Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-04-29
WEEKLY SENTINEL.
Waterman, what OF the Nfght.


Waterman, what Of the Night.
We are entering upon the third year of the
war. Two year. ago no one would have believed
that a contest of such gigantic proportions could
have continued ,ais long. It's character, too, has
changed since its commencement. At first the
Administration characterized it asan instruction
"a rebelliOn-and the military forces were called
out to suppressit. Next the Administration recog-
nized the rebels as beigerents, and the rules d few
liked warfare were adopted When captured. the
insurgents wer~ not treated as rebels against the
Government-as traitors-but as prisoners of
war, aud held to be dealt with as such. Our Gov
eminent treats and holds intercourse with the
Rebel States as IN independent Confederacy or
power, and while we do not recognize them In
form as such, We do SO practically. The Admin
~istsatiOn regards them as outside Of the Union,
and outside of the Constitution and is endeavor-
ing 70 hold them as subjugated provinces 1t
does not propose to restore them to the Uuion rs
States. occupying the same relation to the Fed
eral Government that they did before the rebel.
lion. but as territories. and to be governed as
such.
Ii is not our purpose now to discuss the prob
able or just relations of the Rebel States to the
Federal Government in the future. They will
depend upon the fortunes or the result of the
contest in which we are now engaged. That we
cannot forsee or anticipate. We know not the
destinv that Providence intends for US as a ma
ton. but we do know what has taken place For
two years the States which composed the Union
at the time of the election of Mr.. LINCOLN have
been engaged in a sanguinary contest of gigan-
tic proportions. From a nation of non-combat-
ants pursuing z~ealouSly the avOeations of peace,
we have been converted into a nation of warriors.
The Administration have been. furnished with all
the men and all the money it asked for a vigor-
Gus and successful prosecution of the war, but
its promised results have not vet been accom-
plished. There has nothing been Withheld by
Congress or the people to prevent the restora-
ton of the national authority over the insur
rectiOnary districts. All that has been asked
by the Administration for the suppression Of the
rebellion has been generously granted. The PEG
pie have promptly responded to every call made
upon them regardless of party divisions or sen
timents.
Such being the case the people have the right
to ask. why this failure? The Government is
theirs. Il Is their province to demand of their
Representatives an account Of their steward
ship They are unwilling that the war should be
conducted rs it has been to enrich contractors
and fatren public officials. We cannot keep
seven hundred thousand soldiers in the field and
an immense navy, without eating up the sub
stance and impoverishing II e PEOPLE. The coun-
try cannot stand such a draft upon its resources.
What is to be Gomez The war shouldbe brought
to a close as speedily as possible. If here is no
other way but by fighting, the war should be
waged with earuestness and vigor. Every sol
der and every officer should at once be put into
the field. If the Administration means war IN
earnest why are some three. or four, or FIVE thou
sand soldiers, fit for service. guartered here?
Indiana is a loyal State. II there be any need
OF military force to protect our BORDERS. or to pre-
serve order, or to enforce the laws,
the Governor, as Commander-in Chief, has
ample authority to call out the militia
of the State to meet those requirements.
There is no need of a Government soldier in
Indiana. There is no necessity for any military
power to aid the civil authorities to enforce the
laws. If the Constitutional rights of the people
are respected by those in power. every law will
be obeyed. and every just requirement of the
Government chserfuliy responded to There is
no need of a soldier in a Northern State, not
even to arrest and return deserters. Yet it is es-
timated that there are about a hundred thousand
nov in the loyal States. kept from the field where
their services are so much needed. We presume
To day there are about AS many soldiers in Indi
ana as were engaged in the recent attempt to
capture Charleston. Such being the case, what
need for further conscription2
If. on the other hand, the war is to be settled
by compromise, lei the o~vertures of peace be
made at once. If that is to be the final termina-
ton of the controversy, if it is to come to that
complexion at last. it is the extreme of folly to
longer continue the enormous expenses which
the war creates 1t is ridiculous to say that if
the present army and navy are destroyed. Others
of equal magnitude will be raised. Our people
are too practical tor that. 1t the present forces
are not equal to the task of ovorthrowing the
rebelliOn-in the language OF the New York
Tribune. we might as well submit to our destiny
with the best grace possible.
The trouble has been. and il vet, that the
Administration nave no fixed policy. There has
been nothing lacking. on the part of the people.
for the successful prosecution of the war; hut
there has been a want of mind to direct it.
There ever has been a lack OF administrati, e
ability on the part of the opponents of the Demo
cratic party. and that deficiency has been lament
ably apparent for the past two years There
never was any necessity for the war. The diff
cultIes OF the country could have been arranged
without t. But. when war was determined upon
as the arbiter Of our sectional differences, all the
resources and all the power Of the Government
should have been devoted to its successful ac-
complishment, and not by half way measures
permit it to drag its slow length interminably
along.
The Democratic prrty are powerless in direct
ing the war; but they have a right to demand
that it shall be terminated as speedily as possible.
and its further demoralizing influences spared
the country. 1t IS idle 10 say that we can pros
cute y gear after wear at an annual cost of a
thousand millions Of dollars, without impover-
ishing the people, bankrupting the nation and
changing the Government into a military despct
ism