Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-03-16

government established al Montgomery. You
understand the distinction A provisional gov
eminent has no power but that which u obtains
from concOur-e Of temporary circumstance
more generally IRON ire pressing necessities OF
the moment IL has no foundation; its rulers are
transient; II can neither organize OF create; all II
does can be undOne: u has no hold upon the peo
ple-no definite and solid character. This Is
what Jef Davis believes. and this Is why, IN his
estimation, the nomination OF Beauregaru, John
ston. buckner, etc which took place before ms
election, has not the high character which dis
tinguishes that OF Bragg. whom. in consequent e
oil his views on the subject. he considers as the
Oldest general of the confejeracy and the one
entitled to a precedence Of rank This it is
true, is feudai doctrne but is not ieudality in
carnate in the heart of the SOutherners, and re-
nected in all the acts of their lifef
LATE MILITARY oPERArI0Ss-THE ATTACK on
DALTON.
will not leave Richmond and the accidents
OF Its political existence without glance 10 the
military operations which have, during the last
three weeks. thrown its whole population into an
unprecedented state OF excitement. and revealed
more than any precedent campaign the determin-
alton and energy of the rebels. will not repeat
here what | have already said concerning the
defenses put up by Lee in Virginia and by John
ston at Dalton The late events have demon
strated that neither one of these two generals
med'tated a raid upon our lines, but that they
were simply bent uDon increasing the number o.
their works and of their Entertainments. The last
attack OF our troops against Dalton-an attack,
perfectly useless, which ought not to have been
undertaken, had the general in command been AZ
well informed your c0rrespondent-ls there to
prove how truthful was my information on that
point 1t Is indeed sore subject of reflection TO
know that any one of our army commanders is al
all times ready 10 sacrifice five hundred soldiers
for the sake OF obtaining Information which any
man OF intelligence may obtain without trouble
or b!oodshed six hundred miles from the battle
helO on which the sacrifice takes place. Had
General Palmer read the World he would have
ascertained beforehand that the rebels were IN
force AT Dalton. well intrenched in position to
resist four times as strong force that which
he marched against them: and he would not have
exposed the life of our brave soldiers in a fruit
less attempt However, IL would perhaps hC
wrong TO accuse that general Of this mistake
inasmuch that his advance made in accord
ance with the plan of the administration. anl
executed upon orders received from Washington
Our repulse from Dalton. and the withdra wa
oil Gen, Grant from the command of the Army o.
the Cumberland is construed in Richmond as
demonstration OF our weakness, and of the inn
possibility tor any one of our armies 10 penetrat,
into Georgia In the estimation OF the rebe
leaders. Gen Grant has left Chattanooga be-
cause It was impossible for him to win any mOr'
laurels in that region. and because he was afrai,
to lose those which he had won To them Dial
ton and the succession of fortified works sur
rounding it. present insurnountable obstacle
which no force overcome or conquer. "Gen
Thomas and his army will perish" they say, 81
they attempt TO operate against our lines" Ii
front OF them they have placed four brigades o
cavalry. Rhoddy's, Pattersons, Hume's an,
DlvdSOn's. To watch the movements of the Unol
troops aud give warning OF their advance Be
hind them, several miles in the rear are John
ston's two corps at infantry. one under Hardee's
the other under Hindmln'> command. Hardee'
division officers are Generals Walker. Cheathan
and Claiborne; those under Hindman's order
are Generals Stevenson, Stewart and Bates
THESE forces, which may amount on an aver
age TO about thirty five Thousand men, are pro
tected by reserve OF fifteen thousand men. un
der command of Generals McCown and Walt.
bail, now located at Rome and Atlanta. Th
distribution OF bodies of troops in those place
and elsewhere shows evidently that Johnston
has taken his disposition so as TO avoid any turn
ing movements on his TANKS, which | aD tol'
are well fortified as his front