Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-04-11
Especial Correspondence Of the Chicago Tines

THIS be Done.
Especial Correspondence Of the Chicago Tines
WAsRINGroS. March %.
The Administration seeks to make light of the
disaster at Paducah, in Kentucky; and Mr. In
coin has already made il the subject Of one OF his
hideous jokes. But the importance of the affair,
as a part Of the rebel operations in the West, is
quite evident TO every intelligent army officer
here. and it is freely discussed in military circles.
IL Is the general opinion among military men
that il foreshadows the bold ness and audacity
(and some even add, the probable success) which
will characterize the rebel. campaigns OF 1864.
The enemies OF Gen Grant endeavor to blame
him for the affair, for they say that il ought to
have been his special province to have foreseeD
and provided against IL. IL is not necessary for
me to demonstrate to the readers of the Times
how unjust and unfounded this view Of the case
is. If Gen. Grant promptly takes measures to
repair the mischief that has been done; to stay
the rebel advance in Kentucky. and to prevent
the recurrence of similar disasters in future, il is
all the country can ask of him
The responsibility Of the affair, like that of the
Florida disaster and Of our other recent defeats,
rests directly upon Abraham Lincoln who, to
crafty his personal hatred and to advance his
personal ends, keeps many OF our best Generals
unemployed, and still contrives so to scatter the
army as to render fully one-half of our military
strength unavailable. To remedy this sreat evil
will be one of the first thing to which Gen. Grant
will turn his attention. He has already insisted
that both General Mcclellan and Gen. Fremont
shall be assigned to duty forthwith; and the
President, alter many demurs and excuses has
consented. Among the objections offered by
Mr. Lincoln were, that these two Generals were
both promnen: Presidential candidates, and that
if he gave them commands notc. after keeping
them both so long unemployed, people would say
that he did so to buy them off. and to conciliate
their frierds There's logic for you'll That is
an argument worthy of great mind
Respect for the office which Aoe Lincoln holds
prev nted General Grant from reDlying to this as
it deserved. He contented himself with saying
that the people would do justice to his motives,
which, of course, simply zeal for the adj
vancemeut of the service But 10 his friends he
did not hesitate to express his wonder and
constituent that so mean motive could inhu-
ence the conduct of the chief magistrate in
matter where the success of the war was so
vitality concerned.
am aware that some diversity of opinion ex-
lists concerning the authenticity of the orders
found upon the person of the late Col DIhlgren,
in regard TO the burning and sackng OF Rich
mond But the evidence is all now in, and it
cannot be denied that the weight OF testimony is
decidedly in favor of the genuineness OF the docu
ments in question. One fact alone, which has
conclusive. The men concerned in the expedi-
ton understood its objects perfectly and the sur
yivors all concur in the fact that those objects
precisely what is set forth in Dahlgren's
order. and which, it carried out, would have in
volved the burning of the CITY of Richmond, the
massacre OF unarmed and defenceeSs people, the
plumber and sack of private houses. the nameless
Outrages on females.
Whenever hitherto the Confederates have in
vaded the North, the demeanor of their armies
has been such befttel the armies of Chris
tian nation. The towns Of Carlisle York. Cum
Jerland and Harper's Ferry have all been in their
power, and all might have shared the fate which
Lincoln wished to befrl Richmond Exaspera-
ted by such deliberately hendish plot, it is
scarcely probable that in future nvasions the
rebel soldiers will be so forbearing. Ii all the
horrors of war are visited this summer upon
some of the houriShing towns in Pennsylvania
Ohio and Indiana. the blame will lay directly
upon the shoulders OF Abraham Lincoln, for he
gave his full consent and approval TO the designs
of Dahlgren
There is another way in which the Confeder-
ates feel disposed take vengeance upon US for
an attempt to burn and sack Richmond, and for
our actual bonbardment of Charleston and burn
ing of several of their towns, besides for the
things done by Turchin, Mcneil, Wilde, Pope,
Butler and MilroY; things which cannot be JUST
| fed by the rules of war. They are now enter
tanning the design of burning large cities by
means of the nstrumentality of hired despera
does. or Of destroying them. as with an earth
quake. by causing the explosion of the large
powder magazines known to be in their vicinity.
These facts are so we'll known here, that great
alarm and apprehension exists among those who
are interested in property, and whose families
reside in those cities. And some very radio ii
Republicans, hitherto stron advocates of ''exter-
mnatiOn" and "wiping out the South" and
dent apostles of abolItiouism and the intermar
rage of black men with white women. have been
to the President, and have urged him to issue
an order fOTbdding in future all sush acts pill
age or rapne. The President only laughed at
| them. To issue such order would seem too
much like embracing the views of General
Mcclellan. So that the Turchins, the Popes,
and the Buffers, will continue their performances
at the South. But when the midnight sky is
lighted up with conf igrations at the North
when some great city at the North is destroyed
| in night. with earthquake when the
frenzied cries OF unprotected females freeze with
horror the powerle>s lockers on-then let il be
remembered that Aoraha m Lincoln, and he alone,
! Is the author of these calamities
Do you observe how many papers are how
convinced of the designs of Mr. Lincoln to keep
himself in power for another term by ANY means?
designs which exposed and denounced months
ago2 Y