Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-04-04

Of the causes of their imprisonment and denied
the benefit Of the writ of habeas corpus Dozens
OF their neighbOrs. in each case. can vouch for
their loyalty, and every such individual who has
been brought under the notice of the commission.
has been Internationally restored TO liberty. But
the fact that innocent persons have been wrong
fully Imprisoned at all is a sad commentary upon
the desPotic powers that have been usurped by
the State Department Ii cannot be expected
that these things will be allowed TO pass unno-
ticed. However long deferred it may be, the day
Of reckoning will surely come.
The odious passport system, another pet meas
ure Of Mr. Stewards, has been virtually abolish
ed for some weeks past. IL is not necessary now
when a LOYAL citizen wishes 20 visit London or
Paris. that he should first obtain the gracious per-
mission of the Secretary of State. This ridicu-
lous measure never accomplished particle Of
good. Ii was an annoyance and bore To loyal
men. while the emissaries Of the rebels went as
freely TO Europe, both with and without pass
ports as ever before.
The dominant faction in Congress Is not vet
satisfied with the necessity Of superseding our
old fashioned and now useless wooden vessels
with iron plated ships like the Merrimac, and
they are not yet convinced that that Merrimac is
able TO do much damage TO our shipping and along
the coast Accordingly in the debate yesterday,
Mr.. POmeroy Of Kansas, ridiculed these iron
1
water (l), and Mr. Grimes OF Iowa complacently
assured the Senate and the country that the Navy
/ Department is making every necessary provision
/ for the defense of all the cities on the Atlantic
coast. In the meantime it is well known that
/ the Merrimac is ready for sea again. with much
/ more powerful armament than before, and that
three other iron plated steamers ready to ac-
company her. We have nothing 10 oppose to
this fleet ofiron ships except the Monitor What
culpable trifiingl
| During the last week there has been a great
deal of talk in private Congressional circles on a
very singular subject, namely, the irreguaritv of
/ the admission to Congress of the two Senators
and the Representative from the new State of
Kanawha or Western Virginia They were adj
mitted by the dominant faction with the tacit un-
Outstanding, or, the members of that faction
say, with the express agreement that the new
members would always vote with the radicals on
all questions, and that the new State would i'm
mediately take measures TO abolish slavery. The
new members deny that there any such
agreement understanding, express or implied.
But the radicals assert that there was. Certain
/ it is that the latter expected that slavery would
be abolished in Western Virginia, and that the
new members would vote on their side. They
have been disappointed on both points The new
State has most unequivocally shown that it in
tends TO retain slavery And AS to the new Sen
men who have been educated to worship the
/ Constitution" and are therefore almost as dis
tasteful TO the radicals their predecessors, Ma
son and Hunter were. The radicals, therefore
seeing that they have been played upon, are cast
ing about for pretext TO Dust these two Senators
from their seats They have suddenly discovered
that the State which they profess to represent has
no legal existence; that it has been formed in a
revolutionary manner within the limits and uris
diction of the old State of Virginia, in violation
of that provision of the Constitution which de
clares that mo new State shall be formed within
the jurisdiction of any other State" and they
talk of expelling Messrs. Garlic and Wiley on the
ground that they have no right to sit in BODY
composed of Senators elected by the Legislatures
of sovereign States.
such State as Kanawha, New Virginia, or West
ern Virginia No such State has ever been ad
mitted into the Union. The old State of Vir
ginia, with Its ancient boundaries, is still a mem
Der of the Federal Union. But these two Sena
tors do not pretend to represent the old State
They were elected by Legislature which itsel
was elected by the people of few of the north
western counties in the State, having popula
ton of only $50 600, while the population of thu
remaining portion of the State is 3l6,OOO.
In this dilemma the radicals propose to get owe
the difficulty by creating Territory out of Vest
ern Virginia. Then, when that Territory applies
for admission as State, they intend to refuse t
admit her unless she shall present herself with
constitution which expressly prohibits slavery
Such is the programme of the radical Abolition
lists in Congress. 1t would have been a grea
deal wiser if Congress had not been so hast,
about admitting the new Senators. How TO &c
out of the dilemma will puzzle wiser heads thar
those on the shoulders of the radicals.