Year: 1861

'"V ""'tnt VI tho lHpUDllcan part


into power has been followed JyunnixcI


evil to our country. "Wherc're the,


move in anger, desolation tracks tioi


progress. Whcre're the pause in arnity


aliliction nouns their iricnj ship"-ailt


am told that patriotism requires me {,


desert the banner of my party that have


followed from my youth, and throw dowi
the standard that have carried in man,
a wcll-fought political field, for the nm.
certain good that is to come out of a un


ion with the Republican party on any
terms.


My friends, | for one am not prepared


ior this, nor is it the feast to which they


nave been invited. Rather let us stand
J by our organization, and the PRINCIPLES


OF our party ; plant the Democratic stan


dard anew and invite all who wish well


OF their country to rally around it, and


when ITS principles are again triumphant


we may expect peace and union once


more. But let us do this as good and 10y


al citizens, let us abide by our laws, ant


submit to oul rulers under the Constitu


tion until we can change them according


to the Constitution. For myself, am {


law abiding man. My Government car


make no law under the Constitution thai


l am not willing to obey while it rem ain,


law but | shall claim and assert the


right to disc IS that law and vote for it,
change or modification as often as my
right as a citizen will enable me to do.
No cry Of home traitor or home treason
|, al,
public ear be disturbed by this cry of
home traitor? There are no traitors in
Indiana, or if any lurk in our midst they
are to be found in that small band who
have advocated and may still be in favor
of secession, peaceable or otherwise, and
they are so few in numbers and insignif-
cant in influence that it is better to let
them hide in the dark than to drag them
into the light.


The present condition of our country
demands examination into the financial
policy at this time in operation. No
sooner had the Southern mem bers left the
national halls of legislation, than the
party made dominant by the revolutions
AIRY action of the Southern States, signal
lied their ascendancy by the enactment
of the most proscriptive and oppressive
tariff that the annals Of our legislation
had up to that time disclosed. We were
told that the hasty legislation which re-
suited in the Morrill, tariff would be modi.
fed at the next session. The result of
the next session is before us, and the Nor
rill tariff has been mo- flied with venge-
ance by adding ten per cent to the already
eXorbtant scale Of prices, and as specific
tax upon almost the whole free list, thus
showing that class Of legislation for the
benefit of the manufacturing intel csts at
the expense of the agricultural interests of
the Northwest, is the ruling policy of the
party in power. Our country now pre-
sents the singular spectacle of almost
entire non-intercourse with the CONNER.
cial world. All our Southern ports-for
we claim them stll-are blockaded by
our fleets, and all our Northern ports
more ehectually still by tariff and China
and Japan were never more completely
cut off from the worlds commerce hv
their intercourse policy than are we
at this day. Are these not matters to be
corrected, and can we not be patriots and
condemn the authors of this great wrong?
And shall we fear to speak lest we may
be misunderstood or msrepresented?
expect to be maligned, misrepresented
and abused 10y base and malicious men,
but that shall not turn me aside from the
pathway which my honest convictions
have marked ont for mo- Strong in the
knowledge that have never entertained
a sentiment Of disloyalty to my Govern
ment, continue to condemn the wrong
and sustain the light until the time shall
come, if ever, when we can repeat the
eloquent and patriotic language of the
President: 1--WE are not enemies but
friends We must not be enemies
Though passion may have strained it
must not break our bonds of Affection
The mystic cord of memory, stretching
from every battle field and patriot grave.
to every loving heart and hcarthstonc all
over this broad land, will yet swell the
chorus of the Union, when touched as
surely they will be, by the better angels
of our nature" May the better angles
who were tugging ct the hcart-stlings of
the President when lie breathed forth this
patriotic sentiment, soon visit us all,
North, South, East and West, until "each
loving heart and hcarhstonc all over this
broad land" shall once more be lit up
with the flame Of hrotherly love, the cho
rus of the Union be again sung through
all our broad land, is my petition now
and ut all times.


My friends you have my thanks for
your attention.