Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1863-04-04

ENcohlemt Letter from a bOldner.
We are permitted to make the following
extracts from letter written by an officer in
the army near Corinth Miss The writer has
never been a Democrat, aud, as will be seen
by his letter, disclaims ever having been an
AboIitionst He has, however, always acted
with the Republican party =
CANP DAVIES NEAR CoRIETH, Miss,
March l4th, 1858.
received another letter from you
this evening which makes three since my re-
turn from our last Expedition-your letter
was the one in answer to what you termed
my Military Necessity letter. What /
wrote in that is more than can now tell, but
l very we'll know what letter you refer to from
recollection Of using that term In a manner
you very well understand / cannot say that
have had any reason to change my mind
with reference to the war for several months,
nor have | changed IL either any more than
becoming more firmly convinced that my
views are correct--whether ] have ever given
you my views in full or not ! do not now re-
member, but presume you know what they
are--you know ! never was an Abolitionist
in the general meaning of the term-I know
that / am not nOto. When on that last
Tuscumbia Expedition advised several mig
gers to stay where they we're and have done
the same other places more than once in
fact never encourage any in their persuit
of freedom unless | see that they are sharp
enough to take care of themselves | have
been advised to express myself in favor OF
the war policy and to endorce II in every
particular, but | express myself freely, and
know that If | were to say something's that
have said some places, in the presence OF
some officers, thnt would be severely repri-
manded, if not worse, and il it ever becomes
proper for me to express my views in the
presencs Of higher officers the fear OF con.
sequences will not prevent me from doing so
and here let me tell you an opinion have
that you may not have thought much about
lately. Many OF the officers in this army Of
all grades have no confidence in our final
success but they hre making money, and not
only making money, but making themselves
popular, they think and there are but few
officers who do not aspire to promotion what
J ever their position may be-they think when
the war is over that those who won fame in
1.-THE field will stand the best chances for polit.
cal position in civil life Those motives in.
ouce many to profess approval OF the war
pOHGy anu ldltu III puI hHhl eucVtSS Whp
under other circumstances would ! . the most
bitter opponents of the present Administra.
, zion. My opinion is il pure patriotism alone
were the propelhng power that the war would
. stop in twenty four hours Take away money,
and party motives and the war is no more
But many officers whose motives may not
J be purely patriotic are among the best of Off
GERS aud the war goes on, ! see no prospect
of the war ceasing soOn--nor do believe IT
= will end during the present Administration,
unless the policy changes, nor do | believe
the present policy will ever be successful.
see no improvement in the affairs of our
2 country and cannot see that we are making
any progress towards u restoration of the
Union. The Union is practically dissolved
and the war is conducted as though the ICON.
federacy' were a separate government Then
what are we fighting for2 Is it to put down
! the rebellion and mainaiu order2 Ia it to
enforce the laws of which the rebellion is an
iufraction II it were for putting down the
I rebellion and restoring order, ought not the
| rebels to be treated as rebels and not as
belligerenis of "a separate government II it
were TO enforce the laws merely that they
were disobeyed by the rebels, what business
have we with slavery or slave property more
than other property think tits very evi
/. dent that the war at present partakes con
sideFably of the nature Of partisan war and
u that the determination OF slavery is more
o partisan measure than a military necessity
in reality. | have never been able to see the
benefit to be derived from the Emancipation
Proclamation but If the object of the war oil
the part OF the United States Government bt
g to restore the Union as IT was l can see grea
q harm arising from it--but that is impossible
A. now, the Union as h ioas cannot be restored
then we are not fighting for that--we are nos
Al fighting for the subiugatioh of the South 70
:. some purpose which think will be NOR
u MAINLY seen hereafter