Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-03-30
what n Fremont Journal Thinks OF
The Administration, Generals and
lErom xnk... spIri, q be TInes. ]

al the manner in which he has opened the Lieu
tenant Generalship. nor resist a feeling of dis
enlargement al the names OF the commanders he
has chosen TO support his operations. II It be
really true that he is himself a man of merely
middling qualities, whose good chanceit has been
70 lead the only army not corrupted oy dissen-
sions. then indeed has mediocrity been inaugurat-
ed 10 both branches Of the State, and this great
people delivered over TO a hazard which no pa
triot can scarcely contemplate without shudder.
Ii Was misfortune enough. that men who do
not represent the ardOr or resolution OF the peo-
pie, should be al the helm OF the civil govern
ment; but il is deplorable indeed, nay. utterly
alarming. that the great issues of the impending
conflict should be conhded 10 Generals OF feeble
natures and inferior ability. not one of whom re-
spects that popular sentiment which is the acant
courier Of destiny. and which is pressing on this
ar WecannOt close our eyes to this salient
fact in relation to both the Administration and
the army In counterpart TO conservative
Executive. supported by Messrs Seward. Blair
and Bates we find first our voceless Gu ef ain /
and 4 run of Generals who do not represent four /
per cent of military quality
First Sherman. who commenced this war by
stating his belief it would last thirty years, next
Badly" Smith, unknown to the record of sin
gle victory; and then Mcpherson, a tOerable |
soldier. but not warranted for the large grasp to
which be has been assigned. To Sherman, who
has been an unvaryIng failure, Grant. with whom |
he is first favOrte, has assigned the wee ROYALTY
OF the NlsSssippi-and this IN the lace OF his
fascO at Chattanooga his ridiculous pursuit of
LOngstreet, and the complete miscarriage of his
recent raid at Selmal To Mcpherson, COM
paratvely obscure though meritorious Captain,
he has donated the Department OF East Tennes
see thus ignoring the paramount claims OF
Thomas Rosecrais aud Hooker. Rosecrans
restored that region to the domain of The Re
public; Thomas defended il TO our possession by
his combined genius aud herOsm at the battle of
Chickamauga; and Hooker finally saved it by
his mastery operations in Lookout Valley, and
his subsequent magnificent thanking Of Mission
airy Ridge (Which Sherman had butted at una
vailingly for two days. 10y the capture OF Look
out Mountain Were we not certain that envy
dwells not in celestial minds, We might suppose
that Grant, doubtful of his own superiority. had
determined to surround himself only with mill
tary inferorities, by whom he is sure not 10 he
out-dazzled But the most glariug wrong which
has been attempted. as incidental to this new
military phase is the nomination by the Presi-
dent (Of course at the instance of Gen Grant,
of Badly Smith, to the Major Generaship in
the regular army made vacant by his own pro-
motion
When we first heard that Badly Smith, who
never sgnalized himself for ANYTHING but the
worship of Mcclellan was TO be named Tor the
great command on the Potomac, we thought the
suggestion was put forth in derision-indeed. only
a. an extreme sarcasm on the utter nefficency
of Meade; but when we learned that Badly had
been preferred bv Grant "a the most proper man
TO be heir of his own unbel;ed sword. we felt the
apprehension we have expressed at the outset OF
this article. and saw that for some unseen pur-
pose Mediocrity was to be purposely installed in
all the superior positions in the field IL il be
thought that this is strained a glance over the
list of conservative W est Pointers, who now hold
the crisis in their hands. will perhaps obstinate
such protest Accepting Grant without question,
wha; shall to string OF vicerOys and
marshals such as Sherman. Meade, Badly Smith,
Sedgwick franklin. Sykes. Newton Schoheld,
French. III genus omnes and reverting back again,
what can We hope for from the feeble, if not per-
verse Administration which sustains them!
What shall he thought, in particular, OF the hon
esty of the President, which, with all due desire
to let Grant have his way, should have consented
to recommend the name of Badly Smith 10 The
United States Senate worthy. BY his record in
this war, OF the two stars and a marshals batonf
Whatever Lincoln might he willing to cOncede
TO Grants wishes in assigning Badly To command.
he had no right TO administer this deliberate IN
/ Justice to the host of soldiers who have served
/ the country better. Mr. Lincoln. il not Gene
raj himself has at least looked At the progress
OF the war and while presenting Badly for a
/ Major Generals rank in the regular service, bis
cheeks should have blushed at leaving the hero
of Williamsburg, Fair Oaks. Glendale. Ante
tam. Wauhatche, Pea-Viue Greek. Ringold and
Lookout Mountain simple Bril- adier. He
ought to have blushed to crimson at the same
time, if he thought of Thomas. the victor of the
bloody fight at Chickamauga.
1t is the observation OF these things, the re-
Election on their gross injustice and the fear, that
If the mediocrity which perpetrates such outrages
should fail again this spring TO administer dc
csive blow TO the rebellion, the resolution oil
the country NAV lie out--that makes Us almost
tremble to look forward. Never before have We
felt depression equal to that which assi,s u al
this moment Three years have now elapsed
since the commencement OF the war A debt OF
sixteen hundred millions stares US in the lace
and nearly half million OF our soldiers have
been utterly used no The elastic hope which
buOyed the earlier stages OF the struggle ha'
largely faded ont. while, 80 far as the Contede-
rates concerned. they are better off to-day
20 sustain three years more of contest, than al
any previous period OF the war The manuiac-
tories they at first required are now constructed
agriculture and the science of subsistence have
taken settled shape; and AL the Sufferings arc
sacrifices which necessary TO season people
TO exploit. have been endured Moreover, they
feel that the period OF probation which ioreleT
powers limit for struggling populations 10 carr
the name of nationality is veiy nearly up. i i
not. therefore. painful nay. alarming. that. a
such crisis mediocrity and doubtful purposes
should WELD the entire sway I ct such i TN
case: and as We dwell upon II. we are amos
driven To believe that God not only i not with VI
but against u He ha- confounfed our judg
menis divided our councils. and delivered u
into the hands of the feeble. the faint hearted
and the blind
And who should be be with u. base. groveling
and corrupted ~ we areI We are not with MIN
We are Il goddess. cOnscienceleSs reigones
people There J. 10 honor. 40 virtue. no devo-
ton, except among the masses, while ninety pc
cent of all who range above the thousand dolla
incomes are mere lynx eyed sharpers. who ar
watching every neghbor with suspicion. and ~h'
subordinate every sentiment To self. Debauche'
bv an extravaglnt prosperity. and spared merci-
fully from all sacrifices, We have ungrateluil.
forgotten I due reliance upon heaven and th
result i that except i'm the case Of the ,imne
virtuous abOring people. We have PRACTICAL.
become community of atheists There l. NJ
conscience attached TO the intelligence ami wealth
of the community; aud laymen A. we are. and o
the world we say unto YOU. fellow couutrymen
that there can be no lasting government wIthOu
public virtue: no enduring nationality without
universal sense of God. Handled as orr counir
has been in the field, and stupe6ed a IL i by tn
tricksters of the Cabinet. it would seem that "
are only 10 arrive Al the stage when We NAV D
; permitted 10 rebuild, by suferings ard sacrifice:
and perhaps through preliminary chaos whic
] i i drea iul to anticipate This mournfu de-