The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-18
WHY THE SOUTH Seeded.
A Hoosier Tells Of the Action Of Sugar
Creek Township Debating Society.


when Daniel Webster, referring to
Massachusetts,, said: There she stands,
Indiana had not cut the caper she has since,
said an Indiana man in downtown broker
office. A fnancier had asked why 1t was
that Indiana kicked up 80 much dust every
four years.
Indiana the Hoosier continued, was
the first Northern State to give aid and
comfort to the South when that section
started out to bust up the Government.
] reckon you gentlemen have heard Of
Boggstown''
The opinion was expressed with una
nimity, in a pleasant way. Of course. that
there was no such place. This was only q
bait. The Indianan took 1t like flsh.
well, was going to ask you II you had
ever heard Of Sugar Creek township; but II
you say there is no Boggstown. then you
would deny Sugar Creek township. Gentle.
men. It was in Boggstown. Sugar Creek
township, Shelby county, Ind, that the
frst Northern resolution Of sympathy fol-
the South was passed.
shelby county was settled by people
with inherited politics. 1t was the home Of
Tom Hendricks, and they had so much
respect for him in that county and thought
was an election in Sugar Creek township
the Republicans always got sick or had
business somewhere out OF the county
For there were migratory voters in those
days in Indiana.
1T was an October State In 1850, and
the Republicans carried 1t. That was re.
garded as a revelation that Lincoln would
carry 1t In November.
Two months after the November cleo
ton things began to bubble all over the
country, as some Of you may recall. Shelby
county was about the hottest place north
than hot, and, in comparison with Sugar
Creek township, hell, as the good old Bap.
lists preach It, was q skating resort.
"A meeting was called in the district
schoolhouse In Sugar Creek to instruct
the Government what il ought to do. Il
was agreed to turn the question over to
the Sugar Creek Literary Society, to dispose
Of it as 1t thought best
"One Of the skylights OF the society de-
clared that the Government had no right
ooersh man. he said, and II you
can't ooersh man you can't coersh a whole
State.
THE orator then read resolution, or a
pair OF them to the society: One earnestly
Assembly Of the State to mako an applioa-
ton to Congress. to call q convention for
the purpose OF passing an amendment
to the Constitution OF the United States
that would forever settle the slavery ques-
ton between the North and South.
THE other resolution was to the effect
that in case Congress failed to do this,
and IL the country must be divided, Sugar
Creek township would feel itself com
PEELED to cast its lot with the Southern
Confederaoy.
Gentlemen, may the catfish OF the
Wabash River never bite again II both
resolutions were not unanimously adopted.
Conscious Of the fact that 1t had done Itself
proud, copies Of the resolutions were sent
to every Legislature in the South.
None OF us knew as much geography
in those days rs We do in this age, and when
the South heard from Sugar Creek town
ship in Indiana 1t just thought that the
whole of the North was ready to cross the
Ohio River and give up And In my opin-
ion, and II was also the opinion OF Sugar
Creek township, the passage OF those reso-
lutions was what hurried the South TO
seoede. And you ask me what kind Of q
State is Indiana?'