Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1861-05-25

1t is easy to conceive, at such a time,
and under such embarrassmeuts as
those, how much labor must have been
performed to bring back the Govern
ment even to the point it has now reach
ed, and it is also clearly to be perceived
how much the States themselves must
be relied upon to furnish efficient aid
to restore the country to health and
strength and prosperity. The Federal
Government, being theoretically one of
law and not of force, cannot act with
that celebrity incident to a despotic one,
whose strength is in great armies;
ready at the trumpet's call to engage
in conflict. 1t must work slowly, but
it will move with power. We must
approve of whatever it has done and
be prepared for further exhibitions of
energy, such as the public exigencies
may demand. But the State must be
prepared to aid the Government by
supplies of men, and if necessary by
the loan of means. Each State can
muster its quota Of soldiers quicker
than the Government can muster the
quota af each State, and so each State
can arm and uniform and equip its
quota quicker, than the Government
can arm, equip and uniform them all.
There is necessity of giving immedl-
ate attention to the country directly
contiguous to the line between the law
abiding and seeding States, and those
that still may be forced into secession.
The Union men Of the seeding
States, and particularly of the border
States must in some way be sustained.
The fierceness Of this wicked rebellion
is to exhibit itself through the last nam
ed sections Of country more than any
where else. From Pittsburg and Gin
cinnatti to the mouth Of the Ohio, on
the northern side of the river, the coun-
try is almost entirely defenceless
against an armed enemy. At the pres
ent time Cincinnati and numerous
smaller towns on the river could be ut
terly destroyed and the contiguous
country laid waste without the means
of resistance.
1t is q matte: of absolute necessity
not only for the North Border States
but for the North Western States to
be able to control the business and
commerce of the Ohio River, and the
upper Mississippi, in order to reach a
vital part Of this rebellion. They
must be able to cut off from the seced-
inc States all supplies of breadstutts,
and also to stop the transit and trans
portation of arms and munitions of wal.
An enemy to our common government
cannot be permitted to hold an import
ant point like Cairo. The Mississippi
and Ohio Rivers must be kept at all
times open to the legitimate and honest
commerce ard business Of the North
west. st. Louis must be strengthened
in the hands of the Union men Of Mis-
souri,, not only because it is just that it
should be so, but because the interests
Of the free territories West and North
West Of that city demand it. The
vast lumber and mineral interests Of
Wisconsin, Independent Of her com
manding produce and stock trade, bind
her fast to the North border and
North Western States, and demand,
like them, the free navigation Of the
Mississippi, and all its tributaries, from
their highest navigable waters to their
mouths
The necessities | have named being
granted, we must look to the means to
do what ought to be done in the least
possible time. It needs men, arms
and munitions Of war One hundred
and sixty thousand men, if it were
necessary, could be enrolled IN few
weeks for such purposes, and among
the swarming millions Of the border
and North Western States, there IS but
one pulse beating to-day, and bat one
purpose: TO hold up the hands-not Of
Abraham Lincoln-but Of the Presi-
dent of the United States; maintain
the integrity Of the Government, and
to aid in executing the laws in every
State alike. The North w est needs u
better military organization and a mil
itary head, under Federal control, to
which they can communicate their ne
cessities without tedious and mischlev-
Gus delays.
| know full we'll that the Federal
government will act for the West and
for the border States, just as fast as it
seems to see a necessity. We can see
a necessity for action aoac, not only for
the safety of the General Government,
but for the safety of the Union men in
the Sout}. border States, and the
Northern border States, and also for
onr own interests in the way Of our
large trade and commerce upon the
Mississippi and It's tributaries, The
common interests Of all the North
West must have common protection,
and in crushing out this wicked re-
bellion, the North Western States must
make common cause with the Federal
Government.