Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-01-22

pointed by the President of the United
States under an act of Congress, bu
whose expenses are borne by the State
under law of the last Legislature
entered upon their duties early last spring
In taking the allotment of our soldiers IL
| the field, to enable them safely and regu
larly to transmit so much of their pay to
their families and friends at home as they
might set apart for that purpose. This
allotment system, excellent and beneficial
as it would undoubtedly be and as it was
designed to be, has met with many obsta-
cles on the part of pay officers, whose Ia
bors were thereby somewhat increased, SO
as to interfere very materially with the
| progress Of the work on the part OF the
| Commissioners, and with proper execu-
ton of il. The efforts of the Commits
sioners, aided materially by the voluntary
assistance of the State Treasurer, have
been incessant to insure the proper work
ing of the system, and, under recent
stringent orders from the Uulted States
military departments, it is believed that
the difficulties have been removed and that
henceforth our soldiers and their families
will have the uninterrupted benefit of it.
The report of the Allotment Commits
sioners, which will be laid before you,
will show you the result of their labors
and the difficulties they had to meet and
overcome: Up to the 18th day OF Decem-
Der last, 1861 men had allotted to their
families the sum of $1,7S3,7O5 90 per
annum. The regiments from our State
being very much scattered in the service,
the allotment of quite number OF them
has not yet been made, while from the
Twentieth upward it was secured for all
regiments before they left the State.
STATE MILITARY DEPARTMENTS.
Under law of last year the Commissa-
ry General has been earl relieved from
actual duty, his duties being devolved by
me upon the Quarter Master General.
This officer has almost entirely wound up
the matters connected with his depart
ment, there only remaining a few months
labor to place the accounts and books of
that officer in proper condition.
The Office of Surgeon General has been
continued, and the services of that officer
have been most important and will con-
tinue so to be as long as our army remains
in the field.
The labor and work in the Adiutant
Generals Office have been much increased
during the past year.
The expenses of all these Offices consti-
tute proper claim against the General
Government, and will undoubtedly be al
lowed, since they have certainly been kept
within very low and reasonable bounds.
The reports of the Adjutant General
and Quarter Master General will be sub
mitted to you as soon as printed. That
OF the Surgeon General has not yet been
received, that officer being absent on an
expedition to the battle field at Murfrees S.
bOro. AS soon as received, it will be laid
before you.
THE CONDITION OF OUR COUNTRY.
It is now almost two years since the
rebellion of the Southern States, instiga-
ted by the ambition of bad and unscrupu-
lous men, broke out in open war against
the government of the United States.
This war has assumed gigantic proper
tions and has cost vast sacrifices of blood,
life and treasure. But, for the loyal peo-
pie of the North and the General Govern
ment there were but two ways open,
either cowardly to yield to the outrage
committed upon the nation by the traitors
in arms, and dishonorably to submit to a
ACKNOWLEDGMENT of the Union and a de-
struction of the Government and Consti-
tuition, or to bring out the military power
OF the loyal States to suppress the rebel
lion and enforce the law. The Govern
ment and the people with one accord
chose the latter alternative, the only one
that could be honorably chosen. The
contest is still raging; new and large
army has been sent to the field, and
although the nation has been disappointed
in the success thus far made, we must not
forget that we were over sanguine, nor
must we forget what has actually been
accomplished. The fortunes of war are
not always on the same side, but if, with
our resources and confidence in the right
eousness of our cause, we remain united
in the support of the Government in the
struggle for its existence, [ trust that all
the sacrifices in blood and treasure will
not have been vainly made, and that we
shall yet see the Union and the authority
of the Government of the United States
re-established.
Diuide ct dmpero, is an old adage that
the enemies of the country, and the SYM
pathizers with rebellion in the North,
have we'll learned If all true, loyal men
of the North will stand united and will
not allow party strife and prejudices to
darken their better judgment, the few
traitorous men that may be among us
will be powerless. The South builds its
last hope upon a divided North.
In judging the acts of the Administra-
ton in the conduct of this war, we should
be forbearing. On no man was ever, on
this continent, so fearful responsibility
thrown as rests on the President of the
United States. No candid man doubts his
earnest desire to save the Government,
the Union, and the Constitution; but he
is human, and may err, as we are all liable
to err. Much fault is found in certain
quarters with his recent proclamation of
emancipation, and much is said of concil-
atory measures. Either the prosecution
of this war and the suppression Of the re-
bellion is just and right, or it is unjust
ard wrong. If just, all means allowed
by the usages Of war of the civilized world
should be resorted to for its successful
termination; humanity even and justice
to our brave army demand this, they de-
mand that there should be a rigorous
prosecution Of the avar. The emancipa-
ton proclamation is strictly war -mea-
sure, designed to lead to a speedy and
successful termination of the war by de-
priving the enemy of one of its chief means
of support. In times of peace the Pres
ident would under the Constitution CLEARLY
not have had the power to interfere with
slavery in any of the States, but when