Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-08-07
For the Daily Stute Sentinel.
A Few Thoughts About the Present
Condition of Public Affairs.

SorTH BFSp, kD.. July u, ls6l
EpIroR SxSTINKL:-The great battle near Ma
nassas Junction has been fought. and we have
been defeated, disgracefully defeated If the re
ported paucity of numbers of our slain and
wounded are true-the number being variously
reported between 800 and 600: and yet our
forces on the ground numbered at least 55 5,000-
the grand army of the United States. that cost
the Government, perhaps, $50 900 900 to bring
into the fields totally routed and demoralized.
The Administration. so far as prosecuting the war
TO a speedy and successful termination is involved,
is worse off to day than it vas three months ago,
with the army defeated and demoralized. and the
national pride mortified and Inundated
Ii is of no use to shut our ewes or close our
against the stubborn truth. We have been
so badly whipped-yes, disgraced-that il throws
into the shade of oblivion all successful feats
and skirmishes in Western Virginia. Ii any man
had publicly predicted, forty-eight hours before
hand, our defeat and disgrace at Manassas, he
would have been branded as traitor; and yet /
have frequently, within the last month, heard
such predictions made privately, by intelligent
and rejecting gentlemen-not because they wish
ed their predictions to be realized, but because
their reason and judgment forced the conviction;
ministration is waking up u rational sense of
the cause that has demoralized our grand army.
The "honorably discharged" of some Of the cold
fogy" and few of the lobloly generals, since the
battle, shows that the Administration are learn
ing from experience what they might have learn
ed from public discussion of the subject, were it
not for the gag law. Every man that entertains
or expresses an opinion contrary to the policy or
course that the Administration is pursuing. is
branded a traitor and charged guilty of
treason 10 the country. Congress has apprOpri-
ated the sum of $500 ,OOO. 200, every dollar of
which has vet 10 be raise.l. from the pockets of
the people; this is equal TO about the sum of S25
for every man. woman and child in the free States
including paupers negroes and criminals; and
part of this is to be raised by direct taxation
This sum is appropriated, and placed at the dis
posal of the President, to defray the expenses of
the Government and for carrying the war for
one Eedr. Can the country pay this enormous
amount of money without great individual dis
/ treSs and embarrassment, If not without general
bankruptcy Every man in the country has Il
personal and individual interest in understanding
and discussing this great question in all its bear
| ings and in all its ramfcations. without fear.
threats of the gag law. Every man has the right
/ to inquire discuss, and understand kolc this money
is tn be raised, also hOIc it is 10 be expended.
There is deep and, at present. suppressed feel
ing of dissatisfaction throughout the whole
country on this subject that will not be gagged
into submissive silence. The Republican
purity are mistaken if they suppose that the whole
country will acquieSce in Mr. Lincoln's new
tangled doctrine, that he and his Cabinet "the
| Government" If the Government needs $780,
600, 900 for year, let there be free. opea and
unrestraned discussion on the subject as TO how
the money is to be raised, what it is needed for.
and how and for what purposes iii to be expended
and the manner of its expenditure, and what the
country NAV expec. from if. 1t is every mans
business to see that no more money is raised than
| is needed, and that nothing shall be squandered.
neither heedlessly nor cOrTuptly, and unless this
matter shall be freely and publicly canvassed
without restraint, the day NAV come when fu-
ture Congress will repudiate this whole debt.
Such thing Is not improbable, when the seeded
States shall return to the Union, if that desirable
result shall ever be accomplished. / am informed
/ that the Administration pays from Sl45 to Sl55
fer army wagons. | am also informed that a
wagon Of the kind usei can be proftably manu-
factured for the sum of S95: this leaves profit
for the Administration contractor of from $50 to
$50 on the price paid for each wagon; that SUN
gives profit to the contractor of some fifty to
sixty thousand dollars on each thousand wagons
Why were not the contracts for building wagons
let out by public advertisement To the lowest bid
der? The public knows but little of the syste-
matte swindlinS in Government contracts under
this Administration, and inquiry and exposure is
suppressed by the operation of the gag law
The army wagons are but small item, in the
aggregate, of the vast sums OF public money OBJ
tanned by favoritism OF swindling. There is not
the least necessity on earth to resort to direct
taxation to raise the first dollar for the support of
the Government to prosecute the war, if the
public cInds only be kept clear of the knave-
ry of thieves, swindlers and peculators. You
can't find Democrat in all the free States who
is not only now, but always has been. a better
Union man AMI truer to the principles of the Con-
stitution. than any Republican in the Lincoln
party. But sustaining the Union. the Constitu
ton and the Government of our fathers, is a very
different business from sustaining the Administra-
ton of Abraham Lincoln, and being gagged into
acquiescence and silence from showing that the
amount OF money that is really needed 10 carry
on the war need not be raised in any part by di
rect taxation, If the treasury can be protected
from Government thieves, swindlers and pecula-
tors. This Black Republican gag law is worse
in its spirit, and practice than the seli
ton law enacted during the administration of the
elder Adams. The sedition law is monument
of nfamy that stains the history of tnat Admins
tration, the gag law will furnish the escutcheon
of this. Your friend. &c,
j. A. LIsroS.