Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1862-12-18


young man. formerly Methodist exhort-
er and an avowed abolitionist." From
this description, and the fact that You were
at Warrenton about that time. l am led
irresistibly to the conclusion that you are
the author. am greatly panied at some
Of the expressions in the letter. as they in
dictate rather too much sympathy for those
who brought on this canseless and wicked
rebellion. 1t seems to me when you speak
Of the misery and destitution OF the rebels,
caused by taking and destroying their
property by struggling sol Tiers. you take
a very ono sided view of the matter. Is
there no misery and destitution in the
North on account of this unholy rebellion
Go ask the thousands OF weeping mothers
whose sons have been murdered by the
minions Of the aristocratic slave oligsrchy.
Ask the hundreds Of thousands of wives
who are deprived Of the protection and So
ciety Of their husbands. Ask the loyal
soldiers themselves, if they have not suffer-
ed intensely from hunger. cold and disease
in consequence Of this causeless rebellion.
Would you have the soldiers lay down at
night. after hard and exhausting days
march, on the cold, wet ground, without
fire to warm their stifened limbs, rather
than quarter upon the enemy or take their
wood to make fre.? II You would. l fear
you are too much like some of our grea;
Generals. who. thank God. are all about
played out, afraid of hurting the rebels
Let me say to you. in my opinion. the
quickest and only way to end the rebellion
is to hurt the enemy. and you DO that most
effectnally when you subsist the army on
the inhabitants. Why should they not
feed the army? Did they not rebel with
out cause? Had they not been protected
in every right? We in the North. who
have continued loyal to the Government,
are suffering many privations in conse-
quence Of the rebellion. and why should
not the rebels in the South be made to feel
the smart? I do not advocate robbery and
plumber by struggling bands of soldiers.
and | understand it is q violation Of orders,
for which soldiers are punished when pro-
we'd guilty. but do approve Of subsisting
the army on the enemy whenever it can be
done, which, however, should be done sys-
tematically and according to orders. That
there are men in the army who rob and
plumber is not to be wondered at. All
armies have few such men in them, men
who had Just as soon Fob loyal man or
a poor WON an, as Q secessionist; but does
this fact jus; lily You in making such sweep
ing and general charges against the char
acter of men who bave gone forth to fight
for the preservation of the Union, (many OF
whom | know to be honorable men, well
knowing, as you must, the use that would
be made of them by rebel sympathisers
here? But, you not only charge them with
robbery, but rapine! l cannot think any
Northern soldier would be gailty of such a
crime. Your Informant must have been a
lying rebel.
You say, Gall that is horrible in civil
war is being realized here. am heart
sick and hardening like steel" What do
you mean by the latter expression That
you are becoming Disguised with the cause
for which you have been fighting. and are
about ready to go over to the rebels? God
forbid. Again. you remark. "All that
was humane in my nature is leaking out. .
Have our soldiers committed greater afro
cities than the rebels have? Have they
lisintered dead rebels for the purpose oil
making drinking cnps of their skulls. and
ornaments OF their bones for the use oil
their sweet hearts at home? Have they
sent rebel scalps home to their wives 10
make bed quilts?
You say you tremble for the country
So did before Mcclellan and Buell. were
discharged for their cowardice and incom
potency. But now that fighting men
who are not afraid of hurting tho rebels
have command of our armies. my hope
has grown stronger and stronger every
day. / wonder that the Democrat pub
lished what you say about the battle o
Antietam and about our being out-gener
aled at every turn. as the remark include.
Mcclellan, the demi-god of that concern
because he has shown great tenderness to
ward the rebels. .t rs .es
/ am greatly mortified at the fact that I
son Of mine should write any thing which
should cause tory organ to compliment
him. would be as proud Of being hinged
and kissed by one of orr fast women. OF
the street. as would of . compliment
from such source A. T.
ENPHATlcALLY DExocRATIc:-To speal
contemporary Of the Presidents Mes.
sage. as our neiShbor over the way did
week before last. and then refuse TO pub