Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-04-01

10 lutte purpose
The sssons OF Ltberty"-The Primer
pies and objects of the Order-Testi.
mony OF the Supreme Commander.
Mr.. VALLASpINeHAN, during his ross-eIami
nation before the military commission convened
in Cincinnati for The trial of the alleged Chicago
conspirators. thus defined the principles and pur
poses Of the order Of the Sons of Liberty, as IN
derstood by him, its supreme commander:
Questionable purpose being TO protect your
individual rights and organization of the demo
cratic party, and TO preserve all your rights at
the elections. please explain for what pur
pose those principles made principles of the
orderl
The Judge advocate here read from the 5th ar
ticle OF ritual Of o. S l..
Sovereignty resides in and with the people
of the states respectively. which are parties to
the constitution of the United States IL can not
be slienated, neither can il be delegated. Some
Gifts powers may be exercised by delegated au
thority, while others cannot be so exercised, ex
cept at the sacrifice in part OF the constitution of
all that lends dignity to mans relation to govern
ment"
Queston-was that one of the principles of
the order, as you understood III
hDsNcf-l NOulU DOt nave 50 WOFCcu lts Out
that is substantially declaration of principles
standing as whole. There are thirteen of them,
but why there were thirteen do not know, ex
cept from the thirteen original states they
part Of one whole, and they are just as proper as
the platform of any republican or democratic
meeting ever held.
The Judge advocate then read:
The government designated the United
States of America has no sovereignty, because
IL. IL
their respective state organizations, and with
which they have not endowed that government
as their common agent
z. Is that correctl
A. That is sound doctrine. Those are my
opinions, and they were those OF the old demo
cratic party of the revolution that there is no
sovereignty in the government, but there is su
premacy; that is the old constitutional demo
cratic right OF I799-that to the extent of its
powers it was supreme. any law OF the constitu-
ton or state TO the contrary notwithstanding
The federalists believed that the people, as a
whole. were the constituents Of the federal gov
eminent
q Then. in the event OF the officers of the
government exercising powers not delegated,
are they to be regarded and dealt with as usurp
ers?
A. They could not be called anything else, and
should be regarded and dealt with as usurpers
nize as an abstract truth, and which. FIVE years
/ ago, he would be bold who would cali it
| in question. The practical application of il is a
very different thing. When they were to be
usurpers, and who were to judge, and who pre-
scribe the dealing, we're very different things.
| These were simply the general enunciations OF
| principles that are common TO all parties, from
the establishment of the government down. that
whenever authorities went beyond their constitu
foIv sfxhf tbo,. hoo fyt -,
powers not belonging to them, and were to be
dealt WITH but when, how. and under what cir
| cumstances. is another question. | have given
| the contingency under which considered il right
| to resort To revolution.
q Does not that order state when they are TO
be considered usurpers, and how they are to be
trestedl Article 10 reads, wv henever the Off
Gals, to whom the people have intrusted the pow
| ers OF the government, shall refuse TO admins
ter in strict accordance with its constitution, and
shall assume and exercise power or authori-
| ~ not delegated. il is the inherent right and
imperative duty of the people to resist such
| officials and if needs be- expel them by force of
arms
A. That idea and doctrine are borrowed from
| the Declaration OF Independence. and are re-
garded as sound American doctrine and have
| been since this government established
| They are abstract doctrines, and | have never
endeavored TO carry them out. because the oc
cason has not arisen. 1t simply prescrbes
the general principles, and nothing further.
| They are abstract principles, like those in
moral or mental philosophy, or religion or any
thing else
q. Who was to determine when the occasion
existedp
A. Ii was a subject to be determined by the
| highest authority OF the organization, the Su-
preme Council
Q. Then whenever they determined that the
government was exercising powers not delegated.
had the contingency then happened upon which
they were to take up arms?
A proclaim and avow. that when it comes
to that contingency, il is the duty of the people,
| for the reason that We have a peaceable mode
of making a revolution that il is better to sub
init to the loss Of every right. il you will only
affirm that peaceable mode of revolutionziDg
! the government | mean the use of arms if
that right was questioned And no man, till
within the last three years, has been called to ac
| count for any such statement of any abstract
| principle
| = Who, then. was 10 determine when the
order would take up arms TO resist the federal
| authoritesl
A The contingency would have arrived with
the destruction OF the right of election; then. as
American citizens, say the people have right,
and il is their duty TO resist
| " DOec TINS III way cOuDuS IL 10
renee with electionsS Does not this paragraph
expressly state. Whenever the government was
exercising undelegated powers?"
A. IL is = general declaration OF principle,
precisely like the creed, 81 believe In the Father
and the son." which defines no general doctrine,
but is ar abstract creed of belief.
q. Does this paragraph confne it TO elec-
tons?
4. 1t does not.
| @ If il did not eonfine il 10 elections when
ever that supreme council determined that the
contingency had happened. was il generally un-
dersiood that this body 10 take up srmsf
1 A That was the natural conclusion, bet il
was never a subject OF even speculation 10 the
| order
q Did you ever hear any member OF this or.
der who did not say that the government was
exercising uudelegated powersf
A That was the opinion of the Democratic
| party universally. we'll as the organic alton /.
Was also. if | mistake not, the opinion Of Ere
mont. Winter Davis. Benjamin Wade. and a
great many republicans. too. / have no donbt
that, an abstract proposition, that they should
be expelled BY force of arms. and think every
given the same answer
. l. il your doctrine that when the Govern
ment is exercising powers not delegated, il is the
right OF the people 10 resist such officials. and
! expei them by force of armsg
II A. Ii is NV opinion, and il vas the opinion of
l Of, F,,t -. L.