Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-11-16
FROM WASHINGTON.
Sufferings of our Prisoners at Rich
mOnd-WhO is Accountable for
Them-NObic Conduct of General
Meade-A Gay winter i'm washing
ton-PreParatiOns fOr Dissipation
consequences of Lincolns Abandon
ment OF the Monroe Doctrine.
Especial Correspondence of the Chicago Times.l
WASHINGTON, November Z.

Especial Correspondence of the Chicago Tmes.l
WASHINGTON, November 7.
When the readers of the Times shudder over
the accounts of the sufferings endured by the
Union prisoners at Richmond, it is only right
| that they should understand who is to blame for
the continuance of such sufferings. The Con-
federate authorities don't want them there. They
find difficulty enough in feeding their own SOL
diers and would gladly send ours home. But a
few weeks ago, the cartel of exchange was sus
pended by the Administration at Washington on
some frivolous punctilio. and it remains suspend
ed. We hold, in the various military prisons in
the East and West, some 10000 Southern SOL
diers prisoners. The Administration will not
allow these men to be sent home. 1t is Tor this
reason alone that the Confederate authorities
continue to hold $4,000 Union soldiers who have
| fallen into their hands as prisoners.
But there are some Union prisoners at Rich
mond who to be sent home ut once not as
exchanged men, but prisoners honorably and
Internationally released.
On the 2Sth of October party of sixteen Union
soldiers arrived at Gordonsville as prisoners. un-
der escort, and were sent on to Richmond by
railroad When Gen. Meade was compelled TO
retreat, recently. from the Rappahannock toward
| Washington. be left safeguards around some
houses occupied by ladies whose natural proiec-
tors were not at home. For this humane and
Christian act, the act o. true soldier, the name
of Gen Meade will always be held in honor.
The soIdersrthus left of course became prisoners.
But they were treated with the kindness they de-
served. were placed under no restraint, and were,
as have said, escorted to Richmond, whence
| they will be Immediately returned home.
| For thus preventing the stragglers of his army
| from committing depredatiOns upon unprotected
ladies, however. Gen. Meade has fallen under the
dispeasure of the Administration 1t is stated
here to-day that peremptory order has been sent
to him to fight the enemy at once; and that, ii he
does not do so, he will be removed forthwith. and
/ Gen Foster appointed to the command of the
| Army o! the Potomac. If this statement is true,
it is equivalent TO saying that General Meade has
/ been already removed For he would far rather
sacrifice himself than to permit his noble army 10
be defeated. and defeat is the only thing that
be looked for as the result of a collision between
the two armies.
The approaching winter will be the gayest
season Washington ever saw. The preparations
that are being made for every description of DIS
spation the most stupendous scale The
population of the capital Gill be far greater than
during any preceding winter. The capacity of
the hotels and boarding houses for accommoda-
ting the people who will be here, was exhausted
long ago. There is not house III the city,
/ or in Georgetown. Hundreds OF people have en-
gagged houses in Baltimore and will ride to this
city from that one every morning The hotels
and boarding houses here will charge the most
fabulous prices Balls, routs aud parties will be
the order of the day. Money will flow like
water Extravaganza in dress, in equipsge, aud
in sumptu0us living, will mark the daily life OF
the degenerate successors of Washington, OF
Jackson, of Harrison, of Polk. In all these
| fashionable follies the Presidents household, we
are gravely informed. will take the lead. Al
I
the new and elegant outfit of 1.-The Presidents
LADY, and has daed upon the gorgeous balls
and banquets that TO be given at the White
House. God hep the poor this winter, whose
husbands and fathers have been forced off to the
wars. while they are starving ut home, with coal
at 81 ton, sugar IL cents pound, coffee 40
cents a pound, tel 81 81 pound. muslin 81
cents yard. and flannel TOO dear to be bought.
Balls and banquess at the White House; blood,
and Ills Of another kind, ON the battle field;
aud starvation and anguish in the dwellings of the
poor. So we go. This is the fruit OF republic
cam rule.
The action of the Administration in regard to
the French invasion of Mexico forms one of the
most dsgraceful features of our national interest
At any other period OF our history. or under any
other Administration, such action as that of the
French Emperor towards Mexico would have
been treated as an act of direct hostility, and
q
ward that power. Our Government now has not
the power to resent this OF any other national in
suit In this case. il is more than an insult. A
restoration of the Union is almost hopeless.
But if, after many years. the Union is finally re
stored, we will find a dependency of the French ,
Empire firmly planted on our southwestern FROM
tier and supported bv the whole power OF the
French army and Navy. The administration of
Abraham Lincoln has abandoned the Monroe
doctrine for the same reason, and with the same
ends in view, that it has swept away the writ of
habeas corpus and ira implied the constitution of
the country under its feet, namely: in order TO
crafty the malignant hatred of the radicals of
the school of Charles Sumner against the South
In order to CRAFTY those wicked fanatics. who
boast, with reason, that they control the action
of the Administration, ait has been determined
by the President" the official organ says, mot
to take any official notice Of the French invasion
of Mexico until our own domestic difficulties shall
have been adjusted" That is equivalent to say
ing That our Governments will tamely acquiesce
in the establishment Of French monarchy in
America, and will never interfere with it. For
no one can expect to lire to see "our domestic
difficulties adjusted lat least not while the
present Administration remains in power; and
that. according to all appearances, will be four
more years at least No American can contem-
plate this subject without blush of shame. But
white il is true that the nation is powerless TO re-
sent national insults OF tns KIM, IL must never
be forgotten to whom we are indebted for placing
the country in this humiliating attitude If il
had not been for the aggressive spirit of the Re-
publican party. and their logged determination
to force the Southern States out Of the Union the
country now would have been united and power
full and Napoleon would not have dared 70 vio-
late the Monroe doctrine. By pursuing their ag-
gressive measures. however, the abolitonists have
given to the South an ally in the ps rson Of Napo
leon. whose assistance, in all probability will en-
able the South to gain separate and independ-
ent existence among the nations OF the earth
,.,i.s .fii x