Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-05-18
Are We still at war.


Henry s. Foote was, fifteen wears ago, a
U s. senator from Mississippi. and distinguished
himself by his support of the compromise
sures OF 1850 in opposition to his colleague, JEFF
Davis, who opposed them in behalf of southern
rights" At the ensuing state election, these two
senators were pitted against each other as
''union" and state rights candidates respec-
lively for governor, and Foote beat Davis over
l 900 votes in the largest poll ever had in the
state; the vote standing FoOte, S,73e; Davis,
81 1913 Foote removed, on his return 20 private
life to Memphis, Tenn, where be stood out for
the union until the secession tide ran mountain
high. when be, like John Bell and too many
Others, succumbed TO it, and became seces
sonist. As such, he was sent to the rebel senate,
where his inveterate antsgonism to jeff Davis
was so manifested that he probably did the rebel
lion more harm there than he could have done
by adhering to the union.
Finally, becoming satisfied that the rebellion
was a failure he abandoned it in disgust, and
was making his way to the union lines, when he
was arrested and taken back to Richmond. His
second attempt was more successful. and he
reached Washington but not being able to take
the oath of allegiance, he was required to leave
the country. He went 20 England, but soon
returned 20 this port, where he arrested and
kept fer some time in Jail On the urgent repre-
sentaton of friends he was released on parole,
being required to report himself to General Dix
each alternate day. He so reported himself one
day last week. when he was shown an order from
the war department that he should either stand
trial for treason or quit the country at once He
chose to 60, and departed at once for Canada
where we presume he still is
Now If we are still involved in a terrible civil
war. which imperils the fate of the republic, and
if Foote is dangerous person, we hold this arbi
trary banishment to be justifable; if not, not
If every rebel force this side of the Mississippi
is captured or disbanded. and the late rebel dis
tricts reopened as though they were at peace
with Us, and If Foote is no longer an enemy Of
the union, but ready to deport himself heuceforth
as loyal, peaceful citizen then we hold that
there is not q COW in our state which our govern
ment has less reason to regard with apprehension
and alarm than this old man. 1t might possibly
be worth while to try and punish him, though we
think not but what good can be secured, what
evil averted. by compelling him to live in Can
ada rather than 10 New York? And, If his ban
ishment be in no sense q necessity, is il not
clearly act of tyranny
or course it can be sort o. justified or blus-
tered over, and those who disapprove it charged
with sympathy with traitors; but how will il
oDk across an ocean or an interval of ten yearsl
The New York Times will turn a back summer
sault, if required. and protest that any generous
torial columns crept into them by accident; the
Union League will resolve, it duly prompted,
that this Punishment adds another to the innu-
msrabe proofs of the superhuman wisdom and
energy that irradiste the war department. and
Capt. Marshall will ma Ike speech to the Cham
Der of Commerce, showing that Jack Cade's
mouth vas the perfection of all possible parlia-
ments; but all these de not constitute public
opinion. nor even indicate it.
On the contrary, We venture to assure our new
president that the American people. having now
given fair trial 70 the Stantopan and the re-
publican forms of government respectively,
do greatly prefer the latter, and desire return
TO it at the earliest possible day-whch they be
leve to be this day. II we are still at war, and
our government in peril, then, such orders as
have recently been issued re opening trade and
reducing our ornaments ought to be counter
manded or foreborne; but if the is virtually
ended. the rebellion discounted and the nation
saved, then we insist that the regime under
which district provost marshal ranks the gov
ernor OF state ought at once TO pass away. the
privilege of habess corpus be restored. and the
reign of law and liberty be re established How
much longer must We wait for itl