The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-01-01

ent great army OF tne OnlOng ~ uuSuIhk
to the North and the ease with which the
army was raised, he says:
$50 thoroughly aroused was the national
heart, that have no doubt this force would
have been swollen to million, had not the
department felt compelled to restrict It, in
the absence Of authority from the rePresen-
tatives Of the people to increase the limited
number. twill be for Congress to decide
whether the army shall be further augment
ed, with view to more speedy termina
ton Of the war, or whether it shall be con-
fined to the strength already fixed by law.
In the latter case, with the object Of reduc-
ing the volunteer force to 500, 900, 7 propose
with the consent Of Congress, to consolidate
such Of the regiments as -msy from time to
time fall below the regulation standard. The
adoption Of this measure will reduce the
number Of officers and proportlonably d.
minish the expenses Of the army In April
rs, 900 volunteers were called upon to enlist
for, three months service, and responded
with such alacrity that 1875 were immedi-
ately obtained. Under the authority of the
Act Of Congress Of July %, 1851, the States
were asked to furnish 100000 volunteers to
serve for three years, or during the war; and
by the act approved the 29th Of the same
month, the addition of 25 900 mon to the
regular army of the United States was au
thorized. The result il. that we have now
an army Of upwards 900, 900 men. five
add to this the number Of the discharged
three months volunteers, the aggregate force
furnished to the Government since April last
exceeds 100000 men. We have here an ev-
idence Of the wonderful strength of our in
stitutions. Without conscriptions, levies,
drafts, or other extraordinary expedients,
we have raised greater army than that
which, gathered by Napoleon with the aid Of
all these appliances. were considered as an
evidence Of his wonderful genius and energy,
and of the military spirit Of the French ma
ton. Here every man is Interested in the
Government, and rushes to its defence when
dangers besct it, BY reference to the re-
cords of the Revolution, it will be seen that
Massachusetts,, with population Of $50, 900,
had at one time sc, 900 troops in the field, or
over one-sixth of her people, force greatly
exceeding the whole number Of troops fur
nished hy all the Southern States during the
war; Should the present loyal States fur
nlsh troops in like proportion, which would
undoubtedly be the case, should any emer-
gency demand it the Government could
promptly put into the field an army Of over
three millions.
He speaks Of the re establishment of the
Union at various points, and doubts not that
"the army now assembled on the banks of
the Potomac will, under its able leader, soon
make demonstration that win establish its
authority throughout all the rebellious States.
The principal wealth and power of the
rebel States is a peculiar species of property,
consisting of the service or labor of Slaves.
This property has been variously estimated
at tho value of from 81, 900, 900 to 81 ,000,-
100000. Why should this property be ex-
empt from the hazards and consequences Of
a rebellious war? It was the boast of the
leader of the rebellion, while he yet had a
seat in the Senate of the United States, that
the Southern States would be comparatively
safe and free from the burdens of the war,
ifit should be brought on by the contem-
plated rebellion, and that boast was accom-
panied by the savage threat, that Northern
towns and cities would become the victims
Of rapine and military spoil" and that
"Northern men should smell Southern gun
powder and feel Southern Steel" No one
doubts the disposition Of the rebels to carry
that threat into execution. The wealth Of
Northern towns and cities, the produce Of
northern farms, northern workshops and
manufactures, would certainly be seized,
destroyed, or appropriated as military spoil.
No property in the north would he spared
from the hands of the rebels, and their "a.
pine would be defended under the laws Of
war. While the loyal States thus have al!
their property and possessions at stake, are
the insurgent rebels to carry on warfare
against the government In peace and securi.
ty to their own propertye Reason and jus
tice and self.preservation forbid that such
should be the policy Of this government, but
demand, on the contrary, that, being forced
by traitors and rebels 10 the extremity Of
war, all the rights and powers of war should
be exercised to bring it to speedy end
Those who make war against the Govern-
ment justly forfeit all rights Of property,
privilege or security, derived from the Con-
stitution and laws, against which they are in
armed rebellion: and as the labor and ser.
vice of their slaves constitute the chief prop.
erty ofthe rebels, such property should share
the common fate Of var to which they have
devoted the property Of loyal citizens.
INTERIOR R-Thc business in this depart.
mcnt has lost most of its interest in conse-
ouence of the war the commercial and arri.