The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-08-23
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- ioTTUMWA; IOWA, SATURDAY, AUGUST. %, 1862

4 IN w - ~ LON
I the object Of the campaign in the course Q
the next thirty days. rss -
i Then, I enquire in all candor, for the caus
of ihe despondence which has been ,nanifes
ted in this Chamber. After this review O
their achievements, are we not content will
it, as the fruits Of their toll and exposure 70
! but single year, The armies Of Rome, dur
i ing her most palmy days, never accomplish
ed half so much in so short period. 1t il
true many men have fallen in the field o
battle; some have been killed and many
wounded, and many more nave fallen on &C
count Of exposure and sickness incident t
camp life. And still others have been use
llessly sacrificed by drudgery from which j
seems to be the purpose Of the, Senate to re
llieve them in the future, and which may b,
set down as the fruits of the folly, bigotry
or inexperience Of generals, who are, in tht
main, officers of great ability and merit
But all these losses, when added together
are comparatively trivial they have not d
] minished the probabilities of our speedy tri
umph in the least; nor has the physical pow
er and strength of the nation been diminish.
ed on account Of the war one iota. I do not
doubt but that an enumeration Of the popu.
lation Of the United States, if taken to day,
would show our increase durin 6 the past
year. Notwithstanding those losses, to have
been as great as it has been during any 9TH
er year of the existence of this nation. The
Almighty never inhicts on people two
great calamities at the same time. When
they are cursed with war that is sweeping
away its thousands, He never has, think
may say without irreyerence He never will,
afflict them at the same time with pestilence
aud famine. know that the rebels have
been counting on the destruction Of our army
by plaques and fevers. / have not have
known that the people Of the whole country
would be more vigorous and healthy during
the continuance Of this cisil war than they
have been for an age past. It is in the or
der of Providence that it should be so !; and
il Senator'S will but look around them they
viii find that it has been so since the war
commenced. You have had no cholera, you
have had no yellow fever, have had no
plaques or famine to sweep away your peo-
pie. The Almighty has visited US with ore
great curse during the past year-civil war.
This has carried off its thousands. None
have died with cholera, plague, or yellow
fever; and the ordinary diseases of the coun.
try have been of milder type than usual
Weare probably numerically stronger to-day
than we were the day the rebels opened
their batteries on Fort Sumter.
The Senator from New York [Mr. King
says he does not despair Of the Republic
Nor do I, Why. should despair? Mr..
President, do not doubt our fnal success.
We not only have the power, but in my
judgment viii continue 10 possess tie pow
er, If we are but faithful to ourselves, to crush
out whatever still exists of this rebellion. I
know that the enemy have counted more
strongly on divisions of our own people at
home than they have on their own inherent
internal strength. know, also, that north
ern sympathizers with the rebels are still
struggling to secure the organization Of a
rebel party in the loyal States, therefore
sympathize fully with Senators who have
expressed a strong desire that we should not
be separated at home by political controver-
sizes or party, politics; that our united
strength should be brought to bear to crush
the rebellion, a result so earnestly desired by
every patriot at home and every lover Of
liberty throughout the world. Is fs-gs
Z But, sir, men viii have their political opin
ions, they will express them here and else
where. They viii talk on the subject Of sla-
very as well as every other subject of prac-
tical interest to the human heart. II is use
less for Senators to condemn the people for
doing so. Wherever a free people exist, free
speech will remain; and wherever free speech
remains, there will certainly be an express
sion Of diverse opinions on every imaginable
subject. This may have its evils, but it also
has its advantages; and as it is one of the
incidents of civil liberty, il must be tolerated.
And confess, Mr.. President, that this ex-
preston Of difference Of opinion here or
elsewhere Is not a cause Of Encouragement
with me. When we come to avote onlprac-
tical measures for an earnest prosecution Of
the war, we find but little difference of opin-
ion. All of these measures are adopted in
this body and in the correlative branch Of
Congress with sufficient unanimity.s ~ 4
am not, however, blind to what seernsI
to me to be the intimations of an overruling
Providence, As this struggle progresses, and
Iwouid express It, of course, with great
Difference but in my judgment this strug-
gle will not be closed until slavery shall have
been practically terminated believe that
the overruling hand of God is in this war
I believe that He has suffered as to come to
blows for the very purpose Of developing
this great good to the human family. There
are but two civilized. enlightened nations
on earth that permit human slavery within
the limits Of their home Governments--ou
own and one IN South America. Some 9th,
ers permit it in their colonies, but not at