Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-03-21
Special Correspondence II the Chicago Tines.
From Washington.


I Mcgee. tr0rshiD in he seHaie-Ds.e51ninafioa Of
n, Radicsl Rsputlicans 70 abolish slqrsyy ca
eoRdliionally-Ths Confederate still held their
1 batteries The Louer Pofomoc-T Thu erpect
10 break he blockade Of Southern Ports Jy a feet
% Iron clad Vesseis-MoDemenfs Of The Union
Army ofthe Potomac Position Of the General
IN Chief
WASHINGTON, March 10.
The United States Senate chamber was made
the theatre OF a strange and hnhlating scene
I yesterday. The actors were Hannibal Hamn.
I Vice President of the United States and Presi-
dent OF the Senate, Charles Sumner. Senator from
! Massachusetts,. and Wendell Phillips, the high
priest of abolitionism and disnniOn, the defamer
OF the Constitution, and the deiamer of General
Mcclellan. These actors having rehearsed their
parts in private, proceed 90 perform their little
drama before the select audience of the American
Senate At the pre- arranged hour, the great agi
tatOr introduced into the Senate chamber by
/ the Massachusetts, pendant, and conducted by him
with the most obsequious politeness to a position
on the floor of the Senate within the inner circle
of desks. Here the great man was seated In
stantly the President of the Senate rose, left his
chair OF State, and advanced to the floor 10 pay
his homage to the man who is the embodiment of
the IDEAS that have plunged the country into civ
IL war. The example was followed by all the
radical members of the Senate, and the apostle of
abolition. of servile Instructions, and of mid
night rape and murder, must have been ntOxica-
ted by the incense of 50 distinguished a crowd of
worshpers. Thank God, however, it i pretty
well known that no one expects even common
sense from the men who now compose the ma
jOrity of the American Senate. IL once Il
proud thing to be an American Senator, in the
DAYS when the Senatorial seats were filled with
such Webster, Clay. Calhoun, Douglas,
Dix and Dallas But what can be expected of a
body led by like Jim Lane. Sumner and
I ChandIerI
The AbOlitionist aud radical Republican mem
bers of Congress met in caucus yesterday and also
To day. The subject under consideration was the
passage by the House OF Mr. Lincolns enamel
patton resolution. Ii was understood that il
could be passed by the Senate, but the question
with those ~ caucus was. whether it would not
be best to assert their strength by defeating the
resolution instead Of passing il? The ground
taken by Sumner and Chandler. who had just
come from the presence OF " eudell Phillips,
that now is the time to abolish slavery, by action
OF Congress, uncontiunally, and without any
compensation to the masters. They say that TO
adopt Mr.. Lincoln's ground would be no better
than compromising felony. The conclusion
they came to is that they are to oppose the pass
age OF the resolution on these grounds by power.
ful speeches in this order: Wade to speak first,
then Wilson and then Chandler, Llne OF Kansas,
Wilkinson, any Others who choose, and Sumner
to close. This will be the programme, unless al
tered b. subsequent decision.
The appointment OF General Mcdowell as
Major General, aud the confirmation of that APP
pointment by the Senate, is an act of Justice To
that gallant officer which has been too long de
feared. While he has been sighted and ne 5lect-
ell, dozens OF others. both officers and civilians.
with not half his brains tith OF his expert
ence, have been promoted and hOnOred.
The facts that have been dev eoped to day and
Yesterday. in regard to the movements OF the
rebels, change the aspect of afflirs somewhat
Thus. it is now ascertamed that although all the
rebel batteries the Potomac As far down as
Dumries and Shipping Point have been aban
doned, vet that those At Aqua creek and below
th.lt point still occupied by the rebel forces.
The full significance OF this fact cannot be ascer
tanned o-day. II may nothing more than
that those batteries are held in order 10 cover the
retreat of the rebel right wing to Fredericksburg
But the that made the batteries above
+ Aqua creek untennbIe does not apply to those
below that point So long Fredericksburg and
the line of the Rapidan held, the lower bat
terles on the Potomac cannot be turned. and can
only be reduced by direct attacks in front. Aud
as long as the batteries from Aqua creek to Nh
thias Point are held, Fredericksburg can only be
attacked from the north; and against such attack
IL is well protected The batteries from Aqua
creek to Matthias Point are the best built on the
line. having been erected before the upper bat
teries, namely: early I'm May last
Information has been laid before the Navy
Department, showing that the enemy have eight
iron plated vessels built on the same plan as the
| Merrimac. OF which she is the largest Three of
these are at Mobile. three New Orluans and
one at Savannah. They are all nearly ready for
I SET, and it is the intention OF the Confe1erate
Navy Departm To have them all sail at once
against the blOckading fleet along the Southern
coast, and to raise the blockade either by de
stroyng driving off all the bloekadng vessels
Ii they succeed in this design. they intend to pro
claim the blockade raised. and prove that fact by
I sending to England twelve vessels loaded with
cotton, which now said to be lying in those
ports.
Intelligent readers of the newspapers who
2 study also the maps of the scene ot operations
will notbe surprised To learn that the army under
D General McCleans immediate orders has not
vet advanced further South than CentervilIe and
: Manassas The movement of an army of even
{ 100, 900 men, with their artillery and baggage
through such country : this is with the bridges
DESTROYED and the roads still in execrabe condi
ton the latter will be rendered nearly impossible
by the heavy rains of last night, to day and to
{ night must necessarily be slow.
Ii has been ascertained that the Confederate
army posted in strong force along the defensive
line desert bed in NV last letter. and that the art
months. are by no means To be despised. There
: are not wanting, even now self constituted adj
visers, who 90 not even know the \ & OF the
r manual exercise, who roaring and aving in
! Congress because Gen. Mcclellan does not rush
a pell nell after army comprising the flower of
the Confederate States, who are on ground OF
+ their own choosing, and who desire nothing more
E than 10 repeat Bull Run on the banks of the
: Rapdan. Gen. Mcclellan will not, however.
give them an opportunity to DO that. Wronged
though he may be hy the administration that he
E has saved. he Is calm. uumoyed and rs
e reSolue when all men sang his praises in Al
gust and September. He is indeed one of Piu
tarch's men; one of those rare characters insen-
,be alike To hittery and deracton. Modestly
conscious of his merits and realizing how
much depends upon him, he IS calmly developing
e his plans and working out his g,eat results.
The Tax Bill.
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