Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-12-01


AT FREDERIcKsBURG--SrAN ARBITRARY
ARREsTs-BoGUs TELEGRAPHIc DIsPAToH FROM
JEFF DAvIs--THE RECENT Reconnaissance
OF GEN. LEE To CENrERvILLE AND PooLEs-
vILLE.
WASHINGTON, Nov. %.
The military situation is Just now in "A con
dition ofdoubt. Within "a day or two vain mt
nations have been semi officially thrown out that
il was not the real intention of General Burn
side TO move towards Richmond present. but
that his object is to hold the rebel army on the
Rappahannock while IN attack is to he made on
the rebel capital from another quarter. With
their usual discernment of military movements,
the Richmond journals are already limiting at this
step Que eff the able Generals of the Army of
the Potomac has repeatedly stated that the army
moving directly upon Richmond could not insure
its fall but that simultaneous attacks from differ
ent quarters must be made. first of all cutting its
line of communication, and thus forcing its
evacuation from want of supplies. Or, if the
enemy give battle and is defeated outside of nj
Notifications, then the victory of the taking of
the capital would be still greater, and the heaviests
blow would thus be dealt the rebellion. The
impression is general i'll circles here that the plan
is almost accepted as fact. In Richmond iii
we can believe the story of paroled prisoner,)
and are already at work Strengthening the de-
fences both i'm front and rear of their capital
The delay at Fredericksburg has been antici
pated Those who knew full well the immense
difficulties which stood in the way of Gen Nc
Clellan's rapid advance with large army. natu
rally expected that the same Obstacles would
arise in the path OF Gen. Burnside. Nearly three
weeks have elapsed since he took command. and
yet nothing has been accomplished, and this, too,
IN, tl,o fso ~ he fact of no
Government has been bent to the work OF furnish
ing transportation. erecting wharves. bridges,
&c. But the entire result is fitting comment
on the clamor of the radicals who expected that
Burnside would move on Richmond without a
moments deay--that the rebel army was almost
imaginary, and that nothing WAS TO be done but
to attack them at once. and mot to stand upon
the order of their going, but go at once"
The indignation at the arbitrary arrests inaugu-
rated by Staunton has been so great throughout
the country. that the President, in obedience to
the popular will and better sense of the coEserva-
tive men of mis- own party, directed the recent or
der to be issued. releasing the numerous State
political prisoners who have been angushing.for
months in the Old Capitol Prison. The doors of
that modern Baste have therefore been opened,
and many have walked out into the air Of liberty.
II any are guilty OF reasonable acts they are
amenable the civil law, but the greater part
were confined on frivolous pretexts and cOald
never be convicted by jury Of their felloS-men.
| To such an extent has this arbitrary course been
carried that some two months since Stanton put
one Of his own clerks in the Old CAPITOL not for
any disloyaity but because in drunken humor
one night he gave some of his impotence over the
telegraph wire to the Secretary On becoming
sober he rendered All apology and his resignation,
but the pent up wrath of his master confined him
without process Of law, and for trivial civil
ofiense. to the Old Capitol dungeons. he has just
been released
The opponents of Stanton are prepared, it is
said, on the opening Of Congress, to launch ire