Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-01-08

tht
Especial Correspondence Of the Chicago Times
WAsHINGToN, January ,
The government" has involved itself in new
complications, in relation To the exchange OF
prisoners. 10y appointing Gen. Butler TO conduct
that business and 10y putting il altOgt ther and
exclusively into his hands Ii would seem that
the Administration can take no step whatever
that i not the most foolish step that could be
taken. In this instance, the appointment of any
other man than Butler would have been better
The Confederate government Is firm in their de-
termination to hold no official intercourse with
who has been pronounced an outlaw. At
present, MIR. Lincoln has been persuaded by his
friends 10 make u point OF honor that they
shall treat with Butler, and with no other person.
And unless he al ers his mind, it looks very
much BOW as II our poor fellows az Richmond
have good prospect of looking forward to many
months more imprisonment--an imprisonment
aeyiaied only by the comforts sent to them by
their kind friends at the North. Ii Is almost
certain for 1t Is susceptible OF clear proof that
this complication, and tie appointment Of Butler
for this purpose were designed by the men who
control MIR LncOln's actions, for the express
purpose OF embittering still further the angry
feelings already existing between the North and
the South and for preventing any kind feelings
from springng up between the people OF the two
StCllDhs. II lt not Dtcil lot the persistence
the radicals in this respect, and the power which
they have always exertei over the President, anu
the influence which they have exercised over the
policy OF the Administration, the war would never
have been marked by those features OF atrocity
which have dsgraced il. ami which. more than
anything else, will prevent a final reunion
OF the States. Ii Is To them that the
country is indebted for causing the
war in the first place IL is 20 them that the
i, .fp.4of rod for lipcolu'- all
from December. 1860, to February. 1861 when
ten words from him would have prevented the
secession of the Southern States. 1t is to them
that the country is indebted for the abandonment
of Gen. Mcclellan plan for conducting the war,
formed i'm November and December. 1851 and
which would have resulted. before the close OF
the year 1862, in the defeat and dispersion OF
every rebel army ia the heid aud in the military
occupation OF New Orleans, Knoxville. Chatia
nooga, Richmond, Charleston, Wilmington,
Savannah. Mobile and Galveston. Ii is to them
that the country is indebted for the forced re-
tirement of Gen. Mcclellan, and the ntictIon of
the Popes. the Burnsides and the Hookers in his
place liz is to them that the country is indebted
for the Inauguration of the policy of robbery,
ripe, burning of private houses, destruction OF
furniture, stealing OF pictures and stationery, and
making war on women and children. 50 faithfully
carried out by Pope. Burnside. Schenck. and
MhToy. IL is 10 them also. that the country Is
indebted Tor the emancipation prOcla nation and
the conf ,catiOn act. aud ali their bitter iruit FOR
the CONSUMPTION act; for the prevalence OF mar
titl law all over the North and for the virtual
abrogation OF the Constitution This is the work
of the radical abOtIoni>ts, who contro! the ac
ton of the Administration Had il not been for
them, the exchange of prisoners would have been
regularly continued under the cartel agreed upon
between Gen DIX and Mr. Ould But they per
suadei MIR Lincoln 10 make soldiers out 0t ne
gro slaves. and then 10 claim Tor them the same
rights a. our white soldiers enjoy; and now, to
make this demand still more offensive. they have
persuaded the President 10 haveit made by the
only officer ia our army whom the COME ierates
desi Inate 4 beast.
am happy to say that the example set BY Col
Egans brigade. in enlistng Tor the war. has
been very generally follow ell hy greet many OF
the veteran regiments composing the Army of
the Potomac All the regiments which SO re
enlist have iurlough granted 10 them, and they
are passing through this city every day on their
way home 20 recruit Tor the war. Nay success
attend them Old regiments re-enlsted, viii
be a thousand times more effective in the spring
than regiments composed altogether of men
From al that we can learn OF The plans and re
sources of the Confe,ierstes. il Is evident that
they fully prepared for vigorous >pring aHd
summer campaign Their armies are much les,
numerous than ours Ii cannot be shown that
they have quite 400 900 troops but they are al
well disciplined, and, in defensive war, ar,
equal To 700 .000 acting ofiensiyely IL seems {,
be understood that. 1T the opening of the sprin4
campaign. they will be divided between Genera
Lee, on the line OF the Rapilan and Gen. JOSEPH
f Johnston between Chattanooga aud Atlanta
with a small force under Beauregard at Charles
ton The general features OF the war. on then
part, will be strictly defensive. Our armies
when they advance, will meet with little resist
ance until thev are drawn tar into the interior o
the country. but then they will be assaulted Wit
what the Ccniederates vii try 10 make over
whelmng numbers Military men understan,
perfectly ihtt. until Richm md falls. Charleston
cannot DE taken. Ia the L =, the.e iore the ex
ertiOns OF the C3ateierl.es wl be cInfne
chiefly 10 the defense OF their capital AMI it i
not likely that any change will be made In tn,
moGe of conducting that defense which hes hiti.-
erto been successful
Ia the We>ti; is likely that our operations vii
curry u into what has hitherto been terra incog
afa IL will he seen. on examining a good map
that between Chattanooga and Atlanta there ar,
two rivers The first l. the north branch of tht
Coosa river. which extends from Rome e
Elijah distance of sixty miles. The sec
ond J. the Etowa river which extends from
Rome TO DIhlonega. distance of seventy miles
Both of these rivers cover Atlanta. aad bot
torm admirable defensive lines against army
advancinS itom Chattanooga II j. probabl,
thu q = the design OF Gen. Johnston 10 max,
u>e oi these w defensive lines To their lulleS
extent 10 seem that an army advaI eng from
Chattanooga 90 AtaHtt. must c.os~ both of the>,
streams At some point Il Niue Rue. ia its in
significance. formed an in>urmouHtable barrie
20 the advance OF Metde's army. VIA, ctnnot S
done With two such stree M as thesef The prac
tieabiiuy of turning them viii If course occur L
Gen. Grant bu; 70 turn them vii require a cir
cui,Ous march through the uatr0dIen defleS an,
accro>s the traekleSs mountains OF Northern
Georgia. -aa operation quite a hazardous to Al
army as an attempt To cross two rivers in the III
rect line at IL mlrch. There i 10 doubt how
ever, that the cOnqueror OF Ncksburg will b.
found equal % all the exigencies OF The campaign
Progress in the war may be made ia the " ~
hut there - little hope OF any progress in IA
Etst Y
~ Wendell Phillips i mot certain tha
slavery is dead ill he sees il burieI" The New
H,ven Register saws il he Wiii 20 10 the :. Freed
men, camps along the Mississippi. he sill Sc
Il buried At the rate OF several hundred per iay