The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1863-05-15
Soldiers Letters .

EAtCiJOI ANOJlCe--A. - w llllitulS.
soldiers Letters.
From about dozen letters receiv-
ed this week, from soldiers, we select
the following. Read them carefully:
The following is from letter from
John c. Brown, of the 10Th Indiana,
to n brother in this county. Mr.
Brown is brother Of the brave Brown
who was one of the immortal u sent
out by Mitchell. A friend of his had
been corrupted by the Copperheads,
and he says:
I greatly regret that he has taken
the view of the policy Of the Admin
istration he seems to have taken. He
must see that it is not to be expected
that slavery, the dearest interest Of
the rebels, can be respected, let alone
protected by the government Of the
United States. We must either fight
for it against it; and it were mere
madness to do the latter. The Reb-
els have been told, nay assured. time
and again, by our government, that if
they will only lay down their arms,
slavery will not be further molested.
But they invite all the terrible conse-
quences which are so inevitable, if
they persist. Therefore let slavery
90 to the wall, and the rebellion is
crushed, and the Union saved.
He is, no doubt, also disturbed
about this clamor of the sympathizers,
about violations of the Constitution.
They should not disturb him. The
Constitution must be saved, even if it
must, seemingly, he violated to that
end. What would the Constitution
be worth if it did not contain the ele-
mcnts of its own preservation! If it
did not in its spirit, if not in its let
ter, grant the power to its agents to
shield it from destruction; why it
werTa mere rore of send otherwise.
And further, he should consider that
when any institution, whether it hc
banking, railroad, slavery, or what
not, has shown that it is too strong
for the government, it must be crush
ed. And has not this been the case
with slavery? Has not the slave pow
er been debating the policy of the
Government for the last fifty years.
Had it not come to this, that if the
representative of that power were de-
feated by the votes of the people, fol
the Presidency, the South would re
bel, and essay to break up the gov
ernmcnt and destroy the Constitution
| must write to him very soon, mC
endeavor to impress upon his mind
the great truths and principles whicl
are involved in, and underlie thii
great struggle between two distinc
civilizations. 1t is, essentially, wa
between ideas, and the right mus
win; and if the peculiar institution
is in the way of the success of righ
principles, let it fall. / feel that
have consented to its rule quite a
long rs | desire. / have made a
many concessions to its heartless sup
porters as | dare, and pretend to b
: just to humanity, and my own man
hood and honor. | have consente,
THAT | should he made a blood hound
at the bidding of the meanest apolog
: for Il human being, if, perchance, h
owned slave, to he put upon, the
: possibly, blood stained track of hi
| human chattle, who may have had tn
manhood or womanhood, to make a
effort to escape from his tyranny to
I land Of freedom, to hunt him or he
| down and deliver them over to hin
5 bound, manacled, and so help III
I God, I'll do SO no more. | have vote
that the last dollar in the u. $. Treas
Jury, the whole army and navy of I'll
[ u. S. should be employed to retur
one single slave to his master, an'
by heavens! I'll do so no more.
is enough; they were not satisfied wit
u that; let them better it if they al
able, if not, let them take the cons
S quences of their internal folly!
d Henry Ream OF the 99th, writes
follows:
/ Iwish to God they wo
let our company go home one mont
we would soon put an end to su,
If scoundrels. | think few gliste
ing bayonets would help the cau
considerable at home---I am indie,
d very sorry that men have lost
ct their sense.
is Who was it that declared war, W
m it not the rebels? Certainly it wa
4 We'll what was it for? Was it not
I" extend slavery? Yes it was. We
e. we willing? No, not at all; if we h
o. put up with it, they would have h
re their slaves all over the United Stat'
:. Well now the great cry is at hon
~ that we are fighting to freeing the l
d. groes; well now | ask the questiC
Ibid not Old Abe try them any W
o. and every way for them to lay do
their arms and come into the Unic
but no, they would not. Now becal
"a hoo haooma a nnilitaru 1IItv tn In