Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-08-14

American crisis as a supreme trial of Republican
institutions. He expressly declares it to be so,
and, though he describes the object of that form /
of government in some vague and high sounding /
phrases equally applicable to any other it is well
that the people of the United States should be /
jealous for the honor and integrity of their Con-
stitution. The absurdity of maintaining that the 4
instrument of confederation contained provisions /
for annulling itself has been amply demonstrated,
but what follows? Certainly not that it must be /
enforced at all hazards-at the risk of running /
those interests which it was designed to secure of
estranging forever those States which it was de- |
signed to unite, of bringing into discredit those
principles of which it the earliest embodi- |
ment. We can not think that Mr.. Lincoln rises /
to the height Of this practical, but not less lofty
argument. He clings to the shadow of consist- /
ency by reverting again and again to the legal /
merits of the question, and animadverts with /
cOmmendable smartneSs on the pecuniary NAL /
versations of the seeding States and on the arts
of the agitators who "sugar-coated have been /
drugging the minds of their section for more than |
thirty years" breaches the duty of demonstrating |
to the world and that, too, by rushing into war |
that "ballOts are the rightful and peaceful sue |
cessors of bullets, and makes several very effect
i've retorts upon Mr.. jefferson Davis. He even |
persists i'm dealing with movement which has /
given birth TO Constitution, a commercial sys- |
TEN, vast army, and unbounded aspirations, as n /
half hearted demonstration forced on the good /
people of the South against their WILL and doubts |
whether there is TO day majority of the legally
qualified voters Of any State, except, perhaps |
South Carolina, in favor of disunion" We will /
not say that this is mere triiing, but we do say /
that it goes some way to slow that Mr. Lincoln |
and his advisers do not feel the full force of those
considerations which have long absorbed all /
others in the minds of European observers.
There is one negative feature in this Message |
which we must not pass over Ii contains none /
of the harsh recriminations against foreign pow
ers that VIC had some reason TO apprehend and |
which, proceeding from official source might
have impaired, though it could not destroy, the |
sympathy which we have never ceased TO feel for |
the United States. The President attributes the
temporary partiality of Europe for the South
of which we first learnt the existence from Amer
ican Journalistic the extraordinary fOrbearance /
of his own Government, leading to an impression
"that the early dissolution of our national union
was probable" We are quite ready g admit /
this, or any other imaginary ntese-..;ation of an
imaginary fact, and even g; accent with rood |
grace the charitable Conclusion of a New York |
contemporary . .rich perceives "an improved dis
position = England so long as not for
CO.. 20 quarrel with our friend because we will /
not quarrel with another We have not re-
turned railing for railing, for respected the /
sensitiveneSs of patriotism in the presence of an
overwhelming danger We comment upon the |
acts of American statesmen as we should COM |
ment upon those of our own, though with great |
er caution and reserve; and when we prefer a |
frank recognition of Southern independence by |
the North to the policy avowed in the Presidents |
Message, it is solely because we foresee, as by
sanders that this is the issue in which, after inf
mite loss and humiliation, the contest must re
suit.
From the London News
If Mr.. Lincoln and his Cabinet are correct in |
their views, it is obvious that the success of the
war depends not upon cOnquering or occupying |
the Southern States but upon removing the incu-
bus which Overawes the citizens of these States by
an imposing display of military power 1t may
be that the anticipations of the North are mis-
taken; but in the meantime it must be admitted
that the measures which have been taken by the
Government at Washington are well adapted for
purpose of defeating the Southern army in the
field, and enabling the Union party in the South
to assert their power
If the Union is to be restored, it can only be
by force of arms; and to that end the two essen
tials experienced commander at the head
ola numerous and ll-appOinted army. Although
the reasonable conduct of so many Southern of
hcers of the United States Army, might have
served as some apology for the War Secretary if
he had distrusted any officers from the South,
still it is to the credit of Mr.. Lincoln's Admins
tration that they should have retained Gen. Scott
Virginian, at the head of the Federal army.
liant old man, it can be matter of surprise that
he should exercise a remarkable influence over
| both officers and men; and those who have
watched his military career and observed his ca
pacties a scientific soldier, can have no diff
Guilty in understanding why Mr.. Lincoln and his
/ Cabinet should place unbounded confidence in his
military judgment and should allow him to con-
duct the war in whatever way he thinks best 1t
is well known that in the Mexican campaign his
| sagacity enabled him to draw up plan at Wash
ngtOn, which was carried into effect almost to the
very letter; and it will be no small triumph if in
the present campaign, he is able to repeat so
| splendid an achievement. Nor is the American
Government dispose to stint him in means Ac-
cordng to the latest accounts there is to be an
army OF 40OOO0 men. OF these there are already
2lO 900 in the field who all engaged to serve
for three years, and it is anticipated that there
will be no difficulty in procuring the l90, 900 that
are still wanting.
J From the London Morning Postl
The occasion is an extraordinary ard momen-
tOus one for the American Union portion of
what was once the United States, nearly equal in
extent to England and France together, has been
for seven mouths in existence as IA separate con-
federation. They are daily acquiring fresh force,
consistency and cohesion They have an army
which is better offieered than the army of the
! North, and they have vessels of war which are
commanded by experienced and enterprising off
GERS When it is remembered that for more than
three months Fort Sumter has been in the posses
sion of these Secessionists, and that il was taken
at loss of some two hundred men-that Fort
| Pickens, commanding the entry of the Gulf of
Mexico, Is also in possession of the South, which
possesses likewise forts in Virginia. Maryland and
on the Delaware, and also the arsenal in New Al
bany and Kentucky-it does seem to us that it is
rather Late in the day to argue the legal right, as
Mr.. Lincoln does of the stcessionists to separate.
1t is the idlest of all things this stage of the
quarrel to argue question of legal rights. The
letter of the law, and perhaps its spirit, too, is
against the purely legal right of the South sep
arate; but that the blood of both parties is
up. now that the South has constituted its resist
ance into decided, palpable and formidable re-
bellion, which has lasted for more than half
year, and which grows daily stronger it is for the
North and the Government of Washington to put
the armed resistance opposed to it GOWN soon
as possible, without further arguing the legal
question. Events have evidently already carried
the matter beyond any considerations of mere le-
gality 1t is now question of who shall have
supreme power and mastery; and when men with
British blood in their veins have such a question
proposed to them, we may be quite sure that
neither will surrender without an obstinate strug
gle What nations in Europe have to remember
is that, in the history and growth of States cir
cumstances wholly unforeseen occasionally arise
which prove stronger than laws, and before which
laws and compacts and charters must alike give
way. The Southern States contend that such
circumstances have now arrived; and though as
individual Englishmen our sympathies are with
the opponents of slavery, yet we must also re