Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-08-25

alive in administering public affairs He will
regard it not only as indication of the peoples
wishes, but il will give him confidence shake
off the radicals who fasten like leeches upon him
1T will enable him to overcome the ''pres sure
upon him, for the adoption of extreme and I'M
wise measures We hope every good citizen
will thus regard the Importance of the elections
this fall. Upon their results will in great meas
ure depend the course of public affairs and the
destinies Of the country.
Phelps and ButIer--Save White Lives.
The Detroit Free Press says not day passes
which does not give evidence of the wickedness
of political aboIitionism. CHANDLER by pre-
tended revelation of the secre of the Govern
ment, succeeded in having his speech, like Ben.
WooDs's. published in the rebel newspapers.
Ben. WADE declared respect for the Constitution
sympathy with treason. THAD. STEVENS fought
with desperate tenacity in behalf of the treasury
leeches. WENDELL PHILLIPS has declared that
the President is ga broom stick, aud that the
war ought to stop. HORACE GREELEY has per
sistently urged. what he computes, hundreds of
thousands of men" to refrain from enlisting be-
cause the President will not put niggers in the
ranks with white men, and now General PHELPS,
at New Orleans, has set an example of how
entirely demoralizng is the negrophobia to
every one who has been bitten by the abolition
dog.
The conduct of this latter person exceeds
every folly which has heretofore marked
the crazy faction to- which he belongs. 1t
seems that, in disregard of the Presidents
instructions, to negroes for Laborers, he
organized battalion of his black favor
ties and made acquisitions upon Gen. BUTLER for
uniforms and arms for them, in order to turn
them into soldiers. This requsition was refused,
and he was directed to use them to clear away
certain trees which were in front of his camp,
and which he in conjunction with the officer OF
engineers, had decided to be necessary the
safety of his command. Upon receiving the
order. he replied that he would not 'slave
driver, proffered his resignation asking for leave
of absence until it should be accepted To this
unparalleled request Gen. BUTLER made the fol
lowing reply:
'sHEADoUARrERs DEPT OF THE GULFJ
New Orleans, Aug 2.
GENERAL: | was somewhat surprised to re
when you were in command at Camp Para
pet sent Lieutenant Weitzel, my chief en- gineer,
to make a reconnaissance of the lines Of Carol
ton, and understand it agreed between you
and the engineer that removal of the wood be-
tween Lake Pontchartran and the right of your
intrenchments was necessary military pFecau
ton.
1.-THE work could not be done at that time be-
cause of the stage of the water and the want Of
men. But now both water and men concur.
You haze fUe hundred africans organized into
companies Y0a IcTite this IoOTk they are fitted
to do. must either be done by them my soldiers,
drilled and disciplined You hd1e said the Ioca-
ton is unhealthy 10 the soldier; is not TO the negro
Is it not best that these unemployed Africans
should do this labor? My attention is especially
called to this matter at the present time, because
there are reports of demonstrations to be made
on your lines by the rebels; and, in my judgment.
it is matter of necessary Drecauton thus 70
clear the right Of your line, so that you can re-
ceiye the proper aid from the gunboats on the
lake. besides preventing the enemy fiom having
cover. To do this the negroes ought to be
employed. and in employing them | see no
evidence of slave-driving employing you as a
slave-driver.
The soldiers Of the Army Of the Potomac did
this Dery thing last summer in front of arlington
Highs. Are the negroes any better than they?
Because of an order to do this necessary thing.
to protect your front, threatened by the enemy
You tender your resignation and ask immediate
leave Of absence. assure you 1 did not expect
this, either from your courage, your patriotism or
y0ur good sense To resign in face of an enemy
has not been fhe highest plaudits to soldier,
peciaLy Ichen the reason assigned is that he is or
dered to do that which recent act of Congress has
specially authorized a commander 10 do e. en-
ptoy the African 10 do the necessary scor a6o a
camp upon a f0TTifcafiOR. General, your res
gnation will not be accepted BY me; leave Of ab-
sence will not be granted, and you will see to it
that my orders, thus necessary for the defense of
the city, are faithfully and diligently executed,
upon the responsibility that a soldier in the field
owes to his superior. / will see that all proper
acquisitions Tor the food shelter and clothing of
these negroes at work are once filled By the
proper department. You will also send out
proper guard TO protect the Iaborers against the
guerrilla force, if any there NAV be in the neigh
borhood. BEJANIS F. BUTLER,
"Maior General Commanding.
We have taken the liberty to itaIicise passages
in Gen BrrLKR's letter, because they show
clusiveIy how utterly derelict to duty this Adolf
ton Generals. We ask, with General BUTLER,
Are the negroes aay better than our white troops?
Phelps thinks they are Are we not justified in
saying thisl Let Us look at the facts: First, I'M
der the law Of Congress no General has authority
to employ negroes for any purpose. The Presi
dent alone may do il. He has ordered that they
shall be employed only as iaborers and not as sol
diers- PaELPs knew this. Therefore this AboIi-
ton General sets at defiance the orders of the
head Of the nation.
Secondly. The work 70 be done was necessary
to the safety Of the white troops-to the success
Of the Government. PHKLPss command was in
danger of attack. The work had been delayed
for only two reasons-scarcity Of men and the
stage Of the water. in unhealthy country,
and with the yellow fever actually among them,
our Northern soldiers, "Americans Of Caucasian
descent" as GREELEY calls them. would have
gone alr1ost 70 certain death IL they had under
takeu fie labor The Americans of African
descent" to continue the Tribune philosophers
elegant method Of expressing white man and
niger, we're acclimated-in no danger Of disease