Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-03-14


terests OF the people OF every State and section
OF the United States. There are rights of States.
as sovereignties and bodies polite, and rights of
persons under the Constitution, for which we are
here TO speak, to deliberate, and vote aud as
one, IL but an humble one, of the minority, be
lieEe but utter their united voice wlra l say
they will manfully do their duty in that regard.
needless of the taunts or threats of the majority.
have no ambition, Mr.. Speaker, 10 distn-
guish myself in this House as one among the
number of the destroyers of the constitutional SOW
ereignty Of Federal States. II is no part OF my
creed, as / understand it to be the creed of the
gentleman from Maryland Mr.. Davis, that
Estate rights are national wrongs" On the con-
trsry believe that State rights, in the true con-
stitutional sense of the term, are rights, not
wrongs; and when ] took my oath of Office to
support the Constitution Of TIE United States
felt that it bound me as much and as sacredy to
respect here by my voice and votes, and else
where by word and deed, the constitutional rights
and sovereignty of insulted Maryland and down
trodden Delaware, within their constitutional
sphere and jurisdiction, as it bound me to respect
and support the rights aud sovereignty of the
United States in their sphere. lasl q ~
For one, sir. have no respect for nor sympa-
thy with the assassns of the constitutional rights
of any, Federal State of this Union, much less
when the assassin's parricdal hand is turned
against the State which gave him birth and to
which he owes allegiance, have no sympathy
with that spirit of Jacobn ferocity displayed by
some of the leaders of the Administration, who.
in their thirst for blood and confiscaton, are al
ready rivaling the worst days of the French Rev
oluton, when Heaven defying crime waded knee
deep in blood, under the banner of Liberty,
equality, and fraternity" - -.s re t
Sir as look upon the troubled scene of our
national affairs, see three powerful parties or
combinations struggling for mastery, and shap-
ing our destiny as a people for veal or woe
They are: l. The party of secession led by JEFF
ferson Davis and his coadjutors in treason, rebel
lion, insurrect;on, or revoution-I care not what
name you give it--who are endeavorng by war
to destroy the constitutional union and govern
ment Of the United States. 2. The party of the
Federal Administration, political parry of many
incongruous elements and conflicting principles.
assuming to itself the name of Union party. in
tolerant even to fanaticsm in its opinions, bold
and violent in its declared purpose of crushing
out rebellion, but at the same time daily asserting
and exercising despotic power in the Federal
Government, and by Executive edcts, by Con-
gIessional legislation, and by military power
combined, working radical revolution destruct.
i've of the basis and principles of the Federal sys-
TEN of constitutional government. 3. The con-
servative, or true Union party, better known by
the historic name that has distinguished it, almost
from the adoption of the Constitution, as the
principles and distinctive organization as the
party of the people is resisting all efforts to de-
stroy the Federal Government, from whatever
they come. well as all efforts to subyert
or destroy States, and is aiming always, whether
il uses the power of war or the spirit and argu-
ments of peace, to restore The disturbed balance
of the Constitution, by recognizing and main
tanning both national and state rights, and bring
ing all into the healthy and benefcent action of
nd tbo
The gentleman from Maryland and his coadju
tors here elsewhere may affect to despise as
much as they please the support of the minority
in this House, or of the constituents we repre-
sent; but / say to the gentleman, that which he
should know, or will know, perchance, before
many moons have waxed and waned, that our
constituents already numbering, as / have said,
a milliou and half of tree born electors, are yet
power in this Union of States; power whether
for peace or for war; political power at the
ballot box, and material power for war. With
out their aid this Union cannot be restored and
without their aid IL cannot he destroyed. Re,
viled aud despsed as they are by party opponents
of more zeal than knowledge, or of more malice
than patriotism, the conservative Democratic
party OF the United States, as it will be organ
lied and represented and LED in the grand con.
test of 1854. will hold in in its hands the issue of
these days of peril-Unon or no Union. Consti
tuition or no Constitutions; and thew mean that
that issue shall be settled according to the Con
stituiion and laws of the land; not otherwise.
warn the gentlemen who taunt us with having no
constituency, and scoff at and their support
that they do not too much ignore nor despise the
constituency re represent: for sir, t is often as
true of parties as of men grown proud by Hide
served success, that "prde goeeih before de-
struction, and naughty spirit before fall"
These, sir, are my answers to those gentlemen in
this House. who. arrogant with the power of
their majority, daily insult ms and the constitu.
ents represent with taunts, which, to say
the best OF them, are not the arguments of
statesmen.
In the Joint resolution now under consideration
and in the proposed amendment of the geLtle-
man from PENNSYLVANIA, Mr Steyens] see the
evidence Of two distinct ideas as to the mode of
proceeding to reach the common object of the
majority in regard to the subject matter of the
resoluti94 namely, the con6scation absolute 9nd
complete of the lands real estate of the South
ern insurgents. The policy, now no longer con
cealed but openly declared not only in the
speech of the gentleman from Pennsylvania, but
declared in this very Hall, few evenings ago.
and loudly applauded, in presence OF the Presi
dent himself. who was then with like applause,
re nominatei for a second term of Office, as the
exponent and representative of that policy, de-
mands that the territory, the actual soil of the
Southern States in insurrection. shall come un-
that t can vest absolute titles n fee in the per
sous white or black to whom that Government
may grant il by sale or gift Absolute title is
wanted and must be had. or the party in power
now thoroughly educated into the most radical
abolition policy will fail in the purpose which has
become its grand controlling purpose in this war.
This purpose is no other than the absolute suhju-
CATION OF the Southern or slave States 10 the
Northern or anti slavery States. re-organizing
them on the Northern or New England basis-a
basis clearly declared in wei-seeming words by
the present head of the Department of State. in a
speech made at Chicago in October. 1860, when
he said shat the creed of the Republican party
was that
Freedom was to be maintained and carried on
on this continent, bv federal states based upon
the principles of free soi free labor, free speech
equal rights and upiversal suffrage"
The Chief Magistrate TO whose proclamations
sworn assent is now demanded as a test or cr-
terion OF loyalty, and to which Il is expected
that Congress aud the courts of law. paramount
even t. that organc law by which the Presden-
tial Office Is created and its powers defined years
ago declared that the Union could not perman-
emily endure half slave and half free; and to
the demonstration of the truth of what, when
spoken was but the preteutiously oracnlar utter
ance Of an obscure politician the whole power
of the United States is to be made subsidiary
aud subordinate even to tie removal of the land
marks of property and the upturning of social
systems and the virtual annihilation OF the Con-
sttution. Without the approval os historic pre-
cedent. or the sanction of sound poltical philo-
sophy. or OF true Christian philanshrophy, q
grand utopian experiment to wash the Erhiop
white" is to be made at once. at every cost and
hazard. And here, sir. l would remark that men
have not been wanting, and they were many