Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-12-29

the negro, not to restore the Government or
preserve the Constitution. twas nothing more,
nothing less. It goes bow shot beyond any
thing done by this House at the last session Of
Congress.
But again. IL the proclamation Is TO be car
ried into effect, the war continue until every
slave is free. If every rebel should lay down his
arms on the ID day of January next, on any sub
seluent day, and submit himself TO the laws and
Constitution of the United States, the war would
still have TO 90 unless the slaves were all free
for the proclamation declares that "the Execu-
tive Government of the United States, including
the military and naval authorities therein, will
recognize and maintain the freedom OF such per-
sons" 1t strengthens the arm Of the rebellion
and postpones the time OF restoring peace this
country, by the declaration of the purpose for
| which the Executive power shall be used In
what respect has our cause.-The cause of the
Union-been adyancedI Up To that time,
throughout the great Northwest, you had but TO
| call for volunteers and they rushed to the army
| Since then, you have had no volunteering. Prior
to that time it was not necessary, as the Secre
tary of War-as am told. for | have not read
his report-now declares it is necessary, to have
Provost Marshals in every county TO arrest de-
serters from the army.
We are informed that but few days before
the issuing of this proclamation the President
! himself declared, in conference with some gen.
tlemeu who weIe urging him to this step, that it
would not only be wholly imperative in the OBJ
ject sought, but would directly weaken us in the
border States, but significantly added that it
might increase our strength in the North.
pause here TO inquire where that additional
strength in the North was TO be obtained not
certainly from the Democratic element in the
! North. 1t additional vIgor was infused into The
service, II must come from some other quarter
which until then had not heartily sustained the
policy Of the Administration. | need not particu-
l.rtx
induced TO lend their support-the country well
knows the baleful influences of this class, and the
ends they seek TO accomdlish
But this is not all. The record of the military
! operations show 10 day almost concusivey what
the country had for some considerable time sus-
pected; that success in a military point Of view
was not so much the object sought as the bring
ing about condition OF things when "A proclama-
ton of this sort could be urged us the only
means OF securing to US success.
Some of the reasons are now before the public
why Mcclellan did not capture Richmond At
the last session of Congress ! commented on the
fact that the armies OF the Potomac, instead of
being massed, were divided into FIVE CORPS and
each corps under an independent commander-
no two of them cooperating together-thus en-
abling mass corps OF rebels under jackson To
defeat three of them, and to unite before Rich
mond in repulsing Mcclellan | will not now
repeat what then said | refer to the fact as
link in the chain of evidence which shall to day
adduce.
There was, during the whole time Mcclellan
was at the head Of the army, continual demands
that he should advance upon Richmond The
class of persons who raised this Outcry were the
persons who favored emancipation. This clamor
forced from Mcclellan his plan of campaign, as
we are told by the Prince de Joinville, which the
rebels learned in a few days after it was known la
Washington. OF course they prepared to meet il.
Mcclellan moved forward from Fortress Monroe
with over one hundred thousand men He an
prnaehed the positoII vi tue rebels under Magru-
der. expecting Mcdowell to go by another route
To cut off the retreat, when they were driven
back; Mcdowell never reached started for
the point that he to occupy. The rebels were
defeated and driven back instead of their retreat
being cut off, the road to Richmond was open TO
them. Ii they had been assailed by Mcdowell on
their retreat. their capture or destruction
tain. and the march of our army to Richmond
would have been unobstructed, and its capture
beyond ell doubt The rebellion could not have
continued sixty days. This opportunity was lost
And why and by whom? Not by Mcclellan
The Prince de Joinville tells us that Mcclellan
is reinforced by Franklin's division while on the
Peninsula, and that was all of McDoweli's forces
that ever came to him. The valor and endurance
of our troops overcame all obstacles, and drove
back the enemy TO the entrenchments around his
Capital Mcclellan has no information from
Washington as TO the position of the troops
around Washington, doing nothing, protecting
nothing; but from rumors-camp rumOrs-learns
that McDOwells forces are at Fredericksburg,
and to the front. POrter's corps, from the right
wing of the army, is sent to open communication
with Mcdowell, If possible. Porter drives the
| enemy from Mechanicsvile. and learns that Nc
! DOwel's advance is only fifteen miles distant.
The news of the fact gives great JOY to the army.
Forty thousand additional troops are to aid in the
capture of Richmond Its fall is certain. An
order comes from Washington, and Mcdowell
withdraws his forces, blowing up the bridges as
he retires Mcclellan is overwhelmed by supe-
rior numbers, and forced TO retire, fighting as
retreating army ever fought before.
Thus that twice the rebel Capital is
saved from falling into our hands, not by any skill
or courage of its defenders, but by some unex-
planned acts of our rulers. repeat that the
fall Of Richmond, the defeat of the rebel army,
would have been the end of the rebellion
The reasons for the movement of the army
under Mcclellan from the James river, so to
unite it with the one near Washington are before
the country, and need no comment from me.
| The correspondence between Generals Halleck
and Mcclellan vindcates the one and condemns
the other
When Pope's army retires to Washington be-
fore the army of Lee, let loose from their prison
IN hlcninONu Dl tue removal OF McOleiian lrOin
the James river; when the Capital is threatened,
Maryland invaded, and Pennsylvania menaced,
! Mcclellan is again called to assume command,
and drive the insOient foe across the Potomac.
He reorganizes the disOrdered battalions, brings
order out of confusion, marches large army
over one hundred miles, and in less than twenty
days fights Two battles, wins them both, and
drives the rebels across the Potomac; relieves the
Capital and gives courage to cur army. Things
being in this position, on the 22d of September
the President issues his proclamation to free the
negro. and follows it up by the one of the 24th,
20 make 81 yes OF white men. Mcclellan refused
or failed to indorse either of them in his order
TO the army and then his removal was decided
upon. His competency to command had nothing
to do with his removal He had vindicated that.
The idea of these people seems to be that proc
lamations are all that is necessary TO make war
successful. They issue proclamations to free
the negro. and call that vigorous prosecution OF
the war
The charge that Mcclellan failed to relieve
Harper's Ferry, is a mere pretext got upto order
by a commission of lineal descendants of Justice
Shallow, and they, like their ancestors. have
written themselves down asses. Their finding
has but to be read to be condemned. The learned
i commission find Col Ford censurable because he
+ surrendered Maryland Rights after be was re-
lieved; and the same commission censured Nc
Clelan because he did not relieve that point
/ Here is their finding:
! "The Genera-i Chief also testifes that in bis
opinion, General Mcclellan could and should
have relieved and protected Harpers Ferry
and in this opinion the commission fully con
cur.
e s.By reference to the evidence, it win be seer
e that at the very moment Col. Ford abandoned
= MARYLAND Hohts his little army was in realjt,