Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-09-08

during all this time Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Seward
have been calm and serene and the President, as
was telesraphed all over the country a week ago,
declared that Washington was SAFE and that the
dead point OF danger was past, and that could
whip the rebels every time. So little does he
comprehend the situation
During this time too, Burnside Pope and Nc
Clellan have all had separate and independent
commands, and the necessary result has followed
There never has been, there never can be success
IN military operations without one head in the
held. The President, with his accustomed hest
fancy and fear of offending the Abolitionists, has
not yet taken the step which | hope he will yet
take, for after ALL Honest Old Abe is always right
at last. DE will, eventually, appoint Mcclellan
to the command of the forces in Virginia, but |
fear it will be when it is too late to save the CAPT
tai. He is now engaged in personally superin-
tending the formation of a company of clerks of
the departments for the defense of the cityl He
comforts himself with the belief that Gen Hal
leck is giving his personal supervision to the mil
itary operations in Virginia. During the last few
days he has had 20 organize a campaign against
the Indians in the West he has had to arrange
the details of the campaign in Kentucky, so as to
prevent the rebels from invading Ohio, Indiana
and Illinois, and he has had to arrange the details
OF matters relating to military affairs in South
Carolina. All these things he has had TO do as
General-in- Chief; and, while he has been attend
ing to them, Gen. Lee has stolen a march upon
him. has defeated Pope in half dozen battles,
has taken possession of Manassas, has seized and
now holds, and will hold, the heights of Certer
vile and has advanced in forced TO Fairfax Court
House. only eighteen miles from herel
Do you ask how he has been able to do all
this? 1t is simply because he is better soldier
than Pope, or rather because he is General, and
Pope is not and never can be; it is not in him. 1t
is not because his army is more numerous than
that which Pope had nder his command, for it
not so. Lees forces, ever since the battle
of August 9th. have been numerically weaker
than Popes. But they have been managed with
such admirable generalship that be has always
been able to mass at a decisive point forces
greatly superior to those which General Pope
had at that point. and thus has always been vie
torious
During the last three DAYS, however, General
Lee has been very strongly reinforced All the
troops recently at Richmond have Joined him,
and rs, 900 of the troops recently in Eastern Ten
nessee has also arrived at Masassas Junction. 1t
is indeed, owing to uer railroads that the South
is able to concentrate such vast armies so rapid
ly There is doubt, therefore, that General
Lee holds Cente-ville and the country
around it, with force OF 200,0 900 or $50, 900
troops. These troops too, are not green levieS
recruits, but they the veteran sold
iers of the COnfederacy, the men OF Manassas
and Shiloh.
There are now two courses for General Lee to
pursue, and of the two he will certainly
adopt. He will not retreat from Centerville at
present He is able at present to maintain that
position He will, therefore. either remain there
and seek so to strengthen himself as to be able
to remain there during the whole of the coming
winter, else he will move on and attack
Washington. Which of these two courses he
will adopt depends a good deal on our own
force. But it depends chiefly on our own Ad-
ministration on the measures which we adopt for
the defense of the capital.
General Lee has now $50 600 troops; but he
has only to say the word. and n week he will
have 300 600, and in two weeks $50 900 troops.
The men are ready.
On our side, it becomes me not to say what
| forces are here Our losses have been terrible
| will not say how many in killed and wounded
will cover them. General Kearney, killed; Colo
| mel Fletcher Webster killed. General Stevens
and hosts of others of our very best officers,
killed. The new recruits are pouring in, and are
being sent out to the battle field. They have
never been in action, and they are not even well
drilled in company movements. OF movements
| in brgades and divisions they know nothing.
General Mitchell who is now here, but who has
| Dttu uttdllSu W SupcIScuc OeuCidi IutACly III
South Carolina, said that, Notwithstanding these
facts, he could, by speech of fifteen minutes
make veteran soldiers of them all. 1t is hoped
| indeed, that the enthusiasm with which they will
| fight will supply the place of discipline.
But there is, after all, but one path of safety
Gen. Mcclellan must be placed in chief command
here He, and he alone, can now save the Capt.
tai. If it is saved, it will be by him. These
words, which wrote on the 18th of March, after
the PRONUNCIATION of the Presidents g War Or
ders" are on record: Let the sword be now TAX
en- from Gen. McClellan's hands, and the general
conduct of the attempted by any one else
and in less than six months the tide of victory
will change; disaster will take the place of victo
ry; we shall have lost all that we have now
gained and we shall be then further than eve
| from the successful termination of the war" The
| sword Icds taken from his hands, and Mr. LincolI
and Mr.. Stanton attempted TO WELD it, Disaste
has taken the place of victory, and we have lost
not only all, but more than had gained; ant
We are at this moment further than ever from TIM
successful termination of the war
1t was "a very grave blunder in Halleck too, e
withdraw Mcclellan from the Peninsula Nc
Clellan protested earnestly against it, but Halecl
insisted. As long as he was there, the rebel
would not have dared to pursue Pope beyond tn
RappahannOck, because they knew that, if the
did so, Mcclellan would march on Richmon,
and take it, But as soon as they knew he wa
evacuating the Peninsula their Generals diyine
how great blunder Haleck had committed, an
in what manner they could take advantage of il
and they have done So Halleck is good Gene
raj of Division. and an excellent theoretical sol
der, but he has not half of McClelans militar
capacity, and the fact will soon be made manifest
The absurd stories which now being crcu
lated about Mcclellan originate with the abol
tiOnists here, his old enemies, who fear that tn
President is inclined to restore him to his old pos
of General in Chief, and who take this means
excite popular prejudice against him. Tn
stories are all as false as Lucifer and the Pres
dent knows it. If he can emancipate himse
from the trammels of abolition PRESSURE" a
may yet be well. X.