Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-09-23

"
Of people are neuirslized by about one third OF
a million
We have already shown that Mr. Lincoln en-
deavored TO secure the votes in Congress Of four
Senator's and large number of Representatives
from the bogus States of Louisiana and Arkan-
sas and their votes in the electoral college 10 Sc
cure his re election. Why WAS the plain. undoubt-
Ell and usdeBisbie provision of the Constitution
above quoted violated by Congress and the Pres
ideutg First. 10 abolish slavery in Western Vir-
GINA, and secondly. TO secure their votes ia Con
gress TO enable them TO carry out their abolition
programme
But this outrage may be attempted to be justi-
fed upon the ground that Virginia had passed an
ordinance of secession Then do you admit that
she had the lawful and constitutional right to
secede? Ii she had this right why are We max
ing upon her peoplei But this excuse can
not be offered, for the reason that Congress ad
mitted two Senators from small strip of the old
State. without making new Constitution or or
ganizing any new State government. 1t is with
out excuse IL is a bold usurpaton OF power and
a hagrsnt violation of the Constitution, perpe
uated for political purposes and to establish a
centralized despotism instead of the Govern ment
that was made and handed down TO us By our
patriotic forefathers.
ENAScIPATIoS IN MISSOURI AND MARYLAND
The administration labored for a long time to
persuade the people Of the States that il would
be to their interest to abolish slavery, but the
people took a different view of il. The admin
istration, actuated by patriotic and benevolent
motives, determined to disregard the wishes of
the people and do them great good even against
their desires. Mr. Lincoln proclaimed martial
law in these States. and his adherents called con
ventions TO amend their constitutions. The
n i =
ed by the direct interference Of the military
The delegates thus elected. being the mere crea
lures of Mr.. Lincoln, disregarded the wishes of
the people and provided for emancipation in
these States This is decided Improvement
upon the old system OF course, Mr. Lincoln
and his officers knew much better than these PEG
pie did. what was best tor them Ii is true that
this is a light departure from the doctrines and
practices of our earlier Presidents John Adams
was never supposed TO have very high regard
for the people out We would ike TO call the at
teatiOn of Dir. Lincoln to what that old Federal
ist said III his inaugural address. I'm the midst
of these pleasing ideas we should be untaithful
to ourselves # We should ever lose sight of the
danger To our liberties-if anything partial or
extraneous should infect the purity of our tree,
fair, vIrtuous and independent elections
"If an election is TO be determined by a MAORI
" of "A single vote. and that can be procured BY
. party, through artlhce or corruption. the Gov
eminent NAV be the choice of "a party for its
ends, not of the nation for the national good If
that solitary suffrage can be obtained BY foreign
nations by hatterv menaces; by terror intrigue
or venalty, the Government may not be the
choice of the American people, but of foreign
nations. 1t may be foreign nations who govern
US, and not we, the people, who govern ourselves
And candid men will acknowledge that, in such
cases. choice would have little advantage to boast
of over lot or chance Mr. Adams feared that
partisans aud foreign governments might destroy
the purity of our elections, but he never supposed
that il was possible that any President of the
United States would ever use the army to control
our elections. Oh for the return of the purer
and better days of the republic, when statesmen
ruled and were governed by the Constitution and
the laws.
THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY IN THE DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA
The States of Virginia and Maryl ceded to
the General Government the district of country
known as the District of Columbia, for the seat
of the National Government Slavery existed in
this territory when it was ceded and 1t continued
to exist there. Ii has been supposed that Con
gress could not abolish slavery there without the
consent of Virginia and Maryland and the in
habtants Of such District but since the present
consent of such States, and without consulting
the wishes of the inhabitants, abolished slavery
at an expense to the people of about one million
of dollars.
This District of Columbia has since become
the resort of the most worthless. depraved and
abandoned cOntrabands, who are mainly sup
ported BY the government, and you. the people,
have to be taxed to support these people in idle
ness crime and debauchery Why was slavery
abolished there? Did it in any way aid in sup
pressing the rebellion, maintaining the Const-
tuition and restoring the Union? Certainly not
THE coNFIscArIoN BILLS
The second clause of section third. of the third
article of the Constitution OF the United States
provides:
THE Congress shall have power to declare
the punishment of treason; but no attainder of
treason shall work corruption of blood or for
fixture. except during the life of the person at
tainted"
In July, 1862, Congress passed bill confs-
eating the real and personal property of the peo-
pie in the rebeliOus States, which, in violation CT
the above provision Of the Constitution, provided
that the forfeiture should be forever, and not
limited to the lifetime of the person attanted, as
required by the above clause
This bill sent to President Lincoln for his
message to Congress on the 18th of July, 1862.
from which quote the following, namely:
THAT to which | chiefly object, preyades most
part OF the act, but distinctly appears in the
first. second. seventh and eighth sections Ii is
the sum of those provisions which results in di
vestng of title forever.
"For the causes of treason and ingredients of
treason. not amounting to the full crime, it de
clares forfeiture extending beyond the lives of
of the guilty parties whereas the Constitution
of the United States declares that no attainder
of treason shall work corruption of blood or for
fixture, except during the life of the person at
tainted True. there is no formal attainder in
this case; still. think the greater punishment
cannot be constitutionally inflicted in a different
form for the same 0ffense
with great respect | am constrained to say,
| think this feature of the act unconstitutional
Ii would not be difficult to modify it,
Upon the receipt of this message from Pres
dent Lincoln, Congress passed joint resolution
to the effect following:
Nor shall any punishment or proceedings IN
der the said act be so construed to work for
fixture of real estate of the offender beyond his
natural life
1t will be perceived that this resolution con-
fines its operations to real estate and leaves per-
sonal property and slaves to be forever forfeited.
Why this distnctonl Does the constitution
create any such distinctionl
Does il discriminate be wsen the kind of prop
srty that shall only be forfeited during the life
time. and that shall be forfeited forever? IL
does not This done To strike blow AT
slavery. President Lincoln approved the bill
and joint resolution. modifying its operation