Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-03-31

manning in the prison three or four months. was
released without examination. and without trial,
showing that the Department on their own ex-
animation Of the case, found nothing against
him.
If the department at Washington had placed
any confidence in the letter, srhy did they not ar
rest President Pierce? He was the man to ar
rest, not an obscure individual located in an OBJ
scure part of loysl State, far from the revolted
States and from any opportunity to aid the rebels
in arms. On, there is black and damning rec
ord, in this matter, against some of the United
States Republican officials in this State, which
some day will be brought to light. Whether the
arrest was from malicious or mercenary motives,
or both combined, will some day appear. tits
plain that the letter was only the excuse for
the commission of one of the most infamous
violations of constitutional rights which ever
disgraced the annals of free people. l
In regard to Mr.. Hopkins we will say we
neither know him or care for him. except as we
care for the great constitutional rights which
have been so grossly violated in his person with
out any pressing national or State exigency re-
quirngit We have never seen him. have never
written to him, in fact, neither of the editors of
this paper, until his arrest, knew that there was
such a man in existence. He has never cores
pended with this paper, as charged. since it came
into the hands OF the present proprietors, nor do
we believe he ever did before. If he was guilty
of dsloyalty he ought to have been punished, but
he should have had the privilege accorded to all
freemen, of meeting his accusers face to face.
But this is depression. IA
The letter, as we have concusively shown, is
fabrication. There was design in writing it.
We believe it was written in this city and is
part of a conspiracy which we will be able to
show up in few days, and fasten the guilt where
it belongs.
Tremendous Conflict in Prospect.
correspondent of the Louisville Journal,
whom it says is "a finely educated Northern cit
izen," writes as follows from Nashville, under
date of the 24th inst:
No close observer of the movements and coun-
ter movements of the armies of the two belliger-
ents for the past few weeks can doubt that
battle is soon to be fought, which, in magnitude
and destruction of life, has as yet had no parallel
in the whole course of this sangunary strife. The
Confederates marshalling their hosts from the
Potomac 10 the Indian Territory, and from
Island No. 10 to the Southern Gulf Braxton
Bragg comes from his lonesome prison at Pensa-
cola and Mobile Bay, bringing his well drill
ed if not well disciplined army of artillerists
to the number of thirty thousand. Evans, the
Georgian, comes from Manassas with the flower of
that army, who fought us last July in numbers
about forty thousand. Johnston, the renowned
Albert Sidney, of Mormon and Bowling Green
notoriety, with his army, which short month
since fed in such a panic through this quiet
city, has restored order to his command and
now comes to wipe out the dshonor OF that
fight with about twenty thousand men. Then
comes Rev. General Polk marshaling his hell
hounds from Columbus and the river batteries, in
all about thirty thousand. Then they have
merous other Generals with numerous other hosts
from the various States of the southwest till the
rebels have concentrated a force, whose right
wing rests at Deeatnr, Ala, and left at Island
No. 10 in the Mississippi river, the whole forming
a semicirce of about two hundred thousand men
under the best rebel Gen. Pierre Toutant Beau
regard. Their forces well arranged to take
advantage of victory, which they expect will
surely crown their endeavors; and indeed they
have an army more formidable in all respects
than any We have yet encountered. Beaure
gard, since he came West, has been very labori-
ously and successfully engaged in bringing order
out of disorder and courage out of dismay, and
generally reorganizing the whole army by dis
placing the old and cowardly and those who had
been tried and found wanting. Pillow and Floyd
are entirely without commands. and Breckin-
ridge, the child of flattery, has only small
brigade. General Polk, too, has been almost
stripped of his command, and MANY other
of the like stamp / might mention. He has
arranged all his numerous cavalry so that he
availS himself OF their utmost capacities, where
generally they so worse than useless. Some
of them, as Morgan (of whom can find adven-
lures enough to write full letter. and Forrest,
keep constantly harassing our pckets and getting
in our rear, and acting as spies, and such guerilla
style that, while the main force he has near
Fort Pillow drilling continually, that they may
be expert in following up our retreatng forces,
and he confidently thinks to use them in that
manner. Then he has a large feet which has re-
Gently been brought up from New Orleans, with
which he hopes to overcome Commodore Foote
Such is the disposition of our foes. Truly a for
midable host.