Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-04-21
Special Correspondence Of the Chicago Tines.
From Washington.


The Committee on The Abolition of Slavery in the
States Wise Sanitary Regulations Of General
Hunter-Senator Hale and the NauoI Commit
tee-Nsp Definitions Of TrsasOn-PrOgress Of
'sRepubican" Despotism.
WASHINGTON, April is.
Judging from the composition of the commit
tee OF the House appointed to devise plan for
the emancipation of the slaves in all the States,
their labors will amount to nothing. OF the
members of the committee, Messrs. White of
Indiana, Blair of Missouri and Wilson of Iowa
are the only members who are at all in favor of
the measure, and they will bring in a minority re-
port, including bill which Mr.. White has
already drawn, for the abolition of slavery in all
the States. The other members of the commit
tee, Messrs. Fisher of Delaware, Lehman of
Pennsylvania, Leary of Maryland, Whaley of
Virginia. Casey of Kentucky and Clements of
Tennessee, will make the report recommending
that Congress drop the subject, for the reason
that Congress has no constitutional power over
slavery in the States where it exists The
Speaker of the House knew when he appointed
the committee what the views of Messrs. Leh'
man, Leary, CASEY and Clements were; and he is
much blamed by the radicals for appointing men
whom he knew would do all in their power to de-
! feat the object of the mover of the committee.
Parson Lovejoy and Thad. Stevens both fully
expected to be on the committee, and would have
strongly supported Whites bill. But the Speaker
no doubt knew what he about.
Illinois may well feel proud of Gen. Hunter.
He has commenced his operations in South Caro-
lima by the wisest measure that the wit OF man
can conceive, and one that covers with ridicule
the fmsy pretext assigned by the Abolitonists
for the enlistment of negro soldiers namely: the
heat of the Southern climate. If he a man
of the Banks or Fremont stamp, Gen. Hunter
might employ in his ranks hundreds of negroes
dress them up like soldiers, and place them side
by side with his own brave troops. But he is too
good soldier, and too wise man for that. He
has, instead, published to bis army the most mi
mute sanitary regulations These of course will
be observed. And the result will be that his
army will be as comfortable and as healthy on
the coast of Carolina as in their native States.
The cause of the resignation of Mr.. Hale, az
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Naval
Affairs, has not been correctly stated. The facts
are these: Whatever may be Mr.. Hale's faults
they are not those of the Secretary of the Navy.
From the earliest inception of the War 70 the
present time, Mr.. Hale has labored earnestly to
make our navy efficient. II is not too much to
say that whatever measures OF success has attend
ed the operations of oar navy has been greatly
owing to him. He has been especially active in
pressing to completion and getting into operation
the iron clad gunboats which have done such in
finite good service on the Western rivers. The
Monitor itself was built, it might almost be said.
under his eye, for he took pains to be informed
every week of the progress Of her construction,
and he knows every minutia relating to her
Since her first duel with the Merrimac. he has
been unwearied in his efforts to provide the means
for decisive engagement with that vessel, when
she should have made her next appearance. BE
was assured by the Navy Department that every
preparation had been made to destroy the Merri-
mac. But the whole country had been informed
of the same thing, and the bare assurance did not
satisfy Mr. Hale. He accordingly pursued his in
quues until he satisfied himself that the prepare
tons made were indeed ample for the destruction
of the rebel craft. Not doubling for moment
that the proper orders had been given. he rested
in confidence that the Merrimac would not come
out again with IMMUNITY. How glarngy he and
the whole country have been deceived, the events
of last Friday testify. Unwilling. therefore, any
longer to be in any measure held responsible for
such disgraceful inaction, Mr.. Hale resigns. II
will be difficult Impossible from bis party to fill
his place
The Senate was enlightened yesterday by Ber
Wade as to what constitutes treason in these lac
ter days. "The man." said this shining light Of
Abolitionism, "who now talks of the guarantee.
of the Constitution, who stands by the habea,
corpus, who maintains that no man ought to bs
deprived of life, liberty or property, without
due process of law, is traitor" Thank
God. it requires something more than the ips
dirt of such man to convert the most sacreC
constitut ional rights into treason. But such dec
larations show what the Abolitionists will do i
they succeed in their plots for carrying the mex
elections. The country ought to be grateful
however, that there are in the Senate even a few
men who are bold enough to protest against til,
Illegal despotism that has made this nation al
ready by word and reproach. Mr. McDougall
of California, is one of these men. In his speed
yesterday he made the case of Gen. Stone tn
text OF an inyectve against the illegal usurpa
tons of power by the Secretary of State and othe
officers of the government. worthy of Lord Chat
ham. in the time of the French revolution, tn
purest patriots. with hundreds of honest men an,
innocent women, were buried in dungeons unit
they were forgotten. and till no trace even of tn
pretext for this imprisonment could be found
And we seem to be fast following the example
In Gen. Stones case there may be ground for hi
arrest. But there is no reason for his detention
in dark dungeon, and for his being kept in ignor
ance of the name of his accuser and the cause o
his incarceration In the dark days of April,
year ago. when the capital really beleaguered
surrounded on all sides by enemies, it was Gen
Stone to whom Gen. Scott intrusted the delenc
of the city. 1t was Gen Stone who organized tn
military force for the protection of the capital
And it is susceptible of proof that it is owing u
him that Washington did not fall into the hand
of the rebels before the President had been II
Office month. Ten hours after this officer ha
had pleasant and satisfactory interview with tn
President and Secretary of War; and eight hour
after he had dned with the General lin Chief, b
was torn from his bed without word of explana
ton, and has ever since been confined in a dar
dungeon, refused communication with his fami
and friends, and is to this day ignorant of tn
cause or authority of his arrest He has repeat
edly demanded trial, and been as often refused
Democratic Senators have gone to the War De
par.ment, and begged to know why Gen. Ston
was not brought to trial, and the head of tina
Department has refused to see them. Genera
Mcclellan himself has on three different occasion
urged upon the Secretary of War that Genera
Stone be Immediately tried by court martial, bu
even his interference has been in vain. Sue
we're some of the points presented by the eloquen
Senator from California, but he did not confn
himself to them. He showed that the tyrann
which thus overstepned all law, civil and militar
alike, placed likewise tue liberty of every citize
at the mercy of any irresponsible functonary VIII
chose to exercise it; and he asked, most impres
sively. Has, indeed, our form of government
been changed. that these things exist? Do we n
longer live in free country? Are zoe to los
our liberties, in giving freedom to the btocks?"
In regard to the particular case OF Gen Stone
the impression prevails extensively in the bes
informed circles that his alleged offence is politi
cal and not military, and that it is far below tn
grade of treason.
eT What right have emancipated negroes :