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

snd valid upol The free states refusing to ratify
itg Surely not. The proposition IL absurd npon
rs face Then Why il Il not equally absurd upon J
TIE other bandf Itwill certainly 90 appear 20
every candid, unbiased mind. The righs to de-
siroy cannot exist without The right 20 establish
aud rice rersa But / promised TO De brief. AS
the gentleman IRON Jefferson (Mr Wright
Travelled q little out Of the way 20 tell Ne that be
vas democrat; that lie voted Tor John c. Breck
inridge for president, and that be has rot yet
changed bis political faith. ] psuse for a uso
ment 10 psy him nv re- poets. I bad Supposed.
Mr.. Chairman. ths' the democratic psrty had be
come so obnoxious 70 the loyal O. party that If
any OF their number ever had acted and voted
With the democrats they would certainly disavow
IL at the funeral OF that party. which thar are
COW so loudly preaching
The gentleman from Jefferson Mr.. Wright
says be is a democrat Mr. Lincoln too. saws be
Is a democrat ltis cousoling to know that even
in death the name of democrat is glorious still
Without stopping to question his democracy. or
has consistency ia voting for Breckiurdge, and
advocating now the total abolition OF slavery.
would ask the gentleman from Jefferson. Mr.
Wright ard would ike 10 have him answer.
whether in voting for John Breckinridge he
did not vote 10 sustain state rights and 20 protect
the institution of slavery be does not answer.
A
the broad, unequyocsl platform upon which Dir
Breckinridge stood But. TO the question The
constitution provides that neither life. liberty
nor property shall be taken without due process
of law" Ii provides further, that no private
property shall be taken without just compenss
ton" To ssy nothing OF the great principle in
volved in this question. il is at least a PROPOSE
ton TO defFaud the citizen, the loyal citizen If
YOU please. as well the disloysl. of private
property. without due process of law" and
without ust compensation" Ii proposes, for
instance. 20 rob Kentucky Of her slave property.
valued at thirty-iour millions of dollars, although
she protests sgsnst il in the name of the organic
law Is this justi Is il rightg Is il calculated
TO form a more perfect union, establish justice.
insure domestic tranquility, or 10 secure the
blessings Of liberty to ourselves and poster
ty2 in the language of the preamble.
Ii secures liberty TO The negro. but not 10
ourselves aud posteriIy.' was intended
by our noble ancestry. Negroes are DO part oil
yourselves or OF our posterity," but are recog
nized by the constitution as property. growing
out of a local institution established and sane
toned by state authority. A great part Of the
wealth of the nation consists in this kind of pro
perty
You then propose to strike down and destroy
this species OF property and thus reduce the
wealth of the country hundreds OF millions OF
dollars, without the sanction of either states OF
individuals owning it. Ii is nothing more nor
less than wholesale robbery and public plumber
II this right il assumed and this institution is
stricken down, good faith must require that you
place the citizen effected thereby lin statu QUO "
But the government ALREADY overburdened with
taxation, land bleeding at every pore, is power
less to afford any compensation for the loss. even
To the lOvsl states; good reason why she should
leave the fate Of slavery entirely TO the rayages
Of war
Mr. Lockhsr,: DID YOU not, two years ago
upon this floor, oppose the scheme OF compensa
ted emancipation. proposed to the border states
by tie general governmeOti
MIR. Burton: Yes, sir, did. and would as bit
terly oppose il now as then, should that abstrsc
question be presented. | opposed that scheme
tor the same reason that | oppose this amend
ment, namely: because the federal goveinmen
was usurping authority not delegated. which be
onged to the states and TO the people exclusive
! y Let the states re. ulate their domestic affair
in their Own way, as they ever have done. lie
them establish or abolish slavery 10 their ovs
detriment or profit as the case may be, is IN,
! idea of preserving the union under tue constiIu
top. and of perpetuating our free Institutions
| Who ever asserted this right to abolish SLAYER,
in times of profound peace? Have not, on IN,
contrary, all our leading statesmen of all poti
]
demned and spurned the idea of the federal gov
eminent interfering with slavery in the state
where il eSi.tsi Then if this power did not ex
ist in times Of peace, surely it does not exist il
times ot war.
But" says Governor Morton, &" slavery i
the cause OF the rebellion AID hence il must die
He has pronounced sentence OF death upon il
and upon the principle that might makes right
il must he executed The satellites of this dis
Iinguished luminary. have asserted upon this
floor that slavery is dead, and we may az vel
support this amendment. So far as slavery i
concerned abstract question. care moth
| ing IL matters not TO me whether il shall sur
vive the dreadful conflict that is now filling ou
land with mourning. or not. aud il this import
ant question involved nothing more than th'
! life or death of slavery, should not have saiC
one word in this debate. But with all due def
erenceto our distinguished Governor aud hi:
! friends upon this floor, slavery is not dead. ant
in nv opinion, will not die while the two race
coexist on the American continent True, slaV
cry in its present mild form may not withstand
the dreadful shock of the present war but il
some shape or form slavery must exist while th'
two races are together. This proposition is bu
another step in the abolition programme, which
| is TO eliminate in that elevated y enlightened
and-ehristian % doctrine" the equality Of thu
races d" dare say Chief Justice Chase is read
now with his decision, and will decide, upon th
adoption of this amendment, that negroes CT,
citizens OF the United States | will wager
quarter that he so will decide, thus overthrowin,
and destroying the landmarks which guided hi
more ilustrioIs predecessors. Then will ths
happy period o! our history have dawned. when,
in the language of Mr. Lincoln, the two race
will start equally free and untrammeled in the
race OF life together" and each struggling TO
the mastery" in the language of Nathaniel
Banks, q" il will be question which the lapse Of
time will answer as to which is the inferior and
which the superior race ="
That in N judgement j. \ question: ong sine,
solved The finger of God has written su
periority, bright and indelible upon the brow
Of the Anglo Saxon, while Omnipc te lc
has fixed forever the seal Of depreciation
and inierioritY upon the African race
which seal, all the legislation IN christen
dom cannot change or efface Hence, repea
that while ever the tso'races exist here toge b =
the negro viii IN some way oianothes be the sub
ordinate OF. and subseTvent 20 the white race
/ That being true had we lot better adhere frml,
10 the old lard marks recognized and established
bv our fathers .
Admitting, for the sake Of argument, The RICH
10 make this amendment. is t eIpendient At thi.
time 70 exercise it ! 4 gigantic rebellion s ~
| foot. A bloody revelation j. being fought Fo
nesr four long years we have wsged the Wa
upon The insurgents, with the avoued object an,
express purpose Of restoring the federal author
ity over the rebelliOus states and preserving Ii,
union aud the constitution iItlct and inviolaie