Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1861-11-01
HOW TO HRke SecessionIsts.
From the Chicago Tribune.


The common belief of the more ignorant peo-
pie in Missouri is that the Government of the
United States is broken I'D and dissolved. and
that the " invasion of their State by the troops
of Illinois, Iowa and Indiana is for the purpose
of conquest and plunder. This lie is studiously
and steadily ineulcated by their leaders and we
have the testimony of Mark b. Cassel, Esq, our
Canal Trustee in this State, who was thirteen
days prisoner in the rebel camp, for saying
that the soldiers, many of whom are honest but
deluded men, religiously believe it, and thattheir
presence in the field is in consequence of the i'm
position that has been praetieed upon then. We
ask what arguments or facts in the newspapers,
what procamations issued by commanding Gen
erals, what private assurances Of Union men, can
uproot this belief when occurrences like those
described by correspondent of the Cincinnati
Gazette, who is with General Fremont, are per-
mitted wherever the Union army moves. De-
scribing the march towards Warsaw, he says:
In my last letter spoke of the Inauguration of
the forsgng system, and the disappearance Of
feathsred bipeds, ETC., from the face of the earth
hereabouts. regret to say that the practice was
carried to extremes by soldiers and offices, until
Gen. Fremont felt bound for the honor and repu-
tation Of the United States army to put stop to
it. On the road on Tuesday last, we saw regiments
of troops passing along, threefourths Of the mem
bers of which carried dead turkies, geese or chick
ems on their bayonets. Nearly every army wagon
we passed contained couple of slaughtered hogs
or calves. Worse than all, many soldiers killed
stock at farms and left nne-tenths of the carcass to
rot upon the ground Houses were entered and
depleted of victuals; whether the occupants were
Unionists or DisuniOnists, the soldiers seldom
stopped to inquire. Assuming an authority never
given them, they plundered everything and any
thing. Such state of things could not long exist
without bringing disgrace upon our army and our
cause. On Wednesday morning Gen. Fremont put
an emphatic veto on It in the shape Of order to
the effect that any soldiers officers convicted of
forsging or plundering without authority from him
should be shot without mercy.
Were this the only case of the kind, 1t might
be attributed to the lax discipline prevailing
among newly recruited men. But it Is not
Just such scenes had attended the march Of the
Union troops in almost every place where they
have penetrated the enemy's country. And the
track of our columns in Missouri may to-day be
known by the converts to secession, that the out
RACES of our soldiers have made. This is hard;
but it is true. When Gen. Mcdowell moved out
to Bull Run, the line of march of his army was
marked by wanton and needless devastation
and only a few days ago, Gen. AcClellan's men
after following up the retiring rebels-wsre
severely reproved for their destructive and felo-
nious propensities. Hurlbut's troops ecIipsed
them all in Northern Missouri By the variety and
extent of the offences of which disciplined SOL
diers would have been ashamed.
It is time that commanders should take this
matter in hand. The fighting will not, we hope,
be confined to the border. As our arms push
their way south, they must convince as well as
o7ercome-conpince the people, not the leaders,
that our purpose is to save not to destroy; that
the presence of Federal troops is a guaranty Of
safety to person and property that is never viO-
lated. Only belief in our desire to DO right can
maintain obedience in the States that may yield
to our superior force.