Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-07-08
rKOu WASHINGTON.
THE SITUATION At PETEKsBURG-THE REPEAL or
THE ooMNUATION CAUSE.-THE WAR STILL FAR
FROM

special Correspondence Of the Chicago Times
WAsHINGroN, July =. 1864.
There has been little change in the position
OF the army before Petersburg since my last let
ter, but none that brings any nearer TO the
capture of the place or the reduction of Rich
mohd- The disastrous affair of the 22d an
attempt TO repeat the favOrite left flank move
meut;" and il failed Since then the attempt has
not been renewed The army has been moved
gradually around 10 the lett, however since then,
and while the right wing rests on the AppOmat-
tox river, east Ot tie town, the left wing rests
upon the n elton railroad. at a Aont four miles
south of Petersburg. There is still another rail
road leading out of Petersburg, and running ex-
actly west to Lynchburg, nearly one hundred
miles distant. Halt way 10 that point Is Burkes-
vile At this place the railroad 10 Danville
branches oft Ia south west direction, road
which, from Danvlle runs through North and
South Carolina These are the reads upon which
all the supplies that needed for the rebels at
Petersburg brought. The Damage done at
BurkesYllle, about ten days ago, was promptly
repaired, and long trains of cars run daily from
Lynchburg and Danville into Petersburg. The
road Is guarded by large detachments from the
rebel army. Beauregard's corps Is inside of the
ntrenchments at Petersburg; and the main body
of Gen. Lees army is in the triangle between
Petersburg, the Lynchburg railroad, and the
Weldon railroad. the line extending about five
miles from Petersburg, on which is left rests
Every attempt by Gen. Grant To move towards
the Lynchburg railroad, towards the south. is
met by an extension of General Lees line. Ii
general engagement is desired by the Union
commander, it can be brought on by persistent
attempts to move arosnd TO the West of Peters
burg.
The base subserviency of the present Congress
displayed in the legislation OF the past few
alpoosf o., cl I A.
of lo6l-2 In almost every matter concerning
the honor of the country and THE welfare and
happiness OF the people, the dominant majority
have disregarded ali the principles OF Justice and
right, as well as the piainest principles OF the
Constitution. and have only mani tested alacrity
in humbling themselves in the dust and ia obey
ing the behests of Abraham Lincoln. Whatever
measures he and his abolitonist advisers had
agreed upon, in order TO prolong the war and
subjugate the South, were communicated to Con.
gress, and the latter has hastenei 20 put them in
the shape of laws OF such is thebill repeating
the $500 Communication clause Of the conscription
bill
The fact is, the measure, and all the measures
which Mr. Lincoln and his advisers have agreed
upon since the beginning of the .present cam
paign against Richmond. are the efforts of sheer
desperation on his part, in order to retain him
self in power. The days of his administration
are IIHDtitl. mere i every reason 10 lei
that the campaign of the present summer against
Richmond will result in a MISUNDERSTANDING, while
our financial ADVERTISEMENTS such that ~
tional bankruptcy already stares US in the face
In the meantime, the wretched rags that consti
tute only currency are so depreciated i'm value
to be worth only $40 for SlG0, and individual
poverty and ruin the only prospects before
the people. Such are the results of Mr. Lin
coins administration. The people have borne
fia-a IL 49, 81,
TO the patience of the people, aud that limit has
been nearly reached The day is near at hand
when the people, wondering why they have been
slaves so long, will rise in their might and hur
from power the unworthy public servants who
have so cruelty deceived them Mr. Lincoln
knows this He knows that there is only one
way in which he can be re elected, namely: bv
prOlOngng the war, and by using the army to
control the elections in some of the Democrats
States, in the same way the army was used to
carry the recent elections in the States of Mary
land and Delaware And this he is determined
to do
The conscrption bill. il it pteses the Senate
in the shape that it passed the Honse will give
TO Mr. Lincoln the power 10 drag from their
homes aud force into the army eight out OF every
ten men in the country, and that power will be
remcrselessly exercised. Dat of every ten men
enrolled, the country over only two will be rich
enough I'd pay the enormous price that SubStI
tutes will then command To men whose in
come Is from 81 600 TO $4,000 per year. aud the
ordinary expenses OF whose households is from
$500 to S2,50O per year, the expense of procur
ing substitute will be entirely beyond their
reach. And how much more hopeless il will be
in the case OF the honest and industrious laborer
and the skiiul mechanic whose wages range
from $500 10 $500 pc: year, and whose house
hold expenses amount to from $500 to $500 a
wear and upwards who can afford TO bus substi
tutes at ALL and it will come out even on them
The object of the BILL however, is to compel
all who are drafted to 90 TO the war. Ii Is not
even sought to be concealed that this is the ob
jet OF the bill, and the argument that is resorted
to in order to induce the people TO submit to it
Is. that the rebellion i now AZ its last gasp and
that the campaign OF this year will finish it up
Never there more falacious argument 1t
IS possible that some may be deceived by il But
readers of the Times know better
Even if Atlanta and Richmond should both
fall the end Of the war Is as far off az il was two
years ago The spirit of the South is still un-
subdued The resources of the South are not
halt exhausted. The Southern armies still exist,
and the population of the Southern States affords
the material for keeping on foot ar army of
JO,OUO men for five wears 10 come The work
OF conquest and suhju gstion the conquest and
suhlugaton OF a people OF ten million souls. as
brave as We are-yet remains to be done The
policy of the administratiOn-the war measures
which Mr. Lincoln has adopted-have convinced
the Southern people that they mu-t achieve their
independence, or be forever slaves, aud see their
property and estates swept away aud conferred on
ankee adventures liza Democratic President
Is elected in November, they will return to the
Union, because they know that their rights will
be secured But a. long rs Abraham Lincoln Is
President, they viii never lay down their arms,
nor can we compel them to DO 40. Y.