The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1862-08-09
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CORR ESPONDENCE.

| 81 t CORR
COUNCIL sLurrs, Auo. ., 1862.
MR. EDITOR: The radical changes which
invariably come over the minds and pr'n-
ciples Of $: conservative " msn, after few
weeks service in ths army, are matter Of
surprise to those unacquainted with the
causes that. conduce to this result. The
strongest advocates Of emancipation, con.
Gscation, and thorough and complete sbo-
l.tion, to, be found 10 the army, aremen who
enlisted ~ I" conservative Democrats" A
very short experience Of the practical work.
ings of the muk.and. water policy pursued
by the Government towards the participa
tors, .aiders. and abettofs 10 the present re.
belIion, will convince any reasoning man,
and complete victory crown our arms, a
sterner policy mnst be adopted. It is not
sufficient for ~ to say we are in earnest in
this work, but BY our acts We must prove il
1t is difficult to make men believe that the
Government is doing its utmost to put down
the rebellion, while they see the loyal
soldiers Of the Union employed in the work
of guarding and protecting the property
of avowed rebels. The men wro g fight
our battles for u.s. 20 into the work from
patriotic motives-with the understanding
that their time, and labor, and lives, if need
be, are to be devoted to the cause of the
Union that their efforts are to be put forth
for the preservation of the Government,
and the overthrow of its enemies. Ia it to
be wondered at, then, that murmurs of dis.
content are heard among the troops when
they are called upon to i" "stand guard !"
around the property of men whose money
has been expended in the work of treason,
and whose influence has been used 10 the
propagation of rebellious sentiments among
the people - whose warmess sympathies
have been and still are with the cause Of
Secession, and against the Government, and
who desire and pray for the destruction,
the annihlation of the very men who pro-
tect them from evil? If the Government
expects its soldiers to 60 into the work with
that zeal which is necessary to insure sue
cess, it must employ their services in the
work of preserving the Government-not
Of protecting traitors in their treason. /
have seen men in Mississippi, of whose trea-
son there is not the slightest doubt-men
who have given their money and the pro-
ducts of their plantations to olothe and feed
the soldiers of the rebel army-who have
given the labor of their slaves on rebel
works and as our army passed through
we have found these men living quietly at
home, faring sumptuously every day."
their slaves about them, and their properly
undi>turbed, while around their farms would
be stretched guard of half-fed, half-cad
loyal soldiers, to prevent 'depredations"-
that is, to prevent our hungry men from
taking something to eat. Men who enlist
for the purpose of fighting treason, are not
prepossesssd with the notion of protecting
it, and while such things are patent to the
observation of every man in the army,
they cannot feel that confidence in the Gov
ernmrnt which every soldier should feel.-
II the war is ever brought to u successful
close, different policy must be adopted.
So long as we protect the plantations of
these men, and allow their slaves, under the
direction of the women, to 90 on unmoiest-
ed in the work of raising bread to feed
their masters in the army, we may expect
the war to be continued. Every slave be-
longing to a rebel should he turned loose;
every field turned into cnmmons; if we 6nd
anything that Can be used by our army use
it; anything that may in any way, directly
or Indirectly, be serviceable to the enemy,
destroy is; let our troops, use their fencing
for fuel. and our cattle be pastured upon
their growing crops. Such course would
soon divert the attention of the chivaIry
from the battle field to the corn field. 1t
makes little difference what we do with the
negroes, SO We prevent them from feeding
their masters. The idea of arming the
slaves is sheer nonsense, and those who
propose such measure, know nothing OF
the African character. There's no fight 10
bigger; the promise Of ''life, liberty, and
the pursuit of happiness would never in
duce him to face line Of mu-kets. But
there are many ways in which we may use
them without arms, where, under the charge
Of good overseers, they would render good
serv ce to the army. Better that they
should be disposed Of in any way than that
the attention Of the Government and the
coun ~ be continually monopolised in DIS.
cos.ing the question Of their disposal
This agitation OF the slaverys qses'ion 10
one Of the sharpest lodges Of the enemy.
While tho people Of the North believe
slavery wrong to the black race and .
srse e the whites, yet believe ihsI loyal
masses are Wiling to leave it TO the chances
Of var; but traitors IN the North are
we'll aware that the most effective aid they
can render their allies in the South is in
r.