Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-03-21

ON Hichmo ond-Our Captured Troops
I'm Danger - The Prisoners Guar
ded by IN Special Force-Bragg's EIe-
walton Expiained-What the Rebels
say of GEN. Grants visit 10 wash
Ingron- Dalton, Chattanooga, East
Tennessee, and Mobile.
Icorrespondence OF the World
WASHINGTON. March H.
SPIRIT or rHE SOUTH
The first fact which falls under my observation,
and without which il would be impossible for any
one TO form an accurate estimate of the temper
and resources of the Southern people, is the
readiness with which they comply with the arbi
trary orders of an absolute government, and the
self-sacrifcing spirit with which they accept the
heaviest burdens. This spirit prevades all classes
1t actuates the rich and the poor. and transforms
individual exertions into acts of the highest de
votion. Whether this absolute devotedness to
wrong cause originates in the loftiess aspirations
or in the blindest prejudices. not to say in the
most cruel OF all the passions. is not for me TO
say. my province being simply to relate facts.
and not to investigate moral causes. But that
such is the state of public sentiment in nearly all
parts of the South, not only eye-witnesses. but
evidences of an unquestionable character abun-
dainty prove. / could mention hundreds of facts
in which the self-sacri6cing spirit to which
have just alluded has manifested itself in its
oftiest forms The hundreds of women who
have sent their husbands and sons TO the battle
feld the hundreds of widows who have parted
with their last boy, their only support; the hund
reds of citizens who have given their last dollar;
the hundreds of ladies who have given up their
last jewels; and the hundreds of ministers who
have shoudered the mu. ket during the last month
in defense of the sacred soil, are as many evi-
dences in support Of my assertion. There is a
Captain Of a regiment Mr.. Chstard, sending five
hundred dollars to sister of charity for the re-
lief of the sick and wounded; there is an Ala
bama brigade re-enlisting with the oath that they
will live bread alone, and go bare-footed.
rather than leave the Dag under which they have
fought during the last three wears; here meet
the fact of an old acquaintance of mine, Howell
Cobb, proposing TO sell the government 80 900
pounds of bacon and 40 ,00e bushels of corn at
its own price; further, Wade Hampton, the
wealthiest citizen of South Carolina, sending an
order for all his slaves, his money. and his es
tates 10 jeff Davis Add to this the farmers
pouring their crops into the government graneries
the planters turning their cotton and rice to its
credit the people cheerfully giving up eight hund-
red millions of dollars Of their hard wrought
earnings to be converted into bonds bearing
low interest. the pay yment of which is by no means
certain, and cOnsenting 10 be burdened with an
issue half as large, and you will have faint idea
of the spirit of devotedness and self sacrifice
which now aDimates the South This is not
lanciful, but a real picture. rather Lelow than
above ruth.
STRENGTH OF THE GOVERNMENT
OF course,-a government supported by so nu-
mereus acts of personal abnegation, by so gene
raj sacrifice of individual will to the interest of
the commonwealth, by so many continuous dem-
onstrations of devotion and unbOunded enthusi
asm, must be strong indeed. 1t must be strong,
not only on account of its own political skill but
by reason of the strength which unfaltering ma
lorities and the support of an immense army,
often victorious and never annihilated. must i'm
part to it: strong in the public spirit which per-
vades all southern communities, and which is
revealed to US in the unmistakable accents of
their public prints; strong in the readiness with
which their armies are filled up; strong i'm the
deyotedness of its adherents, flying to arms un
rewarded. unfed. and unclad; strong in fine, by
that strength which words describe, and
which great revolutionary crises alone can pro-
duce.
As proof of its strength and of the hold it
has public opinion, will mention the numer-
Gus demonstrations of sympathy which the rebel
President and his cabinet received on the occa
sion of the pretended bloody manifesto which was
found in Dahlgren's coat pocket-a manifesto
which, as printed in the Richmond journals.
threatened jeff Davis with immediate hanging
and Richmond with instantaneous confagration.
On the evening of the day in which that news
disseminated delegations from all the de-
partments, atten iof by all the generals present.
the president of the Senate and of the House in
clnded, went 20 the residence of JEFF Davis, and
expressed in his presence the liveliest sympathes
for his person. and the pleasure they experienced
in seeing he had es aped so imminent danger.
Gen. Lee, Gov. Brown of Georgia JAS. Chest
nut of South Carolina Ives of Mississippi, the
heads of the departments, attended by their chief
clerks, L. @ Washington. Robert Tyler, Judge
Campbell. Gen Cooper. Tiball. &c, were also
present. and testified their devotedness and regret
to the President. In the course of the converse
ton the visitors were very violent against the
Federal raiders. and demanded that example
should be made OF them The president. who is
opposed by character 20 any violent measure, in
stantly gave orders to double the guards at the
Jail. SO to preserve the prisoners from the
dangers OF MOB, Bnt as be could not very
well escape the outward pressure which was ex-
ercised upon him that occasion, he ordered
them to be put in irons. and so appe sed for a.
while the impatient anger of his friends and the
excitement of an infuriated multitude.
THE KILPATRIcK RAID EXCITEMENT.
You will Judge from this of the effect produced
by kilpatrick's raid upon the Rchmonders
| This effect is unmistakable. IL has increased to
| an unprecedented degree the detestatioI of the
| Southerners for the Yankees" and rendered
reconciliation with the North more difficult than
! it ever was. Il has exasperated the Virginians
! and exposed the life of three hundred of the
brayest soldiers the North has ever sent to the
| field Those three hundred men are now prison
| ers, and unless the utmost vigilance be exercised
by the rebel government they may at any mo-
| ment be the victims of the Richmond rabbe
Gen. Bragg, understand. is now busy in organ
izing strong body of patrolmen in defense OF the
prison, and has. at the same time, made call for
the organization of a municipal body guard. one
! thousand five hundred strong, whose special duty
will be to protect the city against any surprise
and clear the country around from all bands
which NAV in the future be found rowing about
| This is the first official act of Gen. Bragg, since
his elevation to Office. which took place on the
Oath of February last. and. strange to say. this
act resembles more police measure than mill
tary order.
I THE ELEVATION OF BRAGG.
| The elevation of Gen Bragg TO the rank of
Commander in Chief of the Confederate armies,
a nomination which has been likened by South
/ eru paper to a '.bucket of water thrown upon a
newly kindled fire." is another feasible instance
of the power OF the rebel government. doubt
/ whether any crowned head would at this moment
dare to set so openly public opinion at defiance.
TO act so contrarily to the instincts and feelings
of an outraged people. as JEFF. Davis has done on
this occasion. None but an arbitrary power can
allow itself such strokes OF fancy none but very