Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-05-02

mIssaI-Lincoin inclined TO uphold
Butter.
Special Correspondence of the Chicago Times.
WASHINGTON. April 20.
The news which reached here yesterday. of
the surrender TO the rebels of the forts at Ply
mouth, aud our troops. stores and munitions OF
war there, shows how eeregousiy the people
were humbugged and deceived by the first ac-
counts of the affair, that were put forth two or
three days ago, under the sanction OF the admin
istration. In these accounts il was stated that
the distractions in the River Roanoke, above
Plymouth. would prevent the rebel irOnclad YES
sells from coming down To that place. But now
it is admitted that the rebe vessels passed the
Instructions, passed Plymouth. and are now.
three r0ncad gunbOais and RAM riding at an
Choir in Abemarle Sound. thus commanding all
the inland waters OF North Carolina. and pre-
venting all reniOrcemenls from beng sent 70
the other threatened points in the State In
deed there is little danger that, before this time.
Newborn has also fallen before the superior num-
bers of the enemy; for l learn from a gentleman
who has just arrived here direct from North
Carolina, that the COUfederstes have in the wat.
OF the Roanoke, Tar and Nes~e rivers, fleet
OF no less than eight irOnclad guubOats and TOUR
large rams: and that there are in that State prn
cipsly Wilmington and along the railroad
from that place TO Richmond, no less than &c, 0O0
Confederate troops
1t seems highly probable. from the events that
have taken place there during the last two
weeks that it the intention Of the Confe,er ties
to make a combined land and naval attack, about
this time. upon all the Union posts along the
coast of North Carolina. between Fort Macon
and Albemare Sound. The plan. so far rs de-
velOped, seems to be 10 attack one post at time,
with overw hemiug force. while the gunboats
take up such positions as will prevent reinforce
ments from reaching the beieaguered place. 1t
is not at all unlikely that the plan will succeed
No better test OF the qualities of these North
Carolina rebe gunbOats could be desired than
their ability to pass the distractions above
Plymouth and the Union batteries at the latter
place. The heaviest shot and shell ratified
harmles-ly the iron turtle shaped backs, and
fell off into the water, or else rebounded back
into the Union forts. One officer ut Plymouth
was actually killed by piece of shell that thus
rebounded But the rebel iron-clads have now
begun to assemble in Albemarle Sound, and they
have been proved tn he seawOrthy in every re-
spect. The next question is. what are the rebels
going to do with them.
1t is quite within their power To sail up to For
tress Monroe and enter Hampton Roads Ii is
possible that their recent movements are part
of Gen. Lees plan of the campaign. and that he
intends them to sail up Chesapeake Bay perhaps
even up the Potomac, in connection with the
movement Of his own army towards the North
A few DAYS more will settle the question. but it
really seems a. ii the campaign in the East was
opening in earnest
This disaster NJ Plymouth. your readers will
observe. is in Beast Buffers department, and he
j. directly responsible for its occurrence That
the COnfederates had some such design in view
has been known at his headquarters for over two
weeks past. Ii would have been quite within the
power of AN able commander in Buffers place
to have taken such measures as would have avert
ed the calamity But Butler made light of MI
the intelligence that WAS brought To him, and be
hold the result
No man knows Buffers character better than
General Grant. decided though not promi
nent. feature of the plan OF the latter was that
Butler should be superseded by General W
smith Mr.. Lncola. ever inclined to temporize
and Knowing what storm this would bring about
his head from the radicals j. TRYING n .rd 10 save
Butler; but General Grant is inexorable He
knew that. with Butler in command Al Fortress
Monroe. any camoaign on the Peninsula would
be sbOrtlye FINALLY Lincoln has compromised
the matter by permitting General Smith to be
assigned To the ind of all the military ope-
rations IN that department. but leaving Butter in
still play the petty tyrant over women and clergy
men. Hence Buffers demand Of the President
To be allowed To retain the command OF the troops
IN the department. A good deal depends on what
Mr. L'ncOln's answer TO this will I've. Ii he re
fuses % comply, and suStains General Grant he
knows that the radicals will make c. pital out of
u, and NAV Withdraw their support from him in
the Baltimore Convention and give IL 10 Butler:
for they have made Old Abe understand that
Butler must be sustained in everything Mr.
Lincoln's prospects in the Convention are but
shaky now at the best, and il wouli not axe
much to throw him overheard and ~ place Ben
Butler in nomination instead On the other
hand. il he sustains Butler and ignores General
Grants wishes will interfere with the plans ofrhe
latter 10 such an extent To defeat them This
is only ore instance among mtny, h0wever Of
the serious disagreemenis between Gen Grant
and tie President
The court martial sitting here in the case Of
Fish. late Provost Marshal of Baltimore un..r
Scheuck. hsve found Fish guilty of the charges
preferred against hm-iraud. population. emhez
element. &c and haze sentenced him 10 be
dismissed from the army, and 90
be imprisoned for twelve months in the peniien
tisry At Albany. Y. This Is very severe
sentence, much more 80 than that Inflicted on
Col Belser. who was the Qnartermaster AT Bal
Iimore, also under Schenck. ami who was simply
dismissed from the srnly. The members of the
court which tried Fish are well known for their
kindness Of heart aud mild dispositions; and lhis
severe sentence, therefore. indicates An unusual
degree turpitude on the part of the convicted
person The sentence hs- been submitted 20 the
President for approval Ii Is most likely that
Old Abe will reverse the sentence and order
Fish % be discharged | would not be sur
prised if he should even order Fish To be restored
to his rank IN the armv-thst of Colonel, Ii is
such men that the administration delights 10
honor. Besides IN all that Fish did at BsI,i-
more. he aced under the express and explicit or
tiers of >chenck, then in command of that mill
isry departments Fish IVES a pToteo, Of Schenck'
and never did anything without consulting the
after aud gstting his sauction. la hundreds OF
instances Of the most glazing wrong Oh the part I.