Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1866-02-02
LETTER FROM INDIANAPOLIS.

shF, ffuHVft-iAfihH WV p'eh T" W.
lower Of the TART preservatiye Of all arts"
and, like yourself, having been caught,
bound aud branded as disciple Of the
"quill and scisnorr,"sI iind IL difiouit 20
break old habits, aud am intuitiycly jotting
down few lines for tho american.
We are now In tho midst grim. visaged
Winter, with frosts and chilling blasts,
cutting TO the quick many poor mortal
whose poverty and misfortune has caused
him TO drift. like the falling snow, hither
and tlither Ii il sad to see what deyas-
tation old Winter makes with tho blooming
gardens Of Summer. can count dozen
of the young, noble and beautiful, who
have passed away with tho flowers. Az
falls the chilling sleet, so upon them has
fallen the mildow Of death.
This city is astir as usual with her in
croasing trade aud traffic, One fact is
conceded by all, that is, she has outstripped
in wealth and enterprise all her honorable
competitors in the State. This being con.
sidered the dullest month Of the whole
annual dozen, trade at present is consid
cred good When Spring breaks the icy
bands Of Winter, business aud building
will go forward with renewed vigor. In
dianapolis has received such n start in
wealth and prosperity, that nothing but
general financial ruin can check her onward
course A greater railroad centre than
this is not to be found in the West, and
herein is the secret ofour large and growing
trade. There will be commenced in the
Spring two more lines Of railroad, both OF
which will be valuable feeders" to this city.
The first road to be put under contract is
the panville line, whose terminus will be
Danyllle, III. The other is the Yincennes
road, which will run through one of the
richest sections of the State, Astounding in
agricultural and mineral wealth. Coal
and iron are found near the routes Of both
roads, which will insure to the people Of
this city cheap fuel.
The morals Of indianapolis, always bad,
are growing worse Some one has said
that ''cities are sinks that gather filth and
vice, and in a great measure this is true.
There are conferred here putrid pools of
corruption that generate some Of the most
loathsome creatures in existence, and whose
presence in our midst poisons the Young
and rising generation. Saloons, doggeries,
bawdy houses, gambling dens, gamblers,
thieves and murderers, are found in all
parts Of the city. These ulcers of mortality
have been drawn here during the past four
years by the concentration of Government
patronage and the Disbursement of her funds,
as unclean birds gather around carrion.
Hardly night passes without some peace
able citizen being knocked down and
robbed. Bolts and bars on doors of dwell
lings are no hindrancc TO the professional
burglar. The elderly of the knife" is
carried into general practice even in the
most insignificant fracas or row when in
the "good old times" it was thought that
the fist" or a club were dangerous weap-
ons Of defense. We have police, but a
brigade of that force could not preserve
order over territory covered by a city like
this. Nor are other cities East or West
free from this immoral matter-for proof
of which, read their daily journals.
So far as 'hcard FROM" there is nothing
new in politics worthy of II ention. The
scenes are not shifting as fast or in the
direction predicted by the Copperheat
press. The radicals are skirmishing as
though intending dctour from the prin.
ciples of Andy johnson, as applied to the
lately rebelious States, in his efforts toward
reconstruction. Men of political sagacity
and judgment predict that there will be nc
split in the Union ranks; the radicals, al.
ways boisterous and in the lead will quiet
down to something practicable, before sub
hitting to any serious breach in the party
These crratic gentlemen may become Sc
determined aud jealous in their demand,
for negro legislation and sudden elevation
of ignorant freedmen to all the rights oil
citizenship, that the staid and sober portion
of the organization cannot swallow the
dose.