Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-08-03
JO$EPH HOLT.


JOSEPH HOLT.
This gentleman, whose singular and nnex-
pec,ed course in Office has caused astonishment
and regret among all bis old friends. both 10
them in November, 1850. from which We make a
few extracts Alter siIudipg 10 tie prospect Of
immediate secession in South Carolina. aud
other cotton States, this letter continues:
/" The Border States. nov so devoted 10 the
Union. will liuger a little while. but they will
soon unite their fortunes With those OF the South
ern States. Conservative men will have no
ground 10 stand upon-Dc weapon TO battle with.
All has been swept from them by the guil;y agi-
tations and infamous legislation OF the North. |
co not anticipate. with any confidence, that the
North will act up 10 the solemn responsibilities
OF the crisis by retracing those fatal steps which
have conducted Us to the very brink Of perdition
politically. morally aud financially.
Speaking of blindness Of the people to coming
events, Mr. HoLr said.
"They know nothing OF civil war This march
in the desert OF the pilgrimage of nations has
happily been for them sealed fountain. They
know not as others do OF its bitterness, and that
civil war sa scourge that darkens every fireside
TO be commsserated, for they know not what to
do. Whence is all thisf Ii has come because
the pulpit and the press and the covering, I'M
scrupulous politicians of the North have taught
the people that thev are responsible for the do
mestic institutions Of the South, and that they
can be faithful to God only by being uniaithful
TO the compact which they have made with their
fellow men
Hence those liberty bills, vhich. degrade the
statute books OF some ten OF the free States. and
are confcssedly a shameless violation of the Fed
eral Constitution, in point vital to her honor.
We have here presented, from year to year. the
humiliating spectacle of free and sovereign
States, by solemn act Of legislation, legalizng
the theft of their neighbor's property. | say
theft, since it is not less 20 because the subject
of the despicabe crime chances to be slave.
instead of horse or bale of goods"
Portraying the effects of this upon the South
ern mind, the letter goes on as follows:
Il have brother residing 10 Mississippi. who
is lawyer by profession and cotton planter.
but has never had any connection with politics
Knowing the calm and conservative tone OF his
character | wrote him a few weeks since, and
mpored him to exert his influence in slaying
the frenzy of the popular mind around him. He
has replied to me at much length. and after de
pctng the Vaccinations Of the wretcbes to whom
Il
reigns in the homes OF the South, he says il is
the unalterable determination OF the Southern
people to overthrow the Government as the
only refuge which is left to them from these in
supportable wrongs. And he adds: 8 On the
success OF this movement depends my every
earthly interest, the safety Of my roof from the
frebrand, and Of nv wife and children from
poison and the dagger
IL give you this language, because il truth.
A. ii 4 O. l. 49,.
moment glows as furnace in its hatred to the
North, because of those Internal agitations
Think you that any people can endure this con
dtiou of things? When the Northern preacher
infuses into his audience the spirit of assassins
aud ihcendiaries in his crusade against slavery
does he think, as he lies down quietly at night
OF the Southern homes he has robbed of sleep
and the helpless women and chileren he has ex-
posed to all the nameless horrors of servile in
surrectionists?
81 am still for the U uion, because have yet
faint hesitstng hope that the North will do JUS
tice to the South. and save the Republic before
the wreck is complete. But action to be availa-
BILE. must be prompt. Ii the free States will
sweep the liberty bills from their codes. propose
Convection Of the States, and offer guarantees
which will afford the same repose and safety to
Southern homes and property enjoyed by those
Of the North. the impending tragedy may be
averted, but not otherwise. feel q positive per
sonal humiliation as a member of the human
family in the events now preparing"
Now that Mr. Hour should hold the opinions
and be influenced by the feelings expressed in
these tracts was natural enough. They were
the ideas generally prevalen, at that time among
the Conservative classes of the North, and uni
versally held in the Border States But the
a. nd bt,r
ourselves. once sincerely admired and respected
JosEPH HoLT as the model Of q constitutional
Democrat and an honorable man, IS that. ac-
cepting office, be should have been transformed
at once into the iraducer and prosecutor OF men
who held the opinions expressed by himself in
the above letter. and saw no reason TO change
them suddenly and completely he did, and
worse than all-in,o a beirayer of every prin-
ciple Of constitutional liberty. The detection OF
some OF our old friends to secession. whose uni
onism we thought as fra as the mistaken hills.
was not more surprising, or grievous to us, than
the complete surrender of Mr. Hour to radical
ism. AMI his willingness TO become tool In
support of the tyranny of an unbridled ma
jority IL was indeed great and grievous fall
to those who had marked, in the early career of
JostrH Hour. the blossoming Of great talents and
the unusual promise OF politician who seemed
to combine the most chivalrous honor with
sincere devotion to constitutional principles and
doctrines Of civil liberty upon which the fathers
focnded oar republic. L, is nournful to think
how often men who. in the beginning. seemed
above the ordinary line OF political integrity and
likely to impsrt new vigor - principles by the
force of their own moral example. in the end fall
as far below The average Of honesty and sincerity
they seemed TO soar above it when they set
out. Blu. such sre smons the lessons Of life,
and they teach With grosing force the truth that
trust i not to be put in politicians more than in
princes Boston Courier
A fatal cattle epidemic has broken gu, ia
" ood-tock. Csnada number OF cattle and
horses diet within week In hogs il frs,
=. II