Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-05-13
FROM the London Times, April Is.
A British View of the Condition o

the American OSeEhAhchb
The old curse of America is once more upon
her; the evil spirit has returned with seven other
spirits to his old haunt. Mr.. Lincoln has held
the Presidency of the United States Tor two mis-
cradle and disastrous years. 1t Is unnecessary
TO dilate rpou the results of his administration.
Ii has DESTROYED a vast mass of prosperity and
happiness, and scattered TO the winds the best
hopes of the American people. vi how many
States NAV il be said with truth that Mr.. Lincoln
has found them a garden and left them a desert;
of how MANY hourishing institutions that be found
them a reality, and has made them but a name;
of how many families that be found them united
and prosperous, while they are now ecimate by
war and divided by faction9 The exchequer of
America was full, and is empty; her credit was
high, and is all but extinct; and the evil OF today
is regarded by those who can foresee and calcu-
late the future as altogether light and endurable
as compared with the disasters that arc looked for
from to- morrow. In little more than eighteen
months from this time the people OF the North,
or of whatever portion of the United States may
still be under the Federal Government, will be
called upon to elect another President.
1t is a long while to look forward to. especially
in the present state of things. but the stake TO be
PLAYED for is vast, and no means of securing 1t
must be neglected. The Republican majority in
Congress have before separating done everything
IN their power To secure 10 their Own party dDOI0eT
quadrennial period of Office. These reckless men
deserve a foremost place among hoserepresenta-
tives of the people who from time to time have
made themselves notorious in the history of the
world by surrendering the liberties of their cOun-
try into the hands of a dictator or tyrant. There
is hardly a right secured by the Constitution to
States or to individuals which the late Congress
OF the United States have nOtinvaded, a principle
Of freedom which they have not overthrow. a
franchise which they have not trampled under
foot. The Office Of President, plain and republi-
can as il came from the hands of the founders of
federation, is hardly recognizable beneath the
mass of powers with which it is overlaid. The
first citizen of the Republic, the servant Of the
people, the head of al executive. exercising Ger
tain few and clearly defined powers, has become,
by the treason of a Legislature exercising func-
tons which law bad limited with equal care to
that with which it limited its own, the most abso-
lutte autocrat on earth.
\ ct it is feared that all this power and all this
violence may be unable to perpetrate itself, and
time has been found, in the midst of a civil war,
to get up an organization evidently created for
electioneering purposes. The word has been
passed to say little about the abOrtive prOclama-
ton of the President for the emancipation of the
negroes, and to get up meetings everywhere in ia
vOr o~flOyalty aud of the preservation of the Union
| DIS movement does not appear 10 nave OeeD
crowned with any particularly brilliant success,
and now it is succeeded by a measure so des.
perate and so dangerous that we. who have never
expected much from Mr. Lincoln, confess that
we stand aghast at his recklessness and hardi
hood. The last resource Of Mr. Lincoln has been
to turn the messroOm of every regiment into IA
debating society, and It's soldiers into mlniture
constituencies. The papers from America are
full of addresses agreed to by meetings OF regi
ments presided over by their Colonel with
ii Captain and a Chaplain for Secretaries.
The regiments from Pennsylvania, New Jersey
and Connecticut. have taken the lead in these
political manifestations Their addresses have a
suspicious likeness to each other. They are all
manifestations of Republican opinion. They
assert views favorable to the continuance of the
ar-an denounce, not as mistaken friends, but
as enemies much more detested than the South
erners themselves, those among their fellow
citizens who have presumed to think, or talk of
peace. These military logicians will tolerate no
difference of opinion. He that is not with them
is against them; and he that is against them, is
ITO use their own language) hellish, diabolical,
and worthy of death. Such language deserves
attention when it is held by men who may at any
moment become the executioners of their own
sentence. Henceiorth there is but me opinion in
America, and no distinction is to be observed
between the man who counsels peace and the
man who actively carries on war Thedungeons
of the State and the sword of the army are equally
ready for both.