The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-01-03
What the Leading Republican Papers of
OF Massachusetts say about the conduct
OF the War.

What the Leading Republican Papers of
OF Massachusetts say about the conduct
Of the War.
The Springfield Republican says, "without
any disposition to consciousness. it NAV
justly be said that some of the members of
Congress at the present session, have mani.
tested very defective appreciation of the
momentous work in which the Government
is engaged, or the proper means for its &C.
complishment." The same paper then adds
the following sensible and truly patriotic re.
marks, which we wish to present to our
readers as prominently as our types can give
them" What is needed is clear notion of
the work to be done, and the proper means to
the end. The suppression of the rebellion in,
wolves something more than the punishment
OF the rebels. The first and most essential
thing to be aimed at is to defeat and disperse
the armies raised by the conspirators. The
material means to this end will, of course, be
freely appropriated by Congress, and what.
ever 1t can do in the way of moral support
and encouragement to the officers and men
upon whom the chief burdens and dangers
OF the war rest, should be done earnestly
and heartily and Congress should certainly
avoid all attempts to weaken their hands
and discourage their efforts by unjust re-
proaches or improper inquisitions into past
mistakes and misfortunes in the campaign.
If some Of our commanders have erred in
their military management of the war, their
errors have not been more injurious to the
national cause, to say the least, than some
OF the plumbers in the political and moral
conduct OF the campaign. But one fact
needs most of all to be kept in view con-
stantly, as guide both to legislation and
action-that there is higher and more es-
sentlal work to be done than the defeat of
the rebels in the field. The object of the
Government and people is to defend and
preserve the Union-not to hold on to so
much territory as is embraced within its
present boundarles-but to hold the people
in every State to the support of the Union.
we want to see the South restored to a
real and not forced allegiance, and we
would therefore seek to win back those who
have been estranged by the falsehoods and
Misrepresentation of the conspirators.-
The rebellion rests upon an unmixed and
monstrous lie. 1t is quite as important to
reveal that lie to The Southern people, and
to undeceive them, as it is to defeas their.
armies in the field. We have got both thins
to do, and both at the same time, if we
would overthrow the rebellion and restore
the Union. In this view of the case there
is serious damage inflicted upon the na-
tlonal cause by every speech and proposition
in Congress, and by every proclamation
made by our Commanders in the field.
which goes to confirm the conviction
OF the Southern people that the Cow
eminent and its loyal supporters seek
the destruction of slavery, and that
that is the real aim and inspiration of
the war. In that conviction lies the
whole moral strength of the rebellion. Diss
sipate it, expose its utter falsehood, and the
score or so of conspirators at its head will
soon be forsaken by the Southern people, and
left to bear the punishment of their great
crimes alone. Confirm it by improper legis.
lation, by imprudent military pronunciamen.
tos, and other such blunders, and the peo,
pie of the South will adhere to their leaders
and fight to the last foot what they believe
to be their rights. The men, in Congress
and out, who seek to make the destructiS~
of slavery the chief and the declared Oh,
ject of the war, very naturally depreciate
the loyal party in the South. They do not
believe in Southern Union men, and would
not have them taken into the account at
all in the consideration OF the proper line
of policy to be pursued. In fact they
would prefer to move back the line of
hostilities to the border of the Free States,
and treat all on the Southern side as enc.
mics. This is as unjust and wicked as it is
impolitic. There are no supporters of the
Union cause that deserve more respect and
consideration than the loyal men of Ken.
lucky, Tennessee and Missouri, to say no.
thing of the smaller number of true men
found in North Carolina, Georgia and Ar
kansas, and that are scattered throughout
every Southern State, crushed and silenced
under reign of terror, but true at heart