The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-07-31
Comingto the Point.

publish in another place. comes pretty near 10
the point demanded by the loyal people of the
North. No more catching and returning the
slaves Of rebels--no more guarding rebel
property-no more protection OF open reoeiS
and traitors, to the Union. These distasteful
and thaukless duties, the army, under Oeheral
P one. at least, is hereafter to be relieved from
We are thankful that this point OF common
sense has been reached by our Generals and
administrative officers, even at this late day.
and through great tribulation and sorrow
We have never, from the inception OF the
rebellion, been in favor of making TINS war
for the Union" war against slavery, but we
have ALWAYS contended that it should be no
part of the business of our armies to protect
slavery. It was right and just that it should
take its chances; and survive or perish as the
fortunes of war should decide. But our rulers
at Washington, and our Generals in the field
have been entirely too socitous to protect the
institution, and shield it from the consequence
es of war, wantonly, and causeessy COM
menced by the Shareholders themselves. The
war has been prolonged for months, it not
years and the rebels have been lncalculaoIy
strengthened and aided, by the action our
own Generals countenanced by the autRor!-
ties at Washington, have taken In regard to
the institution Of slavery.
When the war was first commenced by the
Shareholders, II vas the almost universal eA-
pressed belief by us OF the loyal States, that
slavery would prove detriment and an ele-
nent of weakness to the rebels, but our own
action has turned it into their greatest ele-
ment of strength. From the very first, every
thing was done and said to discourage the
slave population from doing anything for the
I'm ion cause, or against the rebel cause. The
greatest pains was taken to prove to the slaves
holders that notwiths landing they were rebels
and traitors, we were just as ready and willing
10 protect their peculiar institution" az we
ever had been-that although we might fight
the shareholders themselves, and punish them,
we would protect their accursed institution. In
numberless instances, where the masters have
left their slaves, in portions of the country &C.
cupied by our armies they have been inyento-
ried and kept by our Generals until they could
re turn them to their masters. although those
masters were soldiers and officers in the rebel
army.
The most casual and superficial observer
could not fail to see that war thus prosecut-
Ell, must of necess ity prove disastrous to the
/ army of the Unio n. 1t was in effect turning
the rebels weakness to strengthening
/ l.. IN,
err, and ourselves that much weaker But we
do not speak of these things with any spirit of
fault-fnding. 1t was perhaps natural that we
should have fallen into that fatal error. We
had been educated for two thirds of century
to regard the institution of slavery, and the
rights of the shareholders in all things pertain
ing to that institution sacred, aud the polit-
zeal training of the North has fostered and en-
couraged that feeling. Both the great political
| parties of the North have always been taught to
observe the Compromises Of the Constitution,
and the 'rights of the South, " in all things per-
tanning to slavery, most religiously This
training has continued to influence US thus far
in this war. Our Generals could not bear to
be stigmatizedkas aboitionists and they there
fore continued to act as though they were con-
Quoting political campaign, instead of a real
war-war to the death-which must result, fin
ally, in the triumph of freedom or slavery. We
of the loyal States are fighting for our country
its Constitution and its glorious institutions
while the South is fighting to destroy Them for
the purpose of building something elsa
monarchy or anarchy-upon the ruins. The
preservation of slavery is not an object for
which We can afford to sacrifice such q
country and such government with all the
glorious hopes and aspirations that have SC
long clustered around them.
We are gradually being educated, in the hard
school of experience, up to the real pooition,
that, as the real preservers and conservators OF
freedom-of free Government and free Institu-
tions-we should occupy! Thank God, for
the stand taken by Gen. Pope, in the several
orders he has lately issued If the reverses
we have lately met with, shall open the eyes
of all who have guiding hand in the prosecu.
ton Of this war for the Union, to the real de-
ynands of the time, and the occasion, they will
not have been suffered in vain.