Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-02-26

mond uP 10 the 18th instant received here to-
day. makes IL evident that 40 far from crushing
TIE TT OF the South, OF nsking them wiling
ID abandon the coniet Their fc esst reyerses have
onls hspire'i them ~ith fercer determination
odeleat The Union Armies 1.-THE accounts from
RichIuOnd are ooruect and there j. every reason
10 believe they are. the whole Of the relDel army
now IN service. with very few exceptions. have
re enlisted for he Ii must be remembered
that the small arms lost at Fort Donelson will be
replaced by the L.. 900 stand of arms received
few days ago AZ New Orleans BY a vessel which
ran the blockade. The Southern leaders warned
the Southern people. some time ago, that they
mus, EXPECT reverses. and that If TREY did not
rise superior TO them. they we're unworthy to be
an independent nation. IL is more rational to
believe that the people Of the South will put forth
all their efforts, and that the will be fercely
contested for months, perhaps for years TO come
The great successes of the Spartans in war arose
from the fact that all their citizens were soldiers
and all their manual labor and drudgery Of every
kind was performed by their helots. In this war
every able bodied man can. If necessary, become
a soldier, while all the work on the plantations is
performed by slaves
In tins connection may be mentioned a fact of
the greatest importance, at a time Shen the pro-
Ject Is seriously entertained by the Abolitonist
members OF Congress of emaneipatng the ne
groes. and raising them to the level of white
men. For miles around Fortress Monroe, the
slaves are practically free. Whit use do they
make OF their freedoml There are less than
four hundred of them employed on the Fortress.
and these comprise all who are willing 10 work
The officers there testify that, to their certain
knowledge. there are more than two thousand
others within a few miles of the Fortress, who
are too lazy and improvident to work and who
hang around the Fortress begging and stealing
but will not 20 within the lines for fear of being
made to work. This fact shows what negroes
without a master are fit for.
- But there are still some more important facts
brought To- light this subject by the course pur-
sued by the negroes in the vicinity of Port ROYAL.
Hilton Head and Beaufort On two hundred and
twenty three plantations which have been under
the protection OF the United States forces, there
are upwards of nine thousand negroes The
Government has sent down agents there 10 take
charge of them, and to collect the valuable Sea-
Island cotton. The reports of these agents to
the Government are now beginning To come
IN, ami they present a sorry picture of the
qualifications of the negro for freedom Few
OF them can be induced to express any de
sire for freedom. They do not understand
what all the fighting is about, but believe that it
VIII result only in a change of masters They
cannot be persuaded to work but have to 5e
forced TO do 50. If left 20 themselves. they idle
WV "'"'N ~ NohiOHNN W NOih, iutN
labor proftaby
The whole estern country is deeply interested
N the question OF reopening the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad. The recent movements of Gen
Lander have only demonstrated the fact that
there are no Confederate troops at present on that
part OF the line of the road betw cen Cumberland
and Hancock. But reference TO the map will
show that that part of the road lies la the ex-
IRENE north of Virginia, close to the Potomac
close to the Maryland line. 1t is along that part
of the line of the road from Hancock to Harper's
Ferry that the rebels can most easily annoy our
troops or workmen of the railroad COMPANY
The COnfederates are in strong force at Wnches-
ter, and are determined to prevent the recon-
struction of the road. The able and energetic
Master of Transportation. VIM. p. Smith. Esq,
has had all the material for the reconstruction
ready for months past, and as soon as the rebels
are driven away, the work will he commenced,
and finished in thirty days. If CentreviIe and
the line of the Potomac is abandoned by the
COnfe'lerateS, Gen. Jackson will retire, and the
road can he opened. But, as long as Centreville
and the line of the Potomac are held General
jackson will be able to prevent he reopening of
the road