Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-02-10

ences" between wha: Mr.. Seward ''hopes" and
what the intentions OF the English Government
are it may De seen that those intentions are not
so eminently pacific.
The determination of the State Department to
abandon its strongly declared and olt-repeated
intention TO treat the rebel privateersmen as
pirates. that is to hang them, and now TO treat
them simply as other prisoners Of war, is wise,
just, and humane movement. 1t should have
been done at first, and then it would have been
attended with no damaging effects abroad. Now,
when the mOnarchies of Europe are watching
every occasion to ridicue and break down our
cause, and when they are seeking for every pos
sible pretext to bolster up the Southern COnfed
eracy, they will treat this movement as semi
official recognition oD the part of the United
States OF the independence of the South, and as
a full concession TO them of belligerent rights.
Heretofore we have designated them as rebels
and traitors. If rebels and traitors, then every
one of them taken in arms ought to be put to
death as a traitor. But we do not treat them as
rebels. We have not hung one of them. We
have always treated them, on the land. as we
would treat any nation at war with us. We have
sent and received flags of truce, and exchanged
prisoners, We now say that they may exercise
| a right which none but independent nations are
allowed to exercise, namely: they may fit out
privateers. Our courts of justice will be in
structed by the State Department to paw the same
respect to the letters of marque of Jefferson
Davis. President of the Southern Confederacy,
as they would to those of the Emperor Napoleon
if we were at wal with France Rebels and in
surgents cannot issue letters of marque. Priva
teering vessels fitted out by insurgents are pirates
But, when we say that the Southern privateers-
men shall be treated as prisoners of war, we ex-
tend TO the Southern Confederacy all the rights
of beliigerent power, and admit that they are
no longer insurgents
| True. this does not alter the relations existing
between the rebellous States and the general
Government. But foreign nations cannot see it
Our complex system of Government has never
been understood abroad The divided allegiance
of our people-diyided between the allegiance
which they owe to the General Government, and
that which they owe to their State Governments
has always been a mystery to Europeans. In
deed, it has not been clearly understood in the
United States, else this rebellion would never
have taken place Those who are now the mos
rabid against the Southern people wnom we hope
to see back in the Union, who wish to exterm
nate every SOutherner with fire and sword are
| the very ones who raised mobs and instruction.
| to prevent the execution of laws of the United
/ States. and who caused State laws to be passed
| imprlsOning and hning any man who dared tC
obey the United States laws. But to resume:
Foreign nations will see in this concession tC
| humanity only a confession of our weakness
| They will say we called the southern privateer
pirates as long we hope to subdue the South
and that, only when we found that impossible W,
conceded 10 them the right of belligerent pow
er This is another of Mr. Stewards mistakes
| He never does anything at the right time, or il
the right manner. The reason why he ha
done this now is, because he knows that, i
he adhereS to his original doctrine that tn,
| privateersmen are pirates, and hangs them
the rebels will hang Colonel ConcOran, COlone
| Wilcox, and many more of their prisoners, anC
because he is unwilling to meet the execratioI
which would descend on his head if he, havin.
the power to save their lives, yet doomed them t,
the galOws.
The sudden extinguisher that has been put up
on Jim Lane and his penny trumpet will have th,
effect to still further embitter the Abolitionist
and make them still more hostile to the Admins
tration and unwilling TO help prosecute the wa
any longer They have only done ESQ thus far be
cause they hoped that events would so shape them
selves as to cause the war to become war upoI
slavery and shareholders, and TO result in UnioI
without any slave States That hope is nov
dashed to the earth. Some of Lanes friends her,
say that he will accompany the expedition, ever
! if he has TO 90 as A private But this idea il
secuted by the most Of them, who swear loudly
at the deception which they say was practicet
upon him, and assert that Lane will now return
TO his seat in the Senate Whatever he does, h,
will have no power 10 carry out his infamous
scheme of emancipation and arming of the slaves
1t is likely that there will be grand Abolition
pow-wow over him when he returns here and h,
will be held up a martyr to his principles.
| After which he will take turns with Sumner anC
Lovejoy in vilifying the Constitution. and his SUI
perior officers who are waging the war for the res
toration of the Union under the Constitution.