Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1864-03-31

solutely Insignificant, to fight tie battles
OF this war It is insolent, as we'll as idle
and absurd, to talk of the ''popularity" Of
any war that can command no warmer
support titan this, from q brave" and im-
l'pulsive people, If the hearts Of the peo-
pie aweles in the war, they themselves
would be in the field to light to the death.
If they sincerely believed it to be a war in
which they ought to offer. themselves as a
sacrifice, they would crowd TO, the very
horns OF the altar, without threat or bribe
That. they shrink troul the. coniest-f tilal
they will devote all the. little earnings Of
TIER lives to, purchase exemption--that
they cannot bs tempted O, .torced into the
ranks, while there is any eecape-all these
things tell the story. The people do not
feel any longer that the wal is their war.
They may support it for a little while be-
cause the government is waging it and the
flag is waved over it. Some OF them may
be willing it should continue, because it
pays themselves Or their friends large pro-
fits, or keeps up their influence, or adyanc
es their party, or hatIers their vanity, or
grarities their rancor. But the great cur
rent of public feeling and opinion runs in
its favor no longer. 1t has now no hold
ON public enthusiasm. Its popularity is
dead
1t the Administration really believes
that all this is false-lf it is persuaded that
the popularity OF the war continues, let it
abandon the conscription aud the bounty
system, and make the experiment Of vol
unteer enlistments for u single qOeek. That
briet space OF time would suffice for the
entire solution of the problem. If such an
experiment, however, be deemed too haz-
ardous, let Mr.. Lincoln and his council
ors make still simpler one. Let them tell
the people the truth for single month, it
the thing be possible, if not, let them en-
deavor to do it for a tornight. Let Mr..
Chase give lis the real anonnt of the pub
lie debt and OF his means and provisions
tor its pay ment. Let hinI inform ns of the
amount OF faxes which we must endure To
avert the shame Of repudiation, now, with
out increasing the debt a single dollar
Instead OF see-sawine between greenbacks
and bonds, which appears to be the subs
stance Of his financial policy, and concoct-
ing paltry schemes for jobbing in gold on
Wall street, let him trust the people, if he
dare, with tlie facts from which they may
know their own solvency or iusol vency,
and appeal to them to meet the issue face
to face Let Mr. Seward try. if he can
W rite one solitary despatch without some
intentional perversion OF, the truth, and
confine himself to the legitimate purposes
Of diplomatic correspondence aboard, in
stead of loading the files of the State De-
partment aoith c2ap-t,ap and naasretrese1,-
tutao,as for home consumption and aecep
ton. Let Mr.. Stanton, instead at iooulng
the country with false bulletins from lrre
sponsible or fictitious sources, underva!u-
ing the strength and resources OF the ene-
my, exageraling their wants anc suffer
ings, multiplying their reverses and our
triunaphs, give himself up, for ever SO
briet a space, to- the dissemination of the
truth, which the people are entitled to
have in regard to- q struggle for which
they are taxed to the utmost in treasure
and blood. With what face can he assert
the ar to be the peoples war, when af-
ter having caused the press to teem with
kilograms, announcing the universal and
enthusiastic re-enlistment of the veterans
ot the army, he has caused the President
TO refuse to give the House OF Representa-
fives any information on the subject. ON
the ground that it would be s'preiudictaI
TO TIE public interest" It the Adninistra-
tion will not venture TO pursue the plain,
straightforward course we indicate, let it
cease so prsate Of its war, policy as rooted
in the confidence ofathe~ people. IF the
people upsotd at, why a conceal from the
poople 'what they nphold o. Or, is it that
Il