Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-08-11

it against Richmond, even with largely aug
mented force" The reason of this is, that during
the month that has elapsed since Mcclellan ar
rived there, while our Administration has done
nothing of any account TO help Mcclellan. the
rebels on their part have been working like beav-
ers- They have finished the work on the Gordon
OF forts and intrenchments which had been COM
menced in positions TO completely surround
their capital These forts said good au-
thOrity to be twenty-eight in number, and to re-
semble the forts around Washington. If this is
true the defenses of the rebel capital strong
as those of our own. While doing this, they lave
been erecting batteries all along the James river,
IN the Potomac river style, and building IRON
mailed steamers at Richmond; while their troops,
in great force, now surround Mcclellan on all
sides. No wonder Mr.. Raymond adds, His no
stion is one whose availability for the purpose for
which our army is on the Peninsula is more than
dubious" 1t is no doubt a strong conviction of
the truth of these facts that have given rise the
rumors have mentioned.
From all can learn, believe the Administra-
ton have decided not to send Pope to reinforce
Mcclellan, but rather to send Pope towards Rich
mOnd overland, that is, by way of Orange and
Gordonsville. The route appears plain enough
on the map, but am satisfied il will prove the
most impracticable route of the two. The dis
lance from Washington is $50 miles The army
and with its rear unprotected. since it would be
impossible 10 keep that long distance guarded.
The place where Mcclellan is now is only nine
teen miles from Richmond. We still have the
use of James river. How much easier, then, 1t
would be, instead of Withdrawing Mcclellan, to
reinforce him by PoPe's army. and, by taking
Richmond, practically end the war at once by
brilliant coup. The secret of the whole matter
really is, however, that some timid souls here be-
lieve the bugbear stories about the designs of the
rebels against Washington, and have persuaded
Mr.. Lincoln that the capital is really in danger
And hence, no matter what becomes of McClel-
lan's army, Pope and his force must be kept as a
shield between Us here and the rebels at GOrdons-
vile. 1t is said, by the way, that Gen Ewell is
terrifying the railroad junction at Gordonsyille,
so as to make it second Manassas. Its geo.
graphical position is much like that of Manassas,
the Rapidan river taking the place of Bull Run;
while, in a military view, it is position of much
greater importance.
The indications now are, that a turning point
in the history of the war has been reached from
which will be dated a order of things. The
Abotionsts have had FULL swing for a while,
but they have now reached their limit. There
are gentlemen in this city from the border
States. from the middle States, and from the
West, who are making such representations to
the President in regard to the state of feeling all
over the country may well cause tie Admins
| tratiOn to pause in its mad career of making
slaves of white men in order to free the blacks
| The keynote of this feeling was struck by Mr..
SennOtt in his eloquent speech in the Gordon
case in Boston, and by Gov. Wicklffe, of Ken
lucky, and Senator Garlic, of Virginia, in their
speeches in the Indiana Democratic State Con-
vention a few days ago. The people of the
country will spend their last dollar and pour out
their blood like water, to sustain a war for the
restoration of the Union aud the supremacy of
the Constitution But, if the war Is to be waged
| for the emancipation of the negrO-if innocent
women and helpless children are TO be made its
| victims-if savages are to be let lOOse-in a
word. If the war is to be waged in such a man
ner as to make the restoration OF the Union i'm
possible, t will have to be stopped, for there are
not men enough in the North tn carry on war
for the destruction of the Union. These are
| the representations that are now being made TO
the President. The American people are not vet
slaves. They still retain the right to speak free
ly their sentiments They understand fully the
distinction between the Government OF the coun-
try and the persons charged with the administra-
ton of that Government. They know that they
are the supreme power in the State-that they
are the SOW -eigns-that they are the Govern
ment. The members of the Administration are
their servants, and their creatures, made what
they are by the people, and liable to be unmade
by the same power. They are responsible to the
people, and the people mean to hold the Admin
istration strictly accountable for the destruction
of the Union, if they permit it to be destroyed.
The people will never abandon the right 10 criti-
else the acts of their public servants They do
not recognize in Mr.. Lincoln military Dictator
as some of his hatterers call him. They will
fight for him as long as he stands firmly upon the
Constitution. But the moment he departs from
that said instrument, that moment the peo-
pie will desert him. | think Mr.. Lincoln CON-
prehends this, and win shape his conduct accord
ingy.
On the 18th of June, Mcclellan, who was then
only five miles from Richmond, teegraphed to
the President that his left wing strong enough
to make the final assault upon the rebel capital,
but that he he'd not troops enough on his right,
and to protect his line of communications, and
begged that troops for that service be sent at
once. Embarked at Washington or Baltimore,
they could have reached him by way of Fortress
Monroe in two days. The President replied that
he would send McDoEell's troops to him over
landl But he never sent them either by land
or water) Mcclellan telegraphed back that,
coming by that route Mcdowell could not reach
him in time to be OF any use; That he (MeClel-
lan) was ready to attack Richmond now, and
would do so if troops could be sent by water in
time to guard his rear. To this the President
never replied. A week afterwards, however, he
wrote to Mcclellan that he had just heard from
an intelligent contTabaud that Is 900 rebel troops
had b en- sent away from Richmond to reinforce
Jackson, and that this was equivalent TO sending
him reinforcements to that amount Do the an
nails of history furnish an example of stupidity
equal to that? That is the way Mr.. Lincoln con-
ducted the campaign.