The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-01-01
Tiae Negro, er the Union, which
,t- 5-. .a..stra.r,--e Is il

MIR. EDITOR - DIS seems strange prop.
"Sition to put, but the history Of the past
few months forces it upon MS; we therefore
ask canddly, which is it, the Negro, or the
Uaien, for which we are contending? We
presume that this war like every other, has
IT, pine object, its leading idea. Can you
tell ns-can any one tell US what it is.
II is now nine months since the fact
dawned upon us that a civil war in this
Government, was inevitable. The enjoy.
rnent of q. protracted peace, had lily prepared
the. loyal portion Of the Government for the
unexpected struggle. Indeed we did not
fully awaken 10 the fact that there was to
be war, till after the national flag had been
shot down and trailed-in the dust by our
foes. BIT we did a. last wake up. The
President issued a proclamation, calling for
seventy five thousand men. In it he told us
that certain States had rebelled, and were
endeayoring to disrupt this Uni' n and that
1t was his sworn duty, as the Executive o.!
the Government, to put down the rebellion
-
and save the Union. The heart of the coun.
try was. with the President, and his call was
promptly responded to. We then supposed
that We We're tolfght to save the Union.
Since then, there has been a special ses-
sion OF Congress. New calls have been au-
thorized and made, and responded to in a
manner that set the whole civilized world a
gaping sand all this has been done under
the understanding that VIC were lighting to
save thGc Union. To-day the Government
has a at is is command over la'f . million Of
men
We asdmi. now, that When the war first
broke out, we were not, on our part, prepared
toprosecutc it. An army hal to be formed
and disciplined. This could not be done in
day. We did not then, lool. for great
battles and glorious victories af the hands Of
the raw recruits, who had Int lust then
been mustered intoscrvicc. We said-Wait
tiAithese men bccc'ie accustomed to Their
new ealing, and then let us have the result
and wfeniwc read of'eranl reviews and
'sFlendidrsv:ews. and brilliant reviews. >
we7supposed our hopes were not without
some foundation But nine months have
already passed, and We d. no. begin to sec
the end OF ihis n,attei. Indeel, we al, not
sure thatwe see the whole CT The beginning
ltnow'comes to us that the Grand Army
ofthc Potomac is about to go into winter
quarters, Notwithstanding twas said during
aiiihe suinmer months, that we could not
move south tilteool weather Well If we
stop here the matter looks bad enough. but
this is not the end Of it. Congress is now
IN session |, aHd while the Grand army of
the Potion az Is going into winter qnarers,
this august body is.d,scussine the compeund
ro,tisea,oP. cprirahando, riggers, Emancipation
question, n All S variety ofphases Like the
silly B:ittns, who, were i'sputing rs to how
The. haety Ley were to tq.,e from lh.lr Snx
on foes rhau,d lie disposed Of, and continued
the dispute III the Saxo1s4 received rein,
frccments, thus compelling them 70 leave
their osn baggage as booty to the enemy,
so this Coverpmentin the end may ouch,e
itself II certainly now looks like it.
Now be it understood that we are not Of
the "On to Richmond School We believe
in doing nothing till we are ready; but
when we g't COOL ready, then, for Gods
~ Ike let US move. S sslares z
1.-THE Government wants more men let II
sayso Lut letit not say niger once If
The nigger question must be directly met,
hen. lst US neetit when we are IN position
o DE 80. We cannot cmancipate negroes
md quell the Rebellion By proclamation. III
vc would emancipatc. coniScate, or do any
hihs sIss w'sh the slave population Of the