Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-10-06

Anether Letter from LInceln's Peat.
master General important state
ments of the Rar

Mr. Blair issues, ia the Copsttutional L Mon, /
another long msnifesio. in which be reviews the
reasons for bis former allegation ss to the re-
spossibility Of Secretaries Seward and Stanton |
for the inauguration of the war and its unneces-
.ary prolongstsp, and answers 10 detail The late
published rejoinders 70 bis opening attack upon |
Messrs. Holt snd Weed and General Meigs All
the commencement Of his letter Nc Blair says
The question OF the day il whether the whole
people OF the South shall be dislrsncbised, IN !
violation OF the Constitution Of the United States
The argument in suPPoII OF t5e revolutionary
measure 10 based altogether ueon tie assumption
shat the people % the South are hostile TO the
Government, and willingly engaged in the late re-
bellion 20 subvert H. lie holds that the masses
OF tbe South oever we're hostile TO the Govern
ment, and that no justification could be found In
their conduct Tor the sUbVersion Unpopular govern
ment now so audsciously proposed by some of
the Ambitious men Who have att iined DO ~ r dur
log the rebellion, aud who in imitation Of the
revolutionary leaders Ia other countries, are seek
INK 10 make use o. the exaspersted feeling, the
military ambition. the public debt and tears OF
disorder by the rebellion, 10 enable them TO &c
tabiish q consolidated or imperial goyenmeut
and retain and extend their power over the coun-
Try. The masses OF the South are, and have
been, true in their feelings to the Institutions of
their fathers, and have never been alienated from
them by slavery, which has been tho great lever-
age By which they had been drawn into the rt-
bellion, and that therefore. they could safely be
permitted 10 perform the part in the Government
assigned TO them by the Constitution, which -
essential 10 its vitality, aud hence there was no
excuse Tor the attempt now made TO suovsrt that
instrument. made, like all such attempts on the
specious ground OF necessity 10 secure peace aud
public order. but 10 reality to subserve the am
biton of those IN power and xious 10 perpetuate
IL.
M. BLAIR replies TO Mr.. Hour At great length
and with great effect, but We have not room 70
enter upon the controversy. which has already
occupied twelve or fifteen columns of the jour
nails. The Ex Postmaster General does not
spare Mr.. SxwARD nor Mr.. STANTON The con
GLIDING part OF the address is too important to be
omitted:
Let me observe thai it vas the fall OF Sumter
that produced on the instant the ordinance of
secession, and filled Virginia with troops from
the Gull States TO carry IL before the people Il.
effect upon ordinary men may be conceived by
the influence is has exerted over General Lee
Ny father was authorized by the President aud
Mr.. Cameron, Secrstry Of War to converse
with General Lee, aud ascertain whether he
would accept command Of our army in the field
The latter was written tor, aud he met my father
at nv house, when they couversed for an hour or
more Ii was a few DAYS before the ordinance
passed. General Lee concluded the con-
versation by ssying secession vas anarcby. aud
added If he osned the four million OF slaves
in the South. he would cheerfuliy sacrifice them
TO the Union. but he did hot know how he could
draw his sword on his native State He said he
would see General Scott on the subject before
he decided A committee IRON the Virginia
Convention, while the General aud my father
conversed, were hunting for him through the
city. They met on his leaving the house He
repaired with them 10 consult the Convention as
have since learned, about the mode of settle
ment. The fall OF Sumter settled the question
both for him and the Convention
quote Senator Mason's pronancia mento, To
show the lmmedists results oil tae surrender OF
that fortress which held Charleston, and with il
South Carolina under control. This central
slave State was the wedge thai. driven by Union
power. would have split of the Gulf states from
all communication with she transcendsnt power
OF the Old Dominion and the Old North State.
without which secession wac impossibility
That the majority Of the people in Georgia Ala !
bams and Louisiana, were opposed 20 dissolu- |
ton, IL proved by she fact that all the force OF
the secretly armed organization OF the Golden
Circle could not drag msjorty OF the voters to
the polls to vote for it, And that until |
the surrender OF Fort Sumter, the Virginia Con.
ventiOn chosen by ma Ority OF 90 900 of the |
popular vote against the measure, held out
against the myrmidons of revolution that sur
rounded the Capital, and that il not until (
the triumph at Charleston that they dared 10
break into the Hall Of Sitting, driving cut the
nhexiblo Union members, aud terrifying she rest
into submission. Even then hey yielded enly :
on condition OF referring the question TO the
people; and to render opposition from the NJ
armed population too hazardous TO be attempt
ed, We see Senator Mason issuing bulIStia /
making an array of the troops sent from all the |
Southern States, under pretencs that il was to
defend Virginia from Northern invasion, and
saying that II they did notssneton the ordinance,
they would be obliged to surrender the army
which had :hus invaded Virgin. TO the Govern
ment OF the United State This cunDingly I
worded notification made ths election turn on \
the question whether the people would make
prisoners of the kind friends that came 10 awe
them from impending coercion from the North. I
although he knew shat Mr.. Buchanan had ,tipu-
lated against all coercion--had not even provided
a force 10 hold wsshington-snd that he and his
Cabinet, as well SIS that TO come. and over which I
Sir. Seward was The announced premier. xss
pledged by him in advance to 'exsction 10 make /
concession" and even to violence to offer the 1
right hand OF peace.
Besides this, Senator Mason knew that 90 Mr. /
Stewards good Offices, the South owed the sur
render OF Fort Sumter-that 10 him they owed |
the delay from the 4th Of March 70 the 18th of
April to build batteries TO take IL and put Charles
ton in armor, thus enabling the armies of the
South, without fear from this vital point 70 \
march into Virginia, and by their bayonets enact !
that martial law, which from tho promulzaGion
OF Masons missiVe 10 The surrender OF Lee
made IL treason against the State TO gainsay its I
ordinance The unsrmed populace we're given
60 understand, II you do il, your must deliver
over your armed Southern friends, who are here !
TO defend you, TO your foes. How delicately
THE marital law. which pres allied over the whole
Sosth from the moment that Beauregard pulled
down the snsign Of the Union in Charleston
hsrbor is proclaimed in the little billet dour |
have quoted. You are very tree 10 vote a. you ]
please. people OF Virgins. but il you vote tina,
you are citizens OF the Tn ted States, YOU mus.
take these soldiers OF the Confederscy aud hand !
them ever TO the authorities Now if General I
Lee SAN ~ this mockery thai Virgins bad no I
alternative DC, 10 expose its unsrmed people 10 7
the sword which lis packed secession Ls-Issiure 7
had brought into the STATE, TO bring svery man
to account Who dared TO oppose its mandates +
how could the nsmeless individuals OF tho mutt 4
tude sccust, med TO obedienee to State authort,
rise up resist il, in the face of the formidable
military power brought in to support Il!
The fact is, that from tae day The srmv OF the 4
South struck our coiors AZ Charleston until We