The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1862-12-25
secretary StantOn's Report.
LATER PART.


war is to make the enemy feel the evil
OF his injustice, anl, by his snfferings
amend his wa,s; he must, therefore, b,
attacked IN his most accessible quarter
the power OF the rebels rests opon thci
peculiar system Of labor, which keeps
labnrers on their plantations to supper
owners who are devoting their time am
strength to destroy our armies and dcs
i.o, our Government. Whenever tha,
system is in hostility to the Govern
mcnt, It is in my opinion, the duty o
those conducting the war to strike dowr
the system and .turn against the rebels
the productive power that upholds tic
insurrcctlon.
Rightly organized in the recovered
territory, the laborcrs of the rebel States
will not only aid in holding fortified 30
s!tions, but their labor will, rs in India
free the white soldier from the mos,
unwholcsome exposure Of the South.
They will cultivate the corn and forage
which will feed our cavalry and artillery
horses, and save the country portion
Of the enormous burden new attending
their purchase and transport from the
North. This cultivation would have
been 4 greater advantage to us on the
Southwestern coast than even that of
the great staple Of the Sea Islands.
Probably the people who remained
upon thost. islands within protection ot
oar armies, could under wise control
lave supplied all the forage needed this
year by the forces in the department Of
the South. TIE .fpl ration for a horse
weighs twcnty-six pounds, that of .
soldier three pounds.
An army we'll organized and equipped
for active operations, with due pro-
portion ofcavalry, a, tillery and baggage
trains, will have not less than one horse
or mute to every four soldiers so that
the wei ,ht &C food for the animals is
more than double that OF the rations of
~. men
Hcv important and how great an
economy, in long contest, therefore,
would there be in raising by this cheap
labor the greater part Of the forage
alone for the Southern department, thus
for greater portion Of our wants trans.
ferring the base Of supplies now at
New York to- Hilton Head or New
Orleans?
The Department has found it lifficult
to !. ansfcr this labor from one part of
the seat Of war to another. Local and
family ties seem to be very strong with
these people, and with all their faith
IN the power and good VIII Of our mill
tary commanders, It was found difficult
to get volunteer laborers TO leave Port
Royal for other depo,s.
A population of four millions true to
the Union, with a'slight assistance from
the army will, under proper regulation
and government, be OF the greatest as.
sistance il holding the territory once
recovered. The principal staples ofthe
South are the product exclusively OF
their labor. # protected Upon the land
they have heretofore cultivated, with
some organisation, and with support
from small! dctaclnncnts of loyal troops
they would not only produce much Of
what is needed to feed our armies and
their trains, but hey would forever cu,
off from the rebellion tic resources of !,
country thus occupied.
The rebel armies move with ease
through portions Of the Border States
living uron the country in which on,
commanders lind no supplies. The
people bring forth their boards and offe1
them to the rebels for sale or gift
Protect the laboring population, who
arc the majority in the greater part o
the South, in the possession of the lane
and its products, and this great adyan
tage will, for whatever portion of coun
try we occupy, be transferred to Us
As soon as the coast is thoroughly oc
cupied, and the people organized, trad,
will revive. Cotton, rice, sugar, ali,
other products, will be exchanged b,
the producer for what he needs.
Their wants will be supplied direc
from the Northern factories, and tn
cultivation Of the great staples vii
enable them to pay for what they use
A perfectly free trade may thus agai
grow up between the North and tn
South, and with greater crlcss rapidit