Year: 1863

the States in rebellion, as she xn in the various
schemes of confscation and negro emancipation,
aDd the negro policy of the Administration. |
am IN favor of suppressIng the rebellion by all
constitutional means. but do not believe this
Federal Administration will ever. suppress
the rebellion, the Union by the polcy il
has adopted believe the Administration has
justly forfeited the confidence of large majority
OF the people. es sen in the States faithful to the
Union, and has rendered itself powerless 10 win
back the seceeded States by any peaceful or 9th.
er means therefore believe the Administration
ought 10 be changed soon as the change can be
made in constitutional way, by free election
OF the people; and | NEAR 10 do what can to
efiert that change. The people of the, Tenth
Congressional District. whom haveth honor to
represent, condemned the Administration in the
last October election. l made an issue before
them against the Administration upon almost
every measure you name as a part of "the war
policy OF the Government" and majority Of the
people agreed with me in the issue | made bv
electng me their Representative The same peo.
pie, in conjunction with the Democratic Union
men of the Eleventh Congressional District. at
Mass Convention at Fort Wavne on the 29th
OF April last, by solemn resolutions, clearly de-
hned their opinions and purposes as TO the Ad
ministration and its policy. have placed copy
of those resolutions in your possession, that YOU
may fully understand what the people and Dem
ocratic newspapers and orators of those Districts
mean TO do. fully accord with those resolu
tions, and ! shall not be unfaithfu 20 the trust
the people Of my District have placed in me
shall support the war policy orany other policy of
the Administration when | think it entitled to
support, and will oppose is before the people and
in Congress. when think il ought to be opposed
never facIously nor cautiously. but always act
lively. if need be. | will never, as long as life
and intelligence remain within me- surrender nv
constitutional right to freely discuss, approve or
condemn, in a constitutional way, and as think
the public good may demand, any policy or meas
ure, be IL for peace or war. of any Administration,
State OF National, and my counsel to every citi.
zen of Indiana and of the United States, is, to
stand by and vindicate his rightto do likewise


1t is with sense Of humiliation. as a citizen of
Indiana, that | have felt called upon to respond.
as L have done. to your letter. and every other
citizen Of the State, NAV well ask, in view of the
authority you claim. and the purposes you declare,
where is OLIVER p MoRToN. the constitutional
civil Governor of Indiana, that he does not at
once speak aud rebuke your claim to exercise au-
thority and do acts, that YOU can not exercise or
90, without a clear violation of the Constitution
and laws of the State of Indiana, and of the United
States, and without degrading him to a mere
cipher and pageant in the State? l would be
glad to know that Governor Morton can answer
this question AS becomes the dignity and freedom
of the State whose Chief Magistrate he is.


Respectfully,


Your cbedient servant.


JOSEPH X EDGERTON.
To Milo S HAscALL. Brigadier General Com


manding Department OF Indiana.