Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-04-04

,co-rss7o1eence cf1hs New YORK worlc]
BALuxoRE. March %.
TEE APPARENT EsD OF TIE HEsKILIox
TIE readers Of The World, Who have done me
honor To read my letters during the last year
will remember THAI have never moderated The
strength aud resources Of the south | have
stated candidly the actual condition OF sf iFs at
The south, as correctly and near the truth il
was possible FOR me to arrive at it, and az il ap
peared 20 those most interested in them, namely,
the confederate leaders and the southern people
themselves. The time apparently IS now sp
preaching, or has arrived. when ! can hear no
more Of southern plans or campaigns, 10 be car
ried on With great armies, aud on a large scale
when the strength OF the south seems exhausted,
considered in military light when the vastly
prepondersting resources OF the forth seem TO be
crushing the last breath Of life out of ;hs rebel
lion ana when the southern states shall lie
before the north, to al intents and purposes,
conquered and subjugated Such | say is the
apparent situation, as il seems 20 exist. The
chances Of war are proyerbial and the strategy
Of General Zee, set forth in my letter OF March
18th, NAV We, susceed Ia defeating both Grant
and sherman. But unless all ordinary signs fail,
in a fes weeks more the military power of the
south will exist no longer.
VAST DETERIORATION BEfwEEx me NORTHERN AND
SOUTHERN ToRcKs
And here beg the readers OF The World to
observe the really small force with which the
has been carried on, on the part of the south
and particularly within the years 1863 and 1864
Ii the truth could have been known 81 the time:
if the vast disproportion which existed between
the federal and the confederate forces in the field
in the years 1863 and sd could only have been
known; and If a OF real military genius
and grasp OF mind had been at the head of our
armies, either in May 1863 or in May l-64, the
rebellion would have been brought TO the point
where Il il now, before the end OF June ia either
of those years. Ia both of those years We had
a million Of men on paper and under pay, and
500 600 men under arms--600 GOO in the field
and 300 900 doing police duty aud in hospitals.
In neither year bad the south over 400 900 men
on their rolls -and of these not 800, 900 were at
any time actually under arms end available for
actual service IN the field Ye; so admirable
were their dispositions made, 20 skiliullly were
their little armies handled, and go much use did
they make OF their irregular cavalry along the
frontier that they succeeded in creating the i'm
preston that their armies were much more nu
merous than they really were
SUPERIOR STRATEGY OF THE CONFEDERATE GEN-
ERALS.
Above ALL they always managed to be superior
TO Us Oh decisive battle fields. This, after all,
was the grand secret of their success and il gave
color. and a very strong and reasonable color, 20
the theory that thtis armies must be nearly
as strong as our own. Ii is idle and useless now
to waste regrets upon the past; and yet it is i'm
possible to repTess pang II the thought of the
eight thousand men slain 10 the overland march
10 Richmond last year, including virtually the
whole Of the second corps, the elite of the army
OF the Potomac, all of whom, as Gen Hancock
mournfuly said, left their bones whitening the
track of the army, and all of whom were need
lessly slain.
CONFIDENCE or THE SOUTHERN PEOPLE N THEIR
LEADERS DESTROYED
IL the confederate government had retained
the confidence of the southern people. the former
would have been able to prosecute the war for
years % come, even without railroads, with their
deficient transportation, and with comparative
ly small army. But, according 70 the news
which has recently reached this city, this conf
dence, which began to be shsksn when Sherman
occupied Atlanta, aud which had become greatly
impaired by the time that Savannah Charleston
and Wilmington were evacuated, IL, nos that
Sherman has marched triumph&ntly through the
Csrolinss entirely gone. The southern people
for the last two years, have hoped against hope
that the confederate leaders and the confederate
army would succeed in gaining independence for
the south; and all that they have had 70 cheer
them has been the successful defense of their
capital But hope is now dead within them
They have freely given their substance to the
cause. as they fondly regarded it, of southern
Independence. They have given the fruit Of
their fields TO feed the confederate soldiers, and
the very carpets off their floors to make blankets
10 keep them warm.
THE SOUTHERN PEOPLE WANT PEACE.
They have, as last resort, given their slaves
to be soldiers. They have freely given up their
sons aud husbands and fathers, and have sent
them forth TO battle with the Spartan mothers
Injunction. The annals of no country, ancient
or modern, can exhibit more touching instances
of devotion than those which the southern people
have furnished in their struggle fol- independence
They have failed, and they know il. No feeling
of degradation attaches TO this failure, for they
feel that they have deserved success, If they
have bot been able TO command il. They are
anxious now for peace. But they are no, in the
attitude of suppliants. or of criminals They do
not duplicate mercy They desire justice. They
do not ask for pardon. They are not conscious
OF having been in the wrong.
HOW rHE SOUTHERN PEOPLE wERK LED INTO TIRE
The ground which they assume IS th:s aud it is
important TO observe It, because no durable peace
can be secured ii IL IS not observed aud respect
Cd. They became convinced during the presi-
Dental campaign of 1860, that their rights as 10
diyduals, aud their rights as states, were both
imperilled. The speeches of Mr. Lincoln plainly
avowed the purpose on the part OF the repub-
cans, to legislate By congressional enactment, Gu
the subject of slavery in the southern states and
TO exert the whole executive power Of the gov
eminent. if the republicans succeeded in obtain
ing control Of it, in ext rpatiDg the insttution
OF slavery. They regarded slavery as essentially
a state institution over which the constitution
gave the general government no control shat-
ever. Long experience. the experience OF gene
ration after generation indeed, had convinced
them that slsve labor was essential to the pros
pefity OF the southern states: and the divine
mand of the Almighty to make slaves forever of
a certain race Of men. and the teachings of
Christ and his spostles on the respective duties
of masters and slaves, are in their bibles well
as in ours.
The ADMINISTRATION BY NO MEANS BLANELEss
|, was not difficult under such state Of cir
cumstances AZ this Tor the confederate leaders TO
prevail upon the southern people to seeede and
TO declare themselves indenendent OF the north.
And this task rendered still easier By the in
judIcious course pursued by Mr. Lincoln and his
ADMINISTRATION from December. 1860. 20 Nav.
1851 Ten words from Mr. Lincoln in Decem-
Der or January would have prevented secession.
They were nos spoken A single paragraph
from MS pen before March would have sverted
the war IL Was no, written. II was in bis
nouep in his aii-asz IN have fouod