Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-07-09
rrtscr frop Hon. James w. wall, OF
New Ierscy.


Hon. Elijah Puriy. Grand saehem; DeIasao.
Nicholson. Cooper. Bell. and other, sachems'
GrSrL9NrS: I have this moment received
your kind invitation 10 attend the celebration oy
the venerable Tammsny ; ciety OF the anniyef-
sary of our National Independence OSing 70
= pre- existing eng gement, q will no. DC IA NJ
power TO accept.
Recognizing the sincerity OF your patriotic eff
forts ana essifes, must condess that / am not
animated by the same hope that appears 70 glow
in the bosOms OF the sachems OF old Iammsny
upon the subject 81 afe-tOrej UHIOu.
fully apyreciste- tbe spirit Ib-t-indnced the
patriot Jackson 20 utter the famous watch wofd'
The Union must and shall be preserved, you
have placed 50 pre- ennheutly 70 the head OF your
card OF Invitation; butil Is clear 10 the most OF
dinafy comprehension that nc meant only m the
constitutional way. and not through the cOerciye
military agencies Of the government. lie DIS
tiuetis DECLARES in his Farewell address: 1T
susn a struggle Is once begun. and the citizens
Of one section OF the country arraYed against
those Of another. let the bstte 20 a. il may,
there viii be end Of the Union
lie believed with Washington, and 20 asserted
that tie foundatous OF The Union mnSt be
laid in the affections vi the people, and there
tore could never have acquired the illogical idea
that the sIength OF the supersiructure could be
Increased, OF is pet mHneucy secured BY means
tending directly to undermine these i0unda-
tious
Rely upon it, the only nope now. it indeed
there = any hope left. n IN mmediate cessa-
ton OF this hellIsh slaughter and speedy peace,
anu even then the restoration OF the old Union
WiIi have to be tie work OF the healing hand OF
ume that must obliterAte the h.rcc aud savage
memories that this lFaterEa strife will have
evoked. The man who looks tor the Old Union
10 arse besuuted and glonhed from The vet
warm ashes of desolated SUutheru home-, iTOm
the blood VI kindred, she'd in civil strife. from
the fierce hate that the dying shall breathe
legacy 10 those who survive them. most surely
iniagines vain thing. One-of the gravest de
ius!Ons IN an age abOuuang with them, is that
which urges the citizen TO sacrifice the last dol
lar and the last man IN 4 blind idolarry Tor
what Is called the UBion. | have as strong
love for the old Union. as high an appreciation
OF its benefits. it, glorious origin, and its Illus
tfiOus memory as any man: nay. more than this,
| WAS labOriug TO preserve n, when these modern
patriots. who are nOwsSO much IN love with IL.
are willing,'t let it slide" aye, denouncng it,
as "a League with hell and covenant with
death" am not, however, ianaticai enough 10
permit mere sentiment TO blind me 10 facts,
and deaden nv senSibilitIes To the existence of
higher and more momeutnus issues | will al
WAYS put Liberty before Union The preserva
sovereignty of the States are of infinitely more
Importance 10 me than mere breadth OF territory,
II that territory must be occupied by white
slaves; more important than Federal power, 1t
that power is 10 be welded by a usurper and
tyrant
Liberty we must and will have: It's possession
j. essential To the life OF every free born Ameri-
can: the Union j. not necessary unless asso-
citte,l with the first OF what valre i Union
u. - l.. j.
in the amendments to the Constitution entirely
gone? His right to tree thought, free speech
and free press gene. swallowed up in the
mselstrOm OF "a grand consolidated military DIES
pOtlsmi Union i very good thing Ia have
and 10 hold; but il in order To secure that Union
/ must be content to see the Constitution over
thrown, the reserved rights vi the States and the
people annihillied. the war power one of the at
tributes OF the Executive and myself gazing at
il through the barred aud bottled windows OF Lin
coins hastes; then | would ade off a thousand
such Unions for little San VI rim among
barren rocks. where the rights secured by Magma
Gu rita were respected. aud where oppression
and uSurpatiOns are unknown. But supposing
the Union could be restored, how long. sur
rounded By the memorials OF the past struggle
here at the North would il endurel Certainly
every thoughtful man must admit that the states
man,hip which suggested inscribing on the regi
mental colors symbus commemorative OF their
having been borne triumphant in our bloody
iraternai conflicts or of erecting monuments a
memorials OF our bloody struggles cou.d never
have contemplated permanently restored Union
The memories OF these fraternal conflicts must
ne buried IN Oblivion before a permanently re
stored Union can be secured. The heatheu rulers
aud statesmen understood this principle in hu
man nature, apparently much better than the
uroles sed,y enlightened Christians OF this noon
ct the nineteenth century.
II was Tiberius vino. when the Roman Senate
proposed erecting an altar 10 vengeance TO COM
memorate the death of Piso reUlied that pub
lie monuments should commemorate foreign con
quests. not domestic cnamties" Cesar Oh his
from his A iFican campaigns after his great
victory AZ Thapsus. upon celebrating hs Four
triumph-. wisely and carefully avoided all alu-
son~ by banners OF otherwise. TO what. perhaps.
were the most brilliInt of his achievements his
victories over his own counirymen In Spain
and The~saly he hid routed the disciplined leg ions
OF the Romans; but Their deie,t," he most tru-
~ said. brought no aceesSions of honor To the
Republic, The glory il reflected on the victors
was but dubious aud buren, This Christian
nation should have learned wisdom from the ex-
ample of heather rulers and statesmen.
II the settlement Of this question reduces il
self To separation 5 ,uihern suhiugaton. then
| am for separation thousand times: because
the demoralizing il iuences and usurped pow ers
that must be evoked To execute such frndist
Judgment. would establish At the North deSpot
&c power worse than Ghenehis X ,hn or Tanner
| lane ever controlled Such results as subiugt-
ton and unuihtlion have been accomplished
where the will of the deSpot was the supreme
law in such devastating wars AS the fimourS and
AstilaS OF the world have waged. where the graS,
never grows where the boots OF their chargers
pressed. and the smoke OF The country went ~
behind them like the smoke of a furnace
never. surely. by a republic. whnse chiet corner
stone X 1.-THE consent ct the 'governed, aud ths
avowed objects of whose Constitution was tic
establish Justice and ensure dpme~tic tranquility.
Yours respectfully,
JAMS " WALL