The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-05-01

POsr HEADQUARTERS, }
HELENA, Ark. March 81 1864 (

NJ. II. Carpenter, Esq.,, Milwaukee, WIS:
SIR: have read with so much satisfac.
ton your letter upon the subject of the
duty of the Democratic party in the pres
ent crisis of our national affairs, that I
venture to express the hope that all may
see the subject exactly as you have so pow
erfully expressed it. In my judgment,
your manner of disposing of the points of
objection is so clear, and so eminently
adapted to the crisis, that no successful re-
ply can be made.
The South set the house on fire: YOU
and were lodging in it's apartments, and
must stand by with inexcusable indiffer-
ence and see the ediice utterly destroyed,
or manfully try to extinguish the flames.
How utterly destructive is the policy of
calling jury to try and convict the incen-
diary before the house is saved Before
half the witnesses can be examined, the
edifice will be in ashes
We must not allow any body to make
peace, until all the states resume their orr
gnal ''status" under the old flag and old
constitution. And whether the status of
the local institutions of the South is to be
preserved or not, depends greatly on the
duration of the war. All military DEGREES
of the president must be understood as
means to accomplish the end-a restora-
ton of the Union as it was. The object of
the government in prosecuting the war has
been officially declared by congress. The
prOclamations of the president declaring
the blockade OF our ports, and emancipating
the slaves in the insurrectionary states are
only means to the end If we keep out
supplies and muitions of war by the exter-
nal blockade; and if we can etfectually
keep an internal blockade on these states
by keeping the enemy from planting, SOW
ing and reaping supplies at home, the war
must soon end. Ii the emancipation proc
lamation withdraws twenty-five or fifty
thousand labOrers from their fields and in
ternal production, or from their fortifica-
tons and rifle pits, it is active and effectu-
al means to the desired end.
Inmy Judgment we ought to capture as
cOntraband of war, every effective negro
in the insurgent States that we can reach,
and hold them as means of weakening
the enemy and closing the war; In fact
every objection made to the Presidents
Proclamation can best be settled after an
honorable peace.
All ideas of peace with the States in
active rebellion are delusive at present.
The lamented Douglas, with prophetic
judgment, gave us the true idea of this
war, when he said, "the surest road to
peace is the most stupendous preparations
for war;" | would urge our Democratic
friends from one end of the North to the
other, to adopt this as their motto, and it
will prove ''bread cast upon the waters, -
to be found "atter many days" Let us
prove our patriotism by our works; any
other course is weakness and madness as |
view it
We all want peace, but when it comes,
the whole Union must come with it. We
are near the hour of our final success, l
firmly believe With the capture or oc-
cupation of Vicksburg by our forces, peace
must and will speedily come.
| am with great respect,
Your obi. servant,
w. A. GORMAN
Brig. Gen. U. s. Vols.