The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1862-10-09

Emancipation and the Army.


res train the expression Of opinion upon
the acts of the Commander.iu. Chief
Obedience is the soldiers frst duty, and
criticism Of the acts ofa superior officer
is in direct violation of the articles of
war. We may therefore conlude that
whatever the army may think, it will
carry out the orders of the President
Will the hearts of the men 20 with
their work T? Will they be willing to
strike at the cause of the rebellion-to
assault its stronghold? ? 1t seems to us
that this question involves another-are
they so cnamored of a soldiers life. that
they are willing to suffer the war to
tdrag along for years without definite
results? q? Reasoning from the most
logical premises, we should supp oso the
soldiers'in the field would favor the
most sharp and decisive policy, and that
they would heartily indorse any mea s
ure which will take from rebels the
labor by which their army is supported
But upon this point we are not left
to conjecture The evidence is abun.
dant, and we think conclusive, that the
soldiers, who have been longest in the
field, and who, from observation and
experience, have learned to estimate
the strength which Slavery has given
to the rebels, are in favor of emaacipa.
ting slaves upon military grounds. We
have found the evidence in many sol
diors letters and we have before Us
some testimony upon the point which
is worthy ofattention. A friend in a
nelghboring State, who has been a Pro.
Slavery Democrat, opposed to omaucipa
tion and to any interference with Sla.
very, visited the Army of the Potomac
when it was on the Peninsula, in the ca.
pacity of Medical Commissioner He
was with the army several weeks, and
had ample opportunities for obsorva.
ton. In one of his letters, written af,
ter his return, he expressed himself,
much to our surprise, in favor of an
Emancipation policy. In answer to an
inquiry how such policy would be re-.
ceivrd by the army, he writes
"Iou may take it as a fact that with
very few exceptions the ,oho7e army is
IN favor of the most stringent prosecu
ton OF the war, using every means in
our power to life tho rebellion. and
1t regards emancipation as one of our
most potent weapons. Even among the
officers of the old army, many of wi on
talked loudly of rcsigning, &C., if they
were to be used as bigger stoalers, ;
there has been great and most marked
change in sentiment. l took some
pains to 'atisfy myself as to the preva
lent feeling upon that topic, and [ am
sat SIZED that the entire army would hail
an emancipation proclamation with ioy.
Still more, believe the army would be
glad to know that every rebel town cap.
tured was to be burned l was Dem.
ocrat of the ultra stamp, and vet |
earnestly believe that Fremont was right
in his Boston speech, and that the army
and the people are ready for emanoipa.
tion, and war of determination If nee.
essary to put down this rebellion. 1t
is certain, unless this war forever set.
ties the slavery question, we are ruined
beyond salvation. The world, the coun
try, the army and humanity demand it,
and L believe that all are up to that
point. hear scores of officers regret
that Norfolk and Portsmouth were not
burned, and many others expressed
themselves strongly upon the emancipa-
tion question"
These views are worthy of attention,
because thoyare the matured convictions
OF one who had no antislavery sympa-
thies, and who, before he went to the
Peninsula, had as strong a reverence
for slavery and slave property asVallau-
digham or any other Of that school of
Democrats. He had large acquaint-
ance among the officers of McClclIan's
army, and his opportunities for learning
their opinions werO ample.
We doubt not that efforts will be
made to SOW the seeds of discord in the
army but we are confident that these
will take root in none of the old regi.
ments-'among soldiers who have come in
actual contact with slavery, and fully
realize the strength which il gives to
the rebellion. They who have seen
the fields of the South cultivated by ne.
groes, while every able-bodied white
man was in aFms-who have seen the
negro in the trenches, and performing
ell the hard labor of the rebel camps,
are not likely to entertain a supersti.
tOus reverence for property in slaves
9ver any other property which supports
the rebels, Our brave men pourod out
their blood like water. and havo soon tka