Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-03-04

fronf and breaking solsun pledges While psssina
through this fery ordeal Of bloo1 and desolsfior
Although Mr.. Lincoln has In many instances die
regarded and violsted The constitution IN his zeal
toopfrsss The deuocrst;c party Of The portn and
liberafe he slave Of he sossh. yes there has
been no sssolrte change made In TIE fuudanea-
th lau tst Is Written AID shichever this il
the csse. the friends OF the administration nay
claim With some plaasiblity that the YER i pros
ecuted TO restore the authority OF the Old co0sti
futon. But. cir. suppose this Amendnent is rat
fed and sd0pted you thereby discard TIE cd
union under the Old constitution. present = Res
issue 70 the south. and place the war upon = He~
footing
What. sir. win be the eject Of such decided
change OF ironIl The elect ~isl indeed be
most disastrous 10 our cause IL will 6re the
southern hesrt anes, create disseusions In the
NORTH and enlis: the SYN pathies of the friends Of
constitutional liberty everywhere 10 behalf Of
the south, because, iors00th, The amend ment
rill virtually cut them OF from the uni0n while
a var il being waged 70 ship them back into
submission. Nav. more. the effect vili De 60
convert the present gigantic rebellion into jus
tfable revolution, and the var for the oaion
into a war Tor piilAge aud plumber. for coaque-t
aud suDiugstion. This i no time to NEEDLE
xith constitutions We have our hands foIl al
ready, and If il Is ouF intention TO suppress this
rebellion ia the best aud shortest way let Us give
t our undivided attention. keeping strictly within
the letter and spirit Of the constitution, a. now
sritter, aud leave the institution Of slavery 90
take care of itself. Such policy might unite
the north and divide the south, an6 secure en
early peace, but when you rivet this old federal
idea and uew tangled abolition theory upon the
constitution OF the country aud expect the dem
ocratc party 10 unite ~ith you IN a vigorous
prosecution OF the war TO enforce il. you reason
without your hosts. fos they cannot consistently
and will not do IL When that IL
sue is presented TO the south which Goa forbid.
can say. 60 r.: ss | am individually con-
lcerned. feeling and kno~ing my responsibility
and duty as a citizen, that will oppose TIE vsr,
under such q policy. more vigorously than ever
before. Then / ask again. is il expedient as =
measure for the suppression OF the rebellion?
But neither argument nor entresty will prevail
against the wild frenzy which has seized the ad-
vocstes OF this monstrous proposition. | have
now submitted all nave 20 say in opposition TO
the measure. A word in conclusion and yield
The floor To the friends Of this measure, Who
insist that political life or death depends up
on the vote we are about TO record. we will say
that We prefer political death ten thousand times
o political life, purchased at 50 great sacrifice
OF personal honor and political principle.
You ~ill triumph ever Us. well know. in the
adoption Of this resolution rstifying the action OF
congress But when you triumph over u. you
triumph over the . constitution it Is, and the
union a. il was" When you nave defested Us
in the passage OF this measure, you have also de
feated republican institutions with all their cher
ished objects and purposes thereby destroying al
that serves TO animate the hopes and exslt the
pride of the American citizen (" Defeat will be
sweet, compared 90 such victory
What triumph will there be "0h nv
countrymen