Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-02-08
..The Union and the Governments,


The Cincinnati Commercial. under the above
caption attempts to criiicse the recent opinion of
the Supreme Court Of this State. in which the
war power Of the President is necessarily and
most ably discussed. It quotes the following
paragraph from that opinion text for its
comments:
"The rebellion itself did not originate in an at
tempt we have resd is history, TO overthrow
the Government of the Unitel States, and is not
now ostensbly prosecuted for that purpose. The
rebellion consists in an attempt. il we h,ve read
Alright, to withdraw certain portion oI the people
and territory from under the jurisdiction OF the
Government of the United States-to diride the
Union, leaving the North under the existing
Government. and placing the South under new
ly created Government"
This statement is true. During the FIVE months
succeeding the Presidential election of
1860. the leading Republican press ex-
pressed an entire willingness that the dis
satisfied Stites-the States now in rebellion
should separate from the Union. The New York
Tribune, the Chicago Tribune. the Buffalo Ex-
press. the indianapolis Journal, and even the
Cincinnati Commercial were most decidedly in
favor of division of the Union. '.leaving the
North under the existing government, and
placing the South under newly created GOV
erument." Not one OF these papers then even
moo,ed the idea, that separation of one or
dozen States from the Union would ''over-
throw the Government of the United
States These organs of the Republican
party now 81 fierce FOR vigorous prosecution
of the war to preserve The life Of The uaiiun or
government, then attempted to .demonstr te the
advantages of division of the Union to the
North. Ii we recollect Alright. all the pspers we
have named egartei the ios> OF dozen States u
less calamity than civil war: and they have re-
pe.edly stated that all the rebel States as ked
was 10 be let alUne, To be permitted to dissolve
their connection with the Union in peace IL is
also mitter OF history that the Confederate
Constitution sent Commissioners tn to Washing
ton to agree upon terms of separation. and
thev were instructed to negotiate upon the
basis of equitable division Of the public pro-
perty aud the public Indebtedness, leaving the
North unler the existing government and placing
aud the pipers now So 6ercely unconditional
Union" were willing to let the dissatisfied States
depart upon these conditions IL is most absurd
to argue that the loss of portion of it. territory
from whatever destroys the existing gov
erument. The history OF our own nation reiutes
this falacv. The separation of the
colonies from the British crown, and that too
10y force. did not destroy the then existing gov
ernment of Great Britain Although by the
revolution she lost one OF her brightest jewels,
yet Great Britain retained the identity,
power. and even vigor that she possessed before
that event. The people OF the colonies not only
rebelled against British rule, but left the jursdic
ton Of the British Government. diuided the URioH,
leaving Great Britain "under its existing govern
ment." and "placing the" colonies, under a
newly created government We do not ap-
preheud. nor any sensible man, that
the existing Government of the United
States would be overthrown even if the rebel
StateS should succeed in securing their indie
pendence They have in tact been separated
from about three years; vet the government
of the United States t. not overthrown. Its ter
ritory is .lessenel. but the existing government
remains in all its vigor and power to the States
which adhere 10 the Union The paragraph We
have quote from the opinion of the
Court. to which the Republican press now
object. is correc, in every respect. The
rebellion did not originate in an attempt Ito
overthrow the Government of the Uniiel States,
and i not ostensibly prosecuted for tha, purpose
The war would never have been commenced if
the Government OF the Unitel States would have
consented to peaceahle separation of the States,
and to day the existing government could have
peace If it wonll recognize the Independence Of
the Southern Coufederacy. C,n il Le denied
then, in the language OF the Court that ''the
rebellion consists Ia All attempt to Withdraw n
certain portion of the people and territory from
under the jurisdiction of the Government OF tie
Uuitei Statesr''