Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-12-23
The state es the Nationals "a 90 be
saved or Loot!

The friehfful add unasailipg sacrifice OF The
ten thousand heroic Union soldiers Gus down E
front OF the rebel redoubts, masked batteries,
intreuchmerts stone walls and ride rit- along the
nights Of fsederick sInrg is universally regarded
the most dreadful aud oTninons disaster OF The
war. II has shocked the public mind OF the
North 70 a state OF disappointment, anguish de
spair and indignation which will not be satisfied
with explanations OF apologies. IL looks to
President Lincoln for redress. in sweeping work
OF reform and reconstruction. A great crime has
been committed in this Fredericksburg butchery,
and great bluDder worse than the crime, for
which vigilant and intelligent people cannot be
mistaken in fixing the responsibility.
This deplorabe disaster. however. seems to be
but the principal item of series OF misad
ventures attending this new "anaconda" cam
paign Of the War Office On the very day on
which our gallant troops were repulsed from the
rebel works on the hills of Fredericksburg Fed
eral column according 70 dispatch from the
rebel General Evans 10 Richmond, which we pub
lished Yesterday of 5000 men, under General
Foster. was repulsed At Kingston. North Caro-
lina, and driven back to the shelter of the nine
supporting gunbOats. To the norfhward Fed
eral column from Suffolk a few days ago.
moving toward Petersburg, 10000 strong, was
repulsed at the Blackwater river. These exped-
tons intended To cut certain important rebel
railroad arteries in connection with Gen. Burn
sides advance. and. like 1t. they appear to have
been arrested in the very first encounter with the
enemy.
To make the matter still worse. il ar rs that
the promise Of jeff Davis. on his reren. visit TO
Tennes see-that he intended TO recover that
Stafe-was no idle bit of brAvado, but a promise
10 make bold effort TO redeem. His plan. IS we
understand it, IL: first, to ascertain if fifty thou
sand men can be spared tor n month two from
the rebel arms OF Virginia: ana, il they can be
so spared, his purpose j. TO send them to Gen 10.
Johnston, To advance upon Nashville with the
hope of defeating the army of Gen. Rosecrans,
and OF capturing the important city he Is guard
ing and its immense stores of munitions of war
and other army supplies Let Gen. Burnside go
into winter quarters, and we may next hear OF
the loss OF Nashville; let him continue in front
OF Fredericksburg. and Lee may still consider
/ himself, behind his protecting intrenchments,
strong enough to spare CITY thousand men tor
/ Tennessee
What then. is the obvious line of policy sug
| gested TO the Government Is II the policy OF
sending little two penny exploring expeditions
here and there by way of military diversions
which only excite the contempt of the enemy
while we are attempting the very thing which
they most desire IN advancing upon Richmond
by way OF fredericksburg Evidently this pro-
gramme will not do. Is Gen. Burnside. then. to
| 60 into winter quarters and allow the rebels to
appropriate two or three months in strengthening
their barbados along every line of approach !
We hope not. What, then, are we to do? Ad
vance upon Richmond by way of the James
river Suppose it is fortified on both banks. for
the whole twenty five miles from the city down
to Ha,rison's Landing. We command the river
to that point by our gunboats. and against rebel
| forts we can throw up Union earthworks, and
bring twenty pieces OF artillery to bear against
every gun Of the enemy in our front. Have the
rebels an inexhaustible supply of gunpowder'
! Has that question never been suggested 10 the
wise heads of the War Office?
We think il has become abundanty manifest
however that we have nothing to expect from the
present radical and laundering managers of this
war in the Cabinet and in Congress: nothing bet
ter than great disasters and exhaustng defeats il
exchange for small successes in unimpOrtant 10
calites. A concentration of the forces of Banks
! Foster and Dix on the James river, with an ac
companying feet of gunboats as diversion in
support of Gen Burnside, would surely have pre-
vented this late terrible DISASTER the finest army
ever mustered on this continent As il is, the
country has lost all hope of successful issue 70
this war under the disorganizng and demoral
zing influences which have brought only disaster
and disgrace upon every effort made to reach the
rebel capital
Is the nation to be saved or lost? That is the
question which is now thrust upon President Lin
coin from every side Ii he would revive the
hopes of the people in the success of their great
cause. and their confidence in his Administration
he has only one course to pursue. He must re-
construct his Cabinet, reorganze the whole sys
tenn of military operations. discard the destruct
i've Abolition malgnants that surround him, and
abandoning its unimportant extremities for a sea
son, strike at 1.-The heart of the rebellion. ~ n
Y. Herald