Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-05-21
Nm the Situation.

The Journal announces that truth j. copper
h..d.m." and lying IL "loyalty" Such mus,
be the honest impression Of all who read its edi
,orial Of Yesterday. headed The Sentinel on the
Situation" la issue Of Thursday morning.
10 few lines. we gave the substance Of the tele-
graphic dispatches ION the situation" The tel
egraph Is under government censorship, and ITS
employees are what are termed loyal" men
vhich means. according to the modern interpret
alton of the term. allegiance 10 the Administra-
ton. This kind OF feal,y is now regarded as
the test of loyalty. Those who question the
wisdom and integrity OF the men IN power are
pronounced "disloyal" by the adhereuts Of the
Administration. In fact they boldly proclaim
that the citizen has right TO think but that be
must blindly Weld his judgment TO those who
were elected BY the people to administer the
government a. the representatives OF the public
will
But any reflection upon course comes with
III grace from the Republican organ. Be-
fore the commencement Of hostilites, in elab-
crate articles il pronounced civil war a
worse evil than the loss Of dozen States
lit favored separation rather than civil war.
aud months after the capture Of Fort Sum
ter il expressed its willingness to let the rebel
States depart from the Union and establish
separate coniederacy. upon the single condition
that they should lay down their arms and go IN
peace And the leading Republican prints ex-
pressed similar sentiments. They admitted that
hat ms al
was based upon the right of revolution. and
that dissatisfied States had the right to dissolve
their connection with the Union whenever. in
their opinion. the Federal Government became
oppressive TO them Strange it may appear.
the paper which held and advocated those views
is row the fercest in charging that we are Pur
suing "disloysl" course.
But what il our offensel The Journal says
that our comments of Thursday upon the situa
ton exhibits a disloyal heart. Did We not tell
the truth and Is the truth disloyal1 We said
that gold was eighty three. the highest point il
had reached That fact came through loyal"
telegraph We also stated that SIGEL was met
and defeated with severe loss; that another draft
Of three hundred thousand men was to be ordered,
and that LEE was still holding his position
at Spottsylvania Did we DO more than briefly to
reproduce the information that the telegraph.
under governments censorship. published to the
worldr
But telling the truth not our only offense.
The journal gees treason IN a declaration 10
which no honest man can object We inquired.
a, ,.taw # tha ,U.an,c;ty NJ ho an in IN
wisely and sue essfully administer the govern
ment whether it was not time that the people
should take charge Of their own affairsf This
the Journal construes to mean "a call upon the
tens of thousands Of sworn enemies to the
Union in the North. TO rise in all the
might thew possess and endeavor to overthrow
the government"
In the language OF the Journal inquire,
what does this meant" We know of no enc
mics to the Union in the North. unless it be
those who. under the sacred name of Union, are
undermining the principles upon which it was
founded and which must result. if successful. in
centralized despotism. In this view of the case
we repeat the question: TO which the Journal
takes exception, lis il not time that the people
should take charge of their own affars?" Not
by the overthrow of the government, but
through that peaceful revolution which the Con-
sttution has provided-the ballot box. And
why? Using again the language of the article
To which tue Republican organ objects, because
their agents have demonstrated most indisputa-
bly, their incapacity TO administer the govern
ment" Self-government is the cornerstone of
republican institutions. The verdict of the bal
lot box is the only authorized expression of the
public will upon questions of public policy. To
that arbter we appeal. untrammeled and pure.
Aud to its verdict. when il records an honest
preston of public sentiment, every good citizen
should submit That is what we meant The
Journal knows that there was not a doubt but
such our meaning
But il is evident that the party in power are
afraid to submit to such ordeal. They well
know that liz would result in its overthrow. and the
restoration of union and peace upon the basis of
the Constitution. All the Democracy ask is a
fair election. But il is evident that the party in
power. II the sentiments of the Journal are a
criterion OF It's intentions. do not intend that the
honest verdict of the people shall be recorded
in the coming elections. and in advance they
construe such impression of public sentiment
as an intention TO overthrow the Government"
The whole effort of the Administration has been
is and will be, TO perpetuate its control of the Gov
eminent. and to that end the war has been, is now
and will be- prosecuted. Such is the situation as
viewed from Republican standpoint, and we
repeat that there is no hope of restoration of
liberty aud union. unless the people shall take
charge ct their affairs and restore a conser-
vatve party to power.