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

18th and l4th stated that the plan OF the cam
p4ign which had been agreed upon oy The ad-
minisiration REQUIRED Burnside's corps 10 De en-
barked on board OF transportssat Annapolis; TO
land at Beaufort, in North Carolina; TO advance
inland toward Godsboro. or some other point on
the railroad between Wilmington and Peters
burg, and. having taken possession OF that road,
70 move on Richmond fom the south, at the
same time that Meade's army moved from the
north. and Badly Smiths two corps from the
east, Burnside's corps to be joined, at some
point on the Roanoke or Tar river, BY all the
troops ready in North Carolina, under General
Peck and Gen Vessels probably l5oOO IN num-
Der. and the whole force 80 moving on the rebel
capital from the south would amount To over
As 900 TROOPS Ii this plan could have been car
ned out at precisely the same time That the
other two movements on Richmond we're made.
there IL no question that il would have put the
rebel capital in great peril.
Ia pursuance OF the arrangement, an immense
feet OF transports was ascend ed at Annapolis
They were brought there from Philadelphia, New
\ ork and Baltimore; were chartered by the gov
eminent for so many days service. at so much
per day. aud written contracts we're made With
the owner of each vessel. The orders Tor EN-
barkation were not issued, because such orders
are never issued until the last moment. But il
was perfectly understood bv all the officers that
they were 10 hold themselves and Their COM
mands in readiness to embark for North Carolina
at moments notice; and they did so Burn
side himself kept on the move between AnnapO-
lis Washington and Baltimore all the me And,
although abiding is not among his faults, still
enough escaped from him TO confirm the facts
above stated, although confirmation from him
was not needed.
Thus matters remained until the 23d inst =,
when intelligence arrived confirming the report
which had reached here the day before. of the
surrender of Plymouth on the Doth. The news
that the place had been attacked known,
beth here and at Annapolis, on the 18th. There
was abundance of time for Burnside's corps to
have reached the waters of North Carolina be-
fore that time; but the sailing of the expedition
b ID been dsi,yed by positive orders from the
President. through the Secretary of War. Those
who think that Gen Grant il in supreme COM
mand here will do well TO remember this fact
The surrender of Plymouth, however, (which
il now appears was 10 have been Burnsides land
ing place. and not Beaufort.) and the fact that
the rebel rams have complete control of all the
waters on the coast of North Carolina have en-
trey broken mp the programme that was marked
out for the Fredericksburg Butcher. His trans
ports, arriving now in North Carolina would be
run down and sunk, one after another, bv the
rebel rams, and sl the troops on board sent in
stantly TO wstery grave. Immediately, there
fore, the direction for the movement OF Burn
sides corps changed. Instead Of North
Carolina. it was now resolved to attach them to
the overland expedition through Virginia And
TO give eciat TO the progra mme and to make
the men forget the anticipated sea voyage, the
corps was marched through Washington, and it
given out in advance that tLey would be re-
viewed by the President and by both Houses of
Ccngre>s-au honor never before conferred upon
any body of troops. Burnside had got the as
surance that this should be done from Sumner
Stevens and certain other OF the radical mem
hers, who noted for their negro -worshipng
propensities
This programme was carried out TO the letter
The orders for The march of rhe troops were is
sued on the 24th. and early on the morning of
the 25ih the column Ell route Then toll
lowed that disgraceiul. humiliating scene of the
Republican members of Congress leaving the r
pnblic duties AMI running like parcel OF chill
dren tn see the show; o: Old Abe bowing and
grinning at the negro regiments as they passed
him: OF the fulsOme adulation showered on the
latter and of the silent contempt with which the
white soldiers OF the corps were treated.
Diminishing, however, this dark feature of the
case the country has right to know wbv il is
that we did not prevent the rebel rams in North
Carolina from doing the damage which thew have
effected; and why We are now utterly powerless
w uihc tutHl liOul tue pDrllloUs lUPN OCCUPY,
aud why 1t Is that they must be allow ed to ride
there in triumph, masters AS they are. of the
coast and OF all the waters of that State There
are three persons and only three. 90 blame; and
no power on earth can exOnerate them from this
blame. The only question is. will the country
hold them responsible for these great disasters
and for this shameful national humiliation. or
will they be allowed to 60 scot free? Those
men are. first the Beast; second the Secretary
of the Navy; and. third, the President of the
United States who is also Commander in Chief
of the army and navy. The existence size and
strength OF the rebel rams had been made known
for MANY weeks. Incredulity on the part of these
three men does not excuse them. 1t was not in
Buffers power TO have destroyed the rebel rams
but II WAS fully in his power TO have rendered
them harmless by hiking and placing in the
Roanoke. Tar, and Neuse rivers, above Plv
mouth. Washington, and Newbern. such OBJ
structons n could neither be passed nor re-
moved by the rebels But he did nothing of the
kind 1t was in the power OF the Secretary of
the Navy to have sent suitable iron clad vessels
to fight the rebel fleet; and it will be lasting
disgrace to the country if he is not held re>pon-
slble Tor his neglect to do so. For Mr Lincoln,
whose duty il is 10 see that both of the other
two delinquents perform their duties properly
for that "hOneSt man who still persists i'm direct.
ing and controlling all the military ard naval
operations OF the war there are no terms strong
enough in which to express the wickedness and
eulpability of his conduct IN connection with this
affair
The payment of all the hundreds of transport
vessels which we're to convey Burnside's corps
from Annapolis to North Carolina will be a nice
little item OF some millions of dollars for The
people TO pay in increased taxation
Black "a the matter thus appears, there is
darker shade 20 the picture vet Mr. Lincoln has
done mus 10 three years TO develop his real
character. BY the end of another year the de-
veto msnt " / oe perfect For person in such
a station {" be joker. is bad enough
10 be hypocrite in the sphere that he occupies,
IL still wore. He will sit down on the ith of
April md write letter - gentlemen i'm Ken
lucky. III which. with shocking blasphemy, ne
attributes tO God the crimes for which lie and his
abeitorS are responsible and dires Ia attribute 10
the Almighty the great wrong that he has done
to the black race in forcibly deriving them Of
their comfortable homes and kind masters; and
then. rising from The task with one of his hide
Gus, smaiiy Jokes, he sets 10 work with Stanton
TO plan tins campaign in North Carolina. As he
has planned il. So il has resulted The success
ful defense Of Plymouth would have enabled
burnslde's corps To have landed there The
march OF the united columns of Burnside Peck
Vessels and Baldv Smith toward Richmond
would have enabled Grant 10 move the Army Of
the Potomac also toward the rebel capital. and,
betW o. the rWo III drnf..h r