Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-04-18

that ne consented 10 comply. ana upon MS oeno
ed knees. with bis hands upon the gospels, he
abjured his belief in the Copernican doctrine.
Part Of his objection-ran 10 these terms: 49,
with sincere heart and unfeigned faith,,l
abjure, and detest the said errors and here
sizes, viz: that the earth moves. &c. swear
that will never in future say or assert anything
verbally. or in writing. which may give rise to a
similar suspicion against me-"
Rising from bis knees, with bis eyes still fixed
on the EARTH be whispered to friend. "E pur 81
muore'-''it moves, for all that" So it will be
with the man who is forced to take the oath to
save himself his family and his property He
may take It, but in his heart he will detest and
despise the authority that requires it. Will such
man be devoted TO, or make good citizen Of
the government in which he vesf The history
of Poland, of Hungary. of Ireland, and of Italy,
furnishes an answer to the question. 1t imperial
governments are not able to hold in submissive
obedience small portions of vast empire. once
in revolt, how much less government having
for its basis the consent of the governed2 But
"subjugation'' is the watchword. Liberty and
freedom for the slave, and suhjugation and ex-
termination for the master, is the popular cry.
Meet them, fight them, crush them. says the
gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Green Clay
SMITH. Sir. that is easily said upon this floor.
and is popular with those who from day to dag
fill the gallery of this House; but even the gen
70
other military gentlemen. were quite willing to
foregJ the pleasure of the performance, and ex-
change their commissions as generals in the held
for a certificate emitting them a seat upon this
floor; and were / to judge bs the willingness with
which it was done, aud the tenacity with which
they hold on to it. and the efforts some of them
are making to return here again, instead of the
war spirit they breathe within these walls, /
should strongly suspect them of being in sympa-
thy with the peace party.
Mr.. Chairman: am. no military man, and
therefore incompetent to give advice or advance
an opinion in military affairs, but | have been
forcibly struck by aremark of Marshal Ney, in a
reply to Napoleon, related by Headly in his
Napoleon aud his Marshas." lone day. at
Madrid, Napoleon entered the room where Ney
and several of his officers were standing. and
said in great glee. everything goes on well; Ro-
mana will be reduced in fortnight; the Eng
lish are defeated and will be unable To advance;
in three months the war will be finished" The
officers to whom this was addressed made no re
ply, but Ney. shaking his head with character
iStic buntness, 'Sire, this has lasted loEg al
ready and affairs not improved. The
people are obstinate; even their women and
children fight, they massacre our men in detail
| To day we cut the enemy in pieces, to-morros,
we have TO oppose another twice numerous.
| |. is not army we have to fight, it is a whole
Darte followed his inclination, and was
eventually defeated"
Mr. Chairman: Is there no instruction in the
blunt yet forcible reply of the old French Mar
shall to his superior officer for us7 Have we
not had from time to time, the predictions of
| Napoleon during the past three years, but with
out Marshal Ney to say 81 see no end to this
business"
! Mr. Chairman, how do we stand in the eyes of
/ i 4 4 e
subiugation and conquest against the Confederate
] States which have seeded from us and set up a
government of their own? Are we not incon-
sistent in all our former acts2 Have we not been
early to admit this principal with regard to 9TH
ersl There never people on the face of
the earth that demanded an independents govern
ment that did not haye the sympathy of the
! American people; and ought we now to shrink
/ from the doctrine we have been willing to apply
1 to othersl Ny earliest recollection is the appeal
nude by Clay aud Webster in behalf OF Greece,
in 1924. when they so eloquently declaimed in
| that behalf on this floor and in the other branch
| of Congress Whether il was Greece, or the
| States of South America, Poland, or Hun
gary, or Italy, or Ireland, the fact that large
| country, for any cause demanded distinct
| and separate government, always received the
warmest sympathy and support OF the American
| people, irrespective of party. Even late
elected, and after the preliminary steps for Sc
cession had been taken the paper having the
! largest circulation of any in the Republican
party, and having more influence than any other
in the formation of Republican opinion, declared
| that it could see no reason why, if three mil
lions of colonists could sep ate from the British
Crown in l776, that FIVE millions of Southerners
| could not separate from US in 1861.
| have been as much puzzled as the distin-
ID Cd
| looking at it a revolutionary right, the dif-
ference in position Ought to shrink from
the application of doctrine to ourselves which
we have been willing TO apply to other nations,
| such as Austria. Russia and Spain? Ii we do,
wha, will be the judgment of impartial history
| How much better it would have been for US, and
for the cause of Democracy throug hout the
| globe What splendid tribute il would have
been to a republican government it we had parted
in peace with dissatisfied sister States, as Mr..
Everett recommended as late as February, 1861
sustained by such leading Republican journals as
the Cincinnati Commercial, New Yo Tribune,
indianapolis Journal, Chicago Tribune, New
| Haven (Connecticut) Palladium, Columbus
Journal, and Salmon z. Chase now Secretary of
the Treasury, and many others of that school.
What in monarrhical countries had required a
long and bloody war, would have been accom-
plisbed by Democratic principles and republican
sense. w nat Spleilulu pTOOt IL NOuiu nave At
forded of the capacity OF the people for self
government.
What valuable lesson it would have con-
veyed to the whole civilized world. The fact
that we could rise superior to all prejudices and
passions, and Ia have conquered ourselves, would
have been the highest triumph that we had ever
| achieved / regret as much, Mr.. Chairman, as
any gentleman upon this floor that any OF our sis
ter States should have desired to cut asunder the
hat None No,iid M
more willing Than myselfto make any reasonable
sacrifice to induce them TO return TO their part
nership with US: but still recognizing the truth OF
the doctrine taught by the fathers of the Repnb
lie aud so fairly expressed b. Mr.. John Quincy
| Adams, that our government was. after all, in the
heart. 1t would be better. severe as would be
the pang of regret, to part IN friendship rather
than hold sovereign states pinned to Us by the
bayonet, as Mr.. Greeley EXPRESSED it in 1861.
What advance have made in the science and
principles of free government, Mr. Chairman, ii
we cannot be above the Austro. Russian principle
of holding subject provinces by the power OF
force aud coercinnY What becomes of the De-
caration of Independence, and all our teachings
for eighty years?
After all, Mr. Chairman, it is not the extent oil
territory which should be the object of our de-
sires. Better sacrifice even nine tenths OF the
territory than destroy republican form of gov
ernment. What our people desired in 1861, and
which honored, though regarded as unshaken,
was the preservation of the government and the
retention of our jurisdiction over the whole terri
tory They are rightly willing to sacrifice every
material Consideration for that purpose. Land is
nothing, Mr.. Chairman. composed TO liberty. We
existed as Republic when the mouth of the
Mississippi was heldby foreign power, when we
had nothing west of that river. when Florida was
held against Us; and we could exist again if by
the clastisement of heaven we should be cur
tailed Tn onr old territoriaI Dimensions For E.