Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1862-11-27
Important Letter from genera
Lee TO General EsaIlcck.
WAsnrNGToN, Nov. 2l

JEFF. DAVIS THREATENlNG RETALIATION.
a report is current here, and very gen
'era!ly believed, that Gen. Lee, of til,
rebel army, has recently addressed for
NAL communication to Gen. lIalleck
touching the proposed issue of an eman
scipation proclamation on the first of Jan
\ suary next. 1t will be remembered tha
satter the exciting debates in the rebc
sCongress as to the propriety Of retalia
stion, the whole matter wsS left 70 the dis
scretion of the President of the Confeler
fate States, with instructions to take sucl
j smeasurcs as would compel the withdraw
sal Of &c proclamation or bring home t,
sthe Northern troops some of the evils i
gthrcatens against the Southern people,
5lt is stated that Gan. Lees lcttcr is ex
sceedingly elaborate, and discusses tn,
question from every point of view. Th
spoints it is said to contain are a. follows
First, the unwarrantab!e nature of the
proclamation, as far as the recognize
smeasu cs of military warfare are concern
sed. The fact is pointed ont that in n,
work on military law is the instigation o
a servile war recommended, indorsed, o
seven mentioned; that, as Gen. Hallecl
shimsef never thought Of it in discussing
,the various means that might be used by
Ibclligerent enemies. the threat Of servil,
!war and insurrection is clearly not
proper military procedure; that being
,outside of military law, the Southcrr
people are justified in regarding it a,
looming under the brutal and savage expe
sdients Of barbarous people, and resen
sting it as such; that tho enemy that W il
use it does an act as unjustifiable as tn,
poisoning of wells or of food, the main
ling and numbering of prisoners, and the
soutraging of women. On this ground il
iis demanded that the proclamation be
swithdrawn.
Second, it is further urged by Gen. Le
that in case the proclamation is not with
Sdrawn the Confederate military authori
tiles, solely against thoir will, but stron!
in the justice of their position, will b.
com PEELED to retaliate in the sternest man
,ner upon all the Union prisoners that fal
into their hands. 1t is not specified wha
punishment will be inflicted but it is dis
'tinctly intimated that if through the in
'stgation of the Federal troops, any wo
imam or children are murdered by infuri
ated negroes, an equal number of Unior
troops will be promptly put to death
On this matter the Confederate Govern
!ment wishes the Federal Government tC
understand that it is very much in earn
est, and will do even more than it threat
ems.
Accompanying this document, and al.
dressed to other members of the Govern.
Imcnt, it is stated that a letter from higl
member of the Confederate Governmen
IS now in Washington for members OF
he Cabinet, arguing the question as to
the propriety of resembling the objection,
able proclamation. In addition to the
military arguments argued by Gen. Lee,
an argument drawn from the recent elec.
tions in the North is made use of by the
Con federa:o Statesmen. If the Union
shall be restored, this document urges, il
will be better not to have this gulf OF
blood between the North and South, and
even should the South succeed in their ef
forts there would be fewer unpleasant
memories to rankle.