Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-04-30

which lmpairs or infringes the constitutional
right of citizen of Kentucky, you know it is
not worth the paper on which it is written
1t is invalid, it is null and void, and gives
you noright to complain whatever 1t NAY
show that the public sentiment in Wisconsin
is little disordered, but it can have no other
effect - &C.,. $1,000.
But remember this revolt is not against the
government of the States; it is against the
Government of the United States They did
not undertake to overthrow the government
of any of the individual States they did not
propose to do it, but simply the Government
of the United States, and the Governments of
the United States never passed any personal
liberty laws. But those men who, went out
from here to make this rebellion told you
that the personal liberty laws had never done
any hurt and were not the cause Of complaint.
a REBELLION 70 CRUSH OUT OPINION AND SUB
JUGATE THE NATION.
Mr.. President, what had we done or what
had we said to give occasion for this revolt?
The form of the Government was as perfect
as they could make it. The administration of
the Government had been just what they
chose to make it. There had been no act of
which they could complain. What words had
we uttered Of which they could complain?
The President of the United States, coming
into office on the 4th of March, 1861, threat
ened everywhere with revolt, with war, find
ing himself surrounded by menace in every
direction-what language did he employ to-
ward the insurgents | desired to read one
passage from the inaugural address of the
President of the United States, which |
thought had in this volume of the Globe,
but do not see it, and i cannot repeat it,
and | must let it pass. Sir, you remember
and remember the language used by the
President of the United States who was call
ed upon to encounter the first effort at revolt
against the authority of the United States,
and to break up the Union of these States
His speech was very brief, but it was very
emphatic. He said: "By the Eternal, the
Union shall be preserved !" and it was. He
did not try to palliate, to excuse, or to ex-
tenuate. he set himself up before the world
as the representative of the people of the
United States, and he said that every man in
and outside of the United States must respect
that AUTHORITY. si
The language we employed in 1861 was
milder than that. The threats and the
taunts and the insults have all come from the
insurgents, and none from the authorities
against which they revolted. Let me read
to you an extract from the language of one
of the Senators from a revolving State. He
had not then left the Senate Chamber. He
was still in your employ, still under your pay.
Speaking of an event which had transpired a
short time before, and which had touched
the sensibilities of every loyal citizen of the
United States, he, here in this Senate Cham
Der, in the presence DC the Representatives, of
the American people, employed this singular
language: tFff8 IfBW rem
s'sThe Star of the West Iwaggered into Charleston
harbor received blow planted full in the face and
staggered out. Your flag has been ins uIted, re-
dress it if you dare You have submitted to it for
two months, and you win submit to it forever"
The Government having done no act
against which complaint could be made, hav-
ing spoken no word that was not spoken in
kindness, here was rehelliormustered, then
having gathered head in eight States; here
was a man in your council chamber preparing
to join in it, daring you to assert the author
ity Of the people, telling you that your flag
had been insulted, andthat you dared not re-
sent it; rebel right here in this Senate
Chamber. | remember that De Quincy, in
some essay of his, treats of murder as one of
the fine arts. | want TO see the essayist who,
by and by, in more peaeeable times, with the
light of this rebellion before him, will under
take to treat Of revolution as one of the fine
arts.
But, Mr.. President, what was the trouble
Did they go to war for nothing? Was this
revolution mustered for no purpose whatever
By no manner Of means 1t was for a very
significant purpose. The truth about was,
and you know it, sir, there was an opinion
prevailing in portion Of the States of the
Union which was very obnoxious to the men
who made this rebellion and who owned
slaves. Your Constitution was formed for
the purpose Of making American opinion the
supreme law. There we're very few limita-
tions put upon that opinion. As great deal
of mischief had arisen in other countries be-
cause of establishing some particular reli-
gions opinion as the legal opinion upon reli
gious subjects in different realms, it was for
hidden that you should make any law regula,
ting worship or regulating religious opinions.
1t declared American opinion to be the su.
preme law. There was a necessity, you see,
that American opinion should be left perfect
ly free, that every man should be allowed to
think what he pleases on all subjects.
Now, it happened that the men who made
that Constitution were almost united in the
opinion that slavery was great wrong OF
course they put nothing into the Constitution
to inhibit you or me or any man from think
ing the same and great portion of the peo
pie of the United States had therefore con
tinued to hold fast to that conviction. This
| rebellion was employed for the simple pur
pose of crushing out that opinion. The Con
stitution had left every man free to cherish
that oeinion who saw fit to cherish it. II
could not, therefore, be put down by law
Revolution was the only force which could
put it down, and revolution was resorted tC
for that nurDOSp and for no other
Let it be remembered by whoever under
takes to speak of this rebellion hereafter
tnat. when your forefathers had secured, by
! revolution and by war, the right to govern
themselve-, and had left opinion perfectly
free amc g all the people of the United
States, the first opinion which it was attempt
ed to crush out by force was that of anti-sla
very. Understand me, then, to assert as
fact that this rebellion is organized for nc
other purpose than to crush out antislavery
opinion, and not anti-slavery action. WHY
do / say that such is the purpose of the re-
bellion? First, because there is nothing bu
opinion to rebel against. There was not ar
act of, there was not a defect ia, the Govern
ment, as | have shown. There was nothing
but an opinion to war against.
SENATOR HOWE then proceeded to show, BY
quotations from STEPHENS of Georgia anC
other leading Southern men, that the purpos,
of the rebellion is not only to put down anti
slavery opinion, but to subjugate the nation
The latter was shown by the attempts of thu
rebels to seize the National Capital, to assas
sinate the President the declaration of thu
Commissioners sent from Mississippi to confe
! WITH tba Government Of MARYLAND &c