Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-05-16

The attention Of the ~hole country. South a.
well az North, is turned 70 the struggle in Vir
GINA between GRANT and LEE. The telegraphic
report. Of the contest thus far have been decided
" sensational. No decisive results have yet
been achieved. The two powerful armies are
still confronting each other. as defiant as when
the struggle first commenced. This morning ve
publish General MEsDK's address to bis army.
giving the results Of eight days battles. This
does not correspond with the daily telegraphic
reports which have been Published. even those
from the highest official sources. According 10
the Official bulletins published one week ago
to day. from the Secretary Of War. Il was an
nounced that Gen. HANCOCK bad passed through
Spotfsylvania Court House on the day previous;
and from the same source of Information the
country was advised that LEE was retreating by
the direct route to Richmond But the telegraph
advises "a that on last Monday evening battle
was fought on the north side of the River Pc. this
side Of Spoiisyvsnia, and up to the last accounts,
that the army Of General LEE was still in line Of
battle in that neighborhood. The inconsistency
in these accounts is calculated to shake conf
dence m any statement that is made even from
Official sources.
A few days ago the telegraphic reports stated
most positively that LEE was short of provisions
that there great disafection in the rebel
army in that regard. aud that the rebel COM
maEder had announced to his army that il would
have 70 look to GRANT for subsistence. To be
= = -. -
conquest or submission. but it was asserted
most positively that the ratons must come from
Federal quarters. A telegraphic dispatch from
Mr.. Secretary STANTON. received Yesterday, an
nounces that Gen SHERIDAN had made a success
full cavalry raid in the of Gen LEE, one re-
suit of which was that he had DESTROYED million
OF rationsl Which is the humbug. the first or
last of these reportsi Or. are they both?
We are fighting enemies who have displayed
wonderful sagacity. skill, and resources. Is
il probable that they would keep powers
ful army in the field without providing, we may
add. securing substance beyond any doubtful
contingency =? Considering that the rebellion
will be overcome by the campaigns Of this year.
is IL reasonable to suppose that this triumph is to
be achieved by single blow ? 1t is useless 20
TO disguise the fact that the Confederacy has a
nationality. IL has been maintained through a
terrific struggle OF three years duration. and
against fearful odds. Whatever difference of
opinion may have existed among the Southern
people at the commencement of the
war. there is They are united
With them il is death struggle. The issue pre-
sented to them is subjugation. emancipation
confscation and miscegenation. All that a
proud people hold dear is involved. Every hon
est man must admit that such is the case, no
matter how much he may condemn their cause.
Defeat overwhelms them in irretrievable ruin.
Knowing and feeling this. they have every in
centive to inspire them to determined and des
perate resistance. And the harder such people
are pressed. in that degree will their resources be
developed.
The subjugation of the rebellion during this
year we fear will be more than breakfast spell,
and it may be more than a dinner spell Power
ful armies overwhelming in numbers apparently,
with all the appliances of war, are msrshalIed
against the rebel strongholds, and with every ap
pearance of an easy triumph But at every step
they have met determined foe 1t could not
be otherwise Thew are men of our own race
and we would not wish it disgraced by cowardice.
for that would humilate both alike
We de- not profess to be able to give an in
telligent view of the situation. IL is useless to
speculate upon the results when the logic OF
events will before many DAYS solve the problem
We know that there has been eight DAYS terrible
fighting, the most so of the war. and the victims
are numbered by tens of thousands And so
accustomed has the public mind become to these
details Of carnage that the human slaughter
exciteS but little feeling. There is an anxiety
to hear the result but the fearful cost is hardly
taken into consideration.
We may speculate little and venture an
opinion LEES army may be driven back from
one line of defense TO another, and finally upon
Richmond This will not however end the
struggle The rebel capital is prob IDLY garrison
Ell and provisioned To withstand a long siege
We predicate this opinion upon the fact that able
military men are managing the contest on the
rebel side. Is it not safe then to draw the con-
cusion. however much we may wish it otherwise.
that the capture of Richmond will require fear
ful sacrifice of blood and treasure?
The Exploded Republican Slander of
the ID, mocracy FavOring IN North
western Confectionery.
The Journal of the 4th inst. charged that the
Democratic party of Indiana was ia favor of a
~
OF sustaining and making good its grave charge.