The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-06
HIS WAR RECORD.

| HIS WAR REOUkD.
IF there was any particular section Of the
Democratic party of the country in the States
not actually in rebellion more thoroughly
saturated with treason than any other, it was
the Democratic party of Indiana, and of that
reasonable Democratic party Mr.. Thomas A.
Hendricks was the particular, conspicuous
representative and exponent. So patent was
this fact that in 1865, at the time of tie
assassination of Abraham Lincoln, Governor
Morton and Joseph A. Wright were forced
to interpose to protect Mr.. Hendricks from the
| fury of an outraged loyal people when he
attempted to open lips which had steadily
been used in detraction of and opposition to
that work in the prosecution of which Mr.
Lincoln became the victim of Democratic
assassin. But for the personal intervention
of Governor Morton and Governor Wright
it is probable that Mr.. Hendricks would
not have been in a position to-day
to affront the intelligence and insult the pa
triotism of those people of Indiana and of the
country who can remember back to 1861.
| There is nothing more monstrous in history
than for Thomas A. Hendricks to stand up
now and pirate of his record during the war of
the rebellion. The secession Legislature of
1868 knew its man, and the Democrats of
that body unanimously elected him to repre-
sent them in the United States Senate
which he did in so satisfactory a manner to
them that he has ever remained ''the favorite
son" of the Indiana Democratic party 1t was
this Legislature that elected Mr.. Hendricks
which attempted to overturn the State govern
ment and place the military power of the
State in the hands of three rebel-sympathizing
State officers.
II was in this Legislature that resolutions
including the Confederate States, to meet at
{ Nashville on the LIST day of june 1868, ''to re-
store the Union as it was" and an armistice
was demanded that such convention might
meet
1t was the Legislature of 1868, which killed,
by strict party vote, resolution declaring
''that The sacred cause in which our patriotic
soldiers fell shall never be given up
1t was in the Legislature of 1868, of which
Mr. Hendricks was the chosen representative,
that resolution was introduced and referred
declaring that Indiana will never, volun-
tarily. contribute another man to be used for
such wicked, inhuman and unholy purposes"
and fifty seven Democrats in the House voted
for the reference.
Mr. Hendricks became the representative of
this type of Indiana Democracy in the United
States Senate. At Shelbyville, after his cleo
ton, he made speech to his old friends and
neighbors, in which he said: g.. ~ !
II make no appeals to men to volunteer, as
would not say go where was not going my
self. At any moment l am ready for
compromise and adjustment upon the basis of
a restored Union-to give the South all the
rights under the Constitution, and such guar
antees as may make these rights secure.
If Congress should take bundle of switches
and switch them 1.-THE President and his ad-
visers1 all out of the White House, it would be
well for the people but until it is done it will
not be WE'LL
On March IS, 1868, at meeting held at the
Bates House on the request of the authorities,
for the purpose of inducing leading Democrats
to use their influence to suppress the prevail
ing resistance to the draft, Mr.. Hendricks
said:
'The majority of the people of Indiana are
desperate under the despositism of the govern
nent, and no one can tell how long it will be
endured"
Before and after this time the Democrats
had resisted the arrest Of deserters, resisted
the enrolling officers and on the 18th of June,
in that year. Fletcher Freeman, an enrolling
officer, was shot dead.
In April, 1864, Mr.. Hendricks was one Of
two senators from the Northern States who
voted against the thirteenth amendment for
the abolition of slavery.
On tho I4th of September. 1861 Mr.. Hen