IN SENATE.
MONDAY, March 9, 1863.On motion by Mr. GIFFORD, it was--
Resolved, That the Secretary of State be authorised to procure and send; to each member of the Senate, and to the officers and Reporters thereof, two copies of the BREVIER LEGISLATIVE REPORTS, also two copies each of the Senate and House Documentary Journals, and two copies of the acts of the present session, all to be bound in full sheep.
Mr. JOHNSTON offered a concurrent resolution, which was adopted, authorizing the Governor, Auditor and Treasurer of State to appoint a Commissioner to investigate the fraudulent bonds outstanding against the State.
Mr. FERGUSON desired to correct a misapprehension that might exist with reference to the position of the Democracy of Scott county upon the Union question. The Senator from Delaware (Mr. March) had on Saturday alluded to Little Scott county in a way, as he (Mr. F.) thought, would cast doubt upon the loyalty of her Democracy. He defended Scott county from any such charge, and caused to be read resolutions of her Democracy.
page: 235[View Page 235]Mr. MARCH said he was the last man to do injustice to the people of Scott county, believing in the golden rule, "Judge not lest ye be judged." The Senator was mistaken. No allusion had been made by him that would cast such doubts as those hinted at. In his remarks he was alluding, in general terms, to the proceedings of the meetings of Democrats throughout the State, and simply referred to the resolutions of a township meeting in Scott county and others by way of making a comparison. The resolutions of a Scott county meeting that had just been read were not as objectionable as those referred to by him. There was much in them he could heartily endorse, and were much better than those generally adopted at Democratic meetings. But there were some things in the resolutions that he as heartily condemned. One was that this war had been commenced by preachers and Northern fanatics. This was wholly untrue. The war had been begun only by one section, and that section was alone responsible for it. The people of the North were not responsible, but were fighting in self-defence. He would never consent to admit that the exercise of freedom of speech at the North had brought the rebellion upon us. Another thing he objected to was a repetition of the usual clap-trap of such meetings, that nothing should be done toward fighting rebels unless attempts were first made for compromise through conventions and by means of an armistice. Such doctrines were calculated to encourage rebels in arms, and divide the friends of the Union, and should be discountenanced by all good patriots.
Mr. COBB said the Senator from Delaware referred to a resolution passed by a township meeting in Scott county in which it is charged that the ministers North and South were instrumental in bringing the present troubles on the country. He endorsed the sentiment, and history would pronounce it true. The ministry were intensely partisan and proscriptive. They were Abolitionized North, and preached political Abolitionism from their pulpits and denounced all who differed with them as disloyal. The Senator [Mr. March] could not reply to the Senator from Scott [Mr. Ferguson without spreading his wings and covering the entire ground of politics. Mr. C. replied to the general remarks of Mr. March, and reviewed the acts of both parties in the present Legislature, branding the minority with revolutionary acts without the slightest shadow of reason for any such acts.
Mr. FERGUSON offered a resolution, which was adopted, that a committee of two on the part of the Senate be appointed to act with a similar committee on the part of the House to wait upon the Governor and ascertain if he has any further communication to make to the Legislature.
Messrs. Ferguson & New were appointed.
Mr. FERGUSON, from the committee appointed to wait on the Governor, reported that they had performed that duty, and that the Governor had informed the committee that he had no further communications to make to this General Assembly.
Mr. BROWNE, of Randolph, offered a resolution that the Senate, having finished its business, adjourn at 12 o'clock this day, and that the House be informed of the passage of this resolution.
The resolution was adopted, but before the result was announced,
The PRESIDENT arose and said:
Gentlemen of the Senate:I have not reflected one moment upon what it would be proper for me to say to you upon the adjournment of this session of the Senate. I have no set speech, and what I say to you will be dictated by my feelings and my judgment. When the Senate of Indiana assembled on the 8th of January of the present year, our country was and still continues to be involved in a great struggle for the preservation of the integrity of this government. There was more party feeling, I believe, existing at the time the Senate assembled than there is existing today, and I hope the legislation of the Indiana Senate has not been without vast benificial results upon the best interests of the country. And I conjure you gentlemen, as leaders and as citizens of the great State of Indiana--as representatives which the people of Indiana have reposed confidence in and upon whom they devolved a responsibility that has not been equaled by any session of the Senate that ever has assembled in the State of Indiana--I say, I trust and conjure you, in view of this responsibility, that you shall, as citizens and as leaders, use all the influence you may possess amongst your various constituency for the purpose of bringing about a restoration of this glorious Union--for the purpose of concluding this war, which is devastating the land and is taking off hundreds of thousands of the productive men of the country. And above all, gentlemen. I trust, and it shall be my course when I return to the bosom of my constituency--that you will use all the influence you can possess for the purpose of allaying the existing excitement--for the purpose of preventing a collision in the State of Indiana; for if a collision should take place in Indiana it will spread to all the western States, and it will be a war which would carry famine and devastation to the home of every citizen of Indiana. I trust, then, as citizens, as legislators, an patriots, that each one of you will, use your utmost exertions for the purpose of keeping down angry extremes, and for the purpose of preventing civil war from being inaugurated in the State of Indiana.
At the commencement of this session, gentlemen, I was elected your presiding page: 236[View Page 236] officer. I have no language to express the gratitude that I feel to the members of this Senate for the compliment which they have bestowed upon me, and for the expression which they have given and honestly given of the satisfactory manner in which I have endeavored to discharge the duties of presiding officer. I can appeal to my God with all confidence and honestly, and can say, that while I have had the honor and it is an honor of presiding over the deliberations of the Indiana Senate during its present session. I have attempted to ignore and from day to day I have renewed the attempted to ignore anything like party feeling or partizan partiality. My sole object has been that every member of this Senate should have an opportunity of freely expressing his views upon all questions which have agitated this body from the opening of the session till its adjournment with this hour. I tender to you again, in sincerity, my heartfelt thanks for the honor you have conferred upon me. I shall look upon it as one of the proudest moments of my life when I was elected the presiding officer of this body.
In conclusion, gentlemen, I trust that when you return to your various constituents your conduct may meet their approbation, and that they will be able and will pronounce upon you "well done thou good and faithful servant; you have represented us truly and faithfully in the Indiana Senate-- you have discharged the duties which were entrusted to you." And personally, gentlemen, I wish you peace, and prosperity, and happiness, so long as you may each live. I now pronounce the Indiana Senate adjourned, sine die.
But permit me to say--(I had not studied for one moment what I ought to say to you--) that there is one subject I should have alluded to; but it has been satisfactorily done by resolution of the Senate. Since we have assembled here one of our members--I allude to the Hon. Thomas Shoulders-- has departed this life. He was an honest man, and a prudent and cautious legislator. Let us cherish his memory, and keep the admonition constantly before our eyes, that "in the midst of life we are in death." I pronounce the Senate of Indiana now adjourned sine die.
