelter and fold, the wanderers from oui
fathers house OF Federal Union
Sir. while love the Union and the Constitu-
ton. and rcpudinte secession aud denounce IL rs
suicidal foley, aud It's acts rs an enormous
public crime, and while long for the overthrow
of rebellion and inhdelity 10 the Constitution OF
my country, will also say, regardless OF the mo
tives that may be imputed to me. that indulg,
40 malice nor hate 10 any man, woman. or child
in the States in rebellion. and far rather would
win them to our cause by words OF pelce than Il
DESTROY suhdue them by the power OF war
Sir, let this Administration give some heed
and Difference 10 the opinions and arguments OF
the multitudes of faithful Union men in all the
Union States, and even in rebellion States. who
differ with it, policy. and rise above and abau-
don the extreme dogm and policy of party. and
repudiate emancipation and contScation and cx-
patriation or determination 10y Federal power
and try with earnestncss and in good faith in any
form or in any way--l care not what, so long as
il neither degrades nor dishonors Us, nor those
we would win back To us--the power of tender
of the Union under the Constitution rs il H.
with full amnesty and pardon for the past. TO the
rulers and people in rebellion; and il We do not
gain our cause by the offer, we at least do not
weaken il uOr strengthen that OF The enemy by
such effort TO deal with them in the spirit and by
the methods OF the Constitution.
Sir. IL the President needs arguments and pre-
cedents for such effort of magnanimitv and
true statesmanship. let him consult the history OF
his own country Let him turn TO the records
and precedents referred to in the able and eo-
quent speech of the gentleman from New York
Mr. Fernando Wood. Let him go beyond
those records TO those OF the British Parliament
in the days when the elder and Younger PIT and
Burke and Fox and Camden aud their compeers
appealed for Justice for the principles OF the
British Constitution, for liberty for law, for
pence III behalf of the "rebes" in the American
Colonies. instead of afging against them the ven
geance and havoc of war Let him, and let
other men, too learn from such great exempars
in true craftsmanship and lofty patriotism, that
to plead for just and honorable peace. even
with rebels in arms. is not treason to the Union
and Constitution, nor sympathy with rebellion,
any more than were the pleldings of Pit and
Burke treason to the Crown aud realm of Eng
land.