Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1862-11-04
Correspondence Of the Herald
Letter from lieut. Purman-ihe Presidents Emancipa.
ton Proclamation How viewed in The Army.
CAMP NEAR coRINTH MISS. I

CAMP NEAR coRINTH MISS
Oct 81, 1862
FRIEND Cover II received bundle
Of "Heraldsn yesterday addressed to me
at "Connth, Bowling Green, or Hunts
yille-in Kentucky, Tennessee, &C., and
concluded 10 wlite you letter, if to no
other purpose than to let you know where
"the bully 10th is. Our regiment took
an active part in the siege Of Corrinth last
spring, and has remained here ever since,
save now aud then going of, as TO Iuka.
to get hand in fight. They bore gal
liant part in the action here on the Sd, and
4th. Gen. Macarthur, complimenting US,
said "Boys you should not be such splen-
did fighters, and then you would not have
so much hard fighting to do" Ills WAS
when the 18th was in the advance on the
pr suit, after bearing SO large hand in
the right.
The most prominent subject now before
the people is the Presidents E'mancipa-
tion Proclamatioa the 90 days grace Of
Jered 10 SLAVERY. You may be DESTROYS,
as well as your readers. to know my senti-
ments, and more especially, those of this
great yfghtaag army on SO important a
measure. You knew me as a Democrat,
but as a c nseryative one, in favor Of Doug
as and the Douglas policy of prosecuting
the aOar vigorously. Hence my present
position, l take it, is such as you should
expect Of me, ard Of all progressive, think
ing men. This war works mighty chang
es in the physical condition Of affairs here,
leveling all fences and separating lines. All
the firms here now are one great big farm
no barrier to the boys bringing in the
cows, were there any COWS left to bring.
The leyeling process in knocking down old
fayonte ideas and prsjddices and in bring
ing men, hitherto far apart, together and
showing them that they ti.ink very nearly
alike, though they may differ in their mode
Of working out the idea, is no less evident
and powerful.
Zen, without any further preface, am
in favor Of this Emancipation proclamation
of the president. think the days Of
grace quite many, sufficient, in which rea-
sonable rebels may return to their senses
and acknowledge their adherence 10 the
old Government, and their determination
to ''stand BY the stars and stripes" Last
spring it was commonly said, and, be-
lieye it more than hall true, that in all
Grants army, the great army Of West
Tennessee, there was not one A50ltkon-
est. Now, Sir, if all Of US Democrats aud
Republicans, whatsoever aoe aoere before
the a0ar began, are to be stigmatised as
Abolitionists, simply because we say "God
bless Old Abep and because we are in ia
vcr Of an earnest, vigorous war policy,
then, sir, there are few other then Adolf
tionists in all this great, fighting, yictor-
Gus army. The Proclamation is acar
measure There is no political question
about it. All the question that can be
asked is, is it expedient? Will it benefit
us, and worst the rebelsl believe it will.
1t will give our cause mighty impulse
forward with foreign powers. 1t will tell
them and the rebels, too, we are in earnest.
We have hitherto played too much with
The rebellion: have handled it with our kid
gloves on; whilst the rebels fought us in q
manner showing that they are in earnest
terribly IN earnest. Let us arouse our
selves and arise and prepare for the con-
fliet The President has come to this.
This measure will take, at the very least
estimate, two millions of sttons men from
their fields who are producing the support
and cioth.lg material for the rebel army,
and may, God only knows, open such q
fire in the rear of the rebellion that all the
blood of the South would be required to
quench it, except by their sueing for peace
and returning to their loyalty and NORTH
era protection from domestic wrath.
"Tle corner stone of the Southern Con
federacy is Slavery" said Vice President
Stephens; and | tell you, sir, this is so;
and, being so, the Confeleracy rests on a
bomb shell, the fuse Of which is already
iGnIiting. The coil is already in the mag
azne beneath, and soon there will be such
a terrible explosion as the sun in heaven
never looked down upon; aad-such- groans
uttered by mangled, bleeding men as Earth
never heard before, nor will again. "Hu-
mainly and Patriotism alike require, that
rebellion be speedily crushed" said Pres.
jeff. G. Davis in regard to the Kansas To
peka Constitution difficulties. The doc
trine is good, although its author Jeff has
fallen from grace This proclamation is
a means of speedily crushing this rebellion
Iii fatal error to regard this procla-
nation, or its evident results and conse-
quences, as an end or am of the war against
the rel slIion: not so. 1t is but measure
70 an end. Mcclellan marches on Rich
mond, 10 prosecuting the war, and takes i,
let # be granted. This furthers our cause
and cripples the rebels cause. lsit, let me
ask, an end, an Object, Of the war-pollcy;
or Is it n mere naedsure2 Why certainly
We do not make war simply to take Rich
mond- we make 0ar to secure peace, TO
bring order out of confusion. And we take
Richmond simply as means Of crushing
out the rebellion.
But, Mr.. Editor, you see my idea and
ny policy-and the policy Of our good
old Democratic (offoriner times) Gen. Ros-
encrans; and am too much fatigued to
write more.