Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1862-07-24
Political Opinions of the Army.

Geo. NJ. Elliott, soldier in the First
Ohio Regiment, writes tho Steubenvillc Her
aid the following pithy sentences on the
Political Opinions Of the Army" We
ask for them a careful perusal:
As we are away from any political in
fucnces, and don't suffer their corruption
to como within our picket lines, a few ro-
marks may not he amiss, if il sh ould be a
voice from the tombs, What We learn
from. some secesh Journals from the North
ern States, the great cry, The Union az
it was, the Constitution as it iS,' We look
upon as the very radical Of nonsense Who
are the leaders Of this2 Valandieham OF
Ohio, and voorhees, OF Indiana, men Of
avowed traitorous hearts, and who would re.
joice to SEQ our glorious old stars and stripes
hu,niliated and trailed in the dust. i've
claim now to be the defenders of the Con
stltution, and carry the Union at the point
of the bayonet. Can you make the Union
what il was2 No more can you bring bacI.
the minds ofour excited and bigoted people,
slienated and estrangsd BY vile and degra :
ded d IN o u s, Can you make them respect
the laws and yenerate the Constitution p
Nothing but the sabre and the bayonet will
do that, Como here and show your dough.
faces before the rebel lines, with the Con
stitution that was framed in the wisdom Of
our fathers, and you will get q Minnie ball
in your heart. The great cry about aboli.
tionism being the cause Of the war is fal.
lacy--a lie--and mona but foolish men dare
repeat the assertion. You we'll know that
il was broken down politicians, seeking for
dominion, usurpatlon and power, that tried
to cause the overthrow Of our Government
and write our epitaph on the highway OF
nations that the Republic was a failurs. Do
yon think your honeyed words will sway our
minds, that you viii gain favors from us
while drawing the brakes to clog tho wheels
Of the government? The contrabands may
disturb your slumbers. You may doubt
the constitutionality of Gen. Hunter 9
proclamation, setting the negroes free in
several slave States, and for the same con.
stitutional reasons you may prohibit as from
capturing rebel cannon, hay, -four and corn !;
because II il private property. Those con.
trabands, or the slaves Of rsbels, are now
raising corn, peas and other subsistence,
besides throwing up f1rti6cations and work.
ing the guns Of the rebels. Must We silent.
ly suffer this because We may displeass 70.
bel slave owners at the South7 The opiu-
ion OF the American army may be summed
up in few words That we are fighting
for the Union and the Constitution, and moi
for war Of emancipation. That is wha,
we tell our Southern friends that We find al
home, and by not meddliug with their
slaves, they soon believe us and place reli.
ance In our honesty, But must we let them
have the means to carry on the war against
us? Undoubtedly not. Ifa proclana tiou
was now Issued, setting the slaves of the
rebels free, such an exodus or stampede
would have no parallel, save when The
locusts come on the east wind to the courl
Of Pharoah, till they could get in the real
OF our lines, and the rebels could neye,
harvest their corn, and the consequence
would BE- that they would rsn short Of sub
sistence, and the war would be over. W,
furnished the rebels, or suffered them /,
take our arms, forts, war vesseh and steam