Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-01-11

men scarcely ever enter the ranks, consumption
law or no CONSUMPTION law or to persecute or
destroy honest men whose consciences do not
approve of the war in which nation may at the
time be engaged. ifse- .a .if -.
A FRIEND OF LIBERTY
The state of feetIng in the south
The Disposition Never surrender
the Contest for Independenc-wha
southern Clergyman w rites.
From the Nashville Dspatch.1
The following letter was recently received By
gentleman in this State Ii comes from dis
tinguished clergyman of Virginia. who was a
strenuous "Union man" up to Lincoln's Procla-
nation calling out $4,000 men to coerce the
South. The writer is politician. but earnestly
devoted to his profession, and the sentiments he
expresses are important aud interesting as show
ing the present state o: public opinion in the
South:
| nave just returned from visit to our army
in Northern Virginia. where found wonderful
presence of religious interest. aud. am persuad-
ed. of genuine work 0f Gods Spirit La the
ID corps, once the Iamented Jacks sons, the corps
chaplain told me there were Fifty sermons
preached every evening the weather permitted,
TO immense congregations usually. aud amidst
melting seriousness This great work is done
partly by chaplains and partly by missionaries
from the churches at home, who are usually most
distinguished pastors The reported conversions
are counted by thousands and have il from
the highest source that the discipline and steadi-
ness OF the army are vastly improved since last
| year. The tyraUt will find that these penitent,
| believing. rejoicing soldiers, will be terrible ad
yersaries to meet in battle fighting. as they are.
! in the holy cause of their country, their homes
and their affairs
! | think the state of feelina among all of our
respectable people is this lu June. the repulse
/ hof fha- II 81
hope that he would be able TO do something eff
fective in Pennsylvania or Maryland. had en-
couraged the more sanguine of Us to believe and
all of US to hope, that the radical party OF the
| United States would speedily become hopeless
and tired OF the war; aud that the dav ut peace
was therefore beginning to dawn. The capture
of Vicksburg, the repulse at Gettysburg. the
persevering resumption OF the siege of Charleston
have convinced u That this hone dashed;
that is that arAeirly I,eice cannot now be ex
pected; aud that We must return to those expec
tations which we had entertai'ieI previously, dur
| ing all of 1862 Those expectations were that
the population and resources of the United States
being so much greiter, We should have to win
our way To independence by long and suffering
defensive warfare. patient endurance, and hard
/ fighting under disadvantages The events of the
early summer OF 1863 had encouraged us to fat
ter ourselves with more happy aud speedy sue
cess. lie painful and bitter to give uD the
| fiattering hope aud return to embafce the old
prospect of tue long continuance of our trials. and
that prospect darkehed still more, The feelings
OF all of Us dashed by this, and of some, dis
couraged for time. But the people are nerving
themselves again TO their task They feel that
after the fall OF New 0rleans, they had all made
up Their minds to the necessity at a stubborn pr
tient, deter mned. defensive war with all its suf-
feringS; that this spirit bore them through 1862,
and laid the foundation for splendid partial tri-
umphs; that tley must rccur To IL again. relinu-
ushing this more pleasing hope of speedy peace
througIr happy offensive operations; and that this
1 spirit will bear them through the reminder of
| 1863 ada 1864 il ,iid thrOugli 1862, and win
the prize ia the end All sensible men feel that
submission is impossible: ihtt the Intensely wick
ed and malignant spirit h. IripJrcsl by the Black
| Republican party, and more and more manifested,
leaves them I'D alternative whatever but to fight
it out the bitter eud. Lincoln effectually cures
all weak-kueed . Recohstru .tonists and Submits
sionsts" of their temporary fits of despondeLcy,
| by his senselesS and ieVish barbarities The
Confederate Government would have good de Il
! to tear from United States Administration that
would adopt truly m,gnanimous policy; waive
| the insul.ing NONSENSE about our being ''rebes"
and "trators:'' le oguize the tnct that We were
/ freemen under Constitution. fighting tor rights
really endangered: offer some sensible guarantee
OF those rights for the future, reinouish the
monstrous proposal for contscaton and offer
/ genera! amnesty.
But the security of our leaders is in the mad
ness aiid wickedness of the Washington Govern
ment. They are ton much possessed of the devil
to tempt any of our f,iut- hearted ones with such
hopes; they shut them up to the alternative OF
! fighting 10 she end, or else accepting a loss OF
rights, property at.i honor. that even dog would
spuru the latter. We thank them for it; theF
recruit our armies perpetuslls from the oppressed
dfsrrfc fisavi Ia
raydge. tie more impossible 10 our soldiers feel
Submissions To be III the UnlIeI Suites choose to
continue this war, they may crowd Us down. pos
sibly, good deal 10y superior numbers: but the
issue will be precisely like the war If l776. Our
people, | think. have nes er doubted the justice
of majority of the Democratic party OF the
North We have given taem credit for
willingness TO accord rights But We
regard the course of the bulk of that party as
suicidal. and. in one point OF view, in
consistent and wicked than that of the FEEDER
alists and Black Republicans. Had the North
ern Democracy said at the beginning, These
Southern States may be misguided AS 10 the ex-
tent their rights are threatened. but our Const-
tuition makes them the judges mot us) of that.
and of their dernier remedy; and il they choose
to 90, we Cannot righteously keep them by
farce had they only risen in their strength. aud
while condemning, perhaps the South, still said:
there shall be no coerson." Virginia, North
Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas would never have
gone out There would have been no war The
Cotton States would have come buck in FIVE
years; all would have been well-far better than
il has ever been since the disastrous strife of
1929 But no; these Northern Democrats, mis-
led BY sectional pride. folly and ambition, de-
serted their own principles the very first moment
they were ever truly tested joined the mad cry
for COERCION and threw the uselves. like lunatics,
into the arms OF their enemies, the Republicans.
Whist has been the result3 In the wicked effort
to join their enemies in robbng their brethren of
their liberties. they have promptly lost their own.
TIE Confederate States are not snbiugated:
the Northern Democracy is. Our Coniederacy
has before it in the good providence of God. two
alternatives either of which is possible. One al
tentative is "a long harrassing war, at the suffer
ngs Of which the rejecting mind sickens. and
ending in an undying hatred OF the people OF the
United States and an utter separation after the
useless splitting OF oceans OF blood and the vast
ing Of our public and private wealth. but leaving
a people decmated and impoverished yet still
free. proud and nerved with the terrible energies
evoked by such struggle The other prospect
is that diplomatic connection which our Govern
ment has such powerful means of aluring. may
secure for ils exterior aid which viii enable us
more speedily TO take the aggressive and hurl
back on the United States all the military aud
financial ruin of this gigantic war and thus end il.
But the United States. as we view it. has no al
ternstive her destiny is already settled and that
a governments akin to that Of Rome under the
Caesars, or France under the Directory
ally radical Democracy. actualiy ruthless and
bloodv military despotism. No one here talks
ahout Tho IT.,ffod Sfates hosnr h, 1aneor IF