Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-12-28
EHOn THE SOUTH.
HOODS Disaster The emergencies OF
the Hour-Duty OF Congress"-Tbe
Negroes Must ne soldiers



Whether real disaster has befallen the army
OF Gen Hood. cannot be accurately determined
until his official report j. received We do not
credit Yankee officials sufficiently 20 accept,
without many grains Of allowance, any statement
Of victory they may put forth. Nor do We deem
il unlikely that the driving of Hoods left wing
from the river consisted merely IN his retiring
from the curvinear TO the straight line of bat
tie II may be that Murireesboro was receiving
more OF Hood attention than Nashville Ii
would be we'll, therefore. 10 wait Gen. hood :
report before accepting disaster from the official
report OF General Thomas Wear not disposed
to criticise tue campaign Of Gen Hood into
Tennessee at this time ADD, whether right or
wrong, il has been entered cpon, and cannot now
be changed Ne can see 10 good u come from
its criticism, but much encouragement may be
given 10 the enemy if they see disposition 10
sssaif our authorities upon the first report land
that their own Of disaster IL were better to
sustain even defective campaign than TO ex-
hibit the yacilat!on and wayerng which will
be Inferred from wholesale denuucati0n OF a
campaign upon the first report OF an unfavorable
character. The second days battle promised by
Thomas has not been heard iroI 1T this writing.
but may be before this goes TO press. That sec
ond day may change The whole aspect OF the
situation.
The absence Of Forrest and that of division
before MurfreesborO would indicate that opera
tons elsewhere had been undertaken which may
have influenced the attack OF the enemy, as well
as the resistance Of our own army The re.
ported capture of eight hundred or one thousand
prisoners and sixteen pieces Of artillery, taken
with the we'll known character Of exaggeration
which has characterized every commander OF
the Federal armies, we are disposed 10 acceDi
with the caution OF a welliOunded suspicion
"a A -.
the report Of Gen. Hood before accepting defeat
AZ the same time We cannot say that the cam
paign Of Gen Hood promises any very great or
important results.
but, Ia view OF the situation IN Tennessee and
in Georgia. with Hood reported defeated before
Nashville. aud neauregard ia Savannah with
the desoate track Of ShermSn's army still fresh
upon the earth with our railroads broken and
our subsistence supplies disarranged. ii does sp
pear a most unreasonable time TO be wasting
discussion upon peace propositions, State righs
and other formulas. which serve but 10 make u
ridiculous before our enemy, and TO distract and
divide our people Ii our COngresmen would
close their doors aud devote themselves earnestly
20 tho recruiting OF the army. to the supplying il
with clothing and rations. TO improving is or
cauizst,ou. 20 rebuilding aud repairing The rail
roads. TO the fostering and encouragement OF
the Importation OF supplies. the people would
soon forge; disaster. aud take encouragement
from Congress, and give again their whole heart
AMI soul to the war.
The subject of negro cOnscription gains ground
with every defeat why should not the Congress
and the State Legislature turn their attention 10
removing the popular prejudice that exists agains,
this important measure, and prepare the public
mind for that which is inevitable Why endea.
vor to hug the delusion that the arming OF the
ua vii bQpnma N ha
march of events steadily progresses toward THAT
measure Wisdom would anticipate the event,
and prepare the public for the radical change
which military events are hurrying upon Us.
Il would now be very proper to begin to arm the
negroes in a few more months il may be abso
lutely necessary, and before six months have
passed il may be beyond that necessity Every
day IS important ard every days DELAY is Just so
much lost. Whether Hood has been defeated OF
not peace will not be gained without more men,
and the negroes only. We fear can give our army
the men