Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-01-21
Proposed Call for LOCO. 900 Men for
Ninety Days.
Plan for the Liberation of the Union Prison
eFS held By the Rebels.

| the It'll inst, for the relief of the officers
and soldiers Of the United States now held
captiyes the rebel prisons at Richmond and
vicinity:
! Whereas, Persons in authority under the trail
| torous organization which for the last years has
made relentless war upon the people of the United
States and their Government, now holds in barbar-
| our captivity many officers and soldiers OF the
United States. and refuse accept them except on
condition that they allowed to retain such of
our soldiers they call negroes, and such of our
! officers as have anded negro troops; and up
| on the further condition that will also release
| upon parol all the of Rebel prisoners now
| in the hands of Government, amounting to
| many thousands and
WhcredS, The same persons are unable or uEwil-
| ling to make suitable even tolerable provision
for the support of their captiyes thereby render
| ing their Imprisonment as gross an outrage upon
the dictates of humanity and the laws OF war, as
1t Is upon their duty the legitsmate subject of
| these laws and
Whereas, They have denied the charity of the
| loyal people of the United States the privilege +
supplying the most pressing necessities of their
brothers IN these prisons, and have refused to re-
ceive even a flag of truce from the authorities of
the United States, unless it is forwarded by an of.
| tcer OF their own approval.
WheredS, 1t does not became twenty two millions
! of people, having the rights Of and ability for
self-goyernment, to allow rebellious subjects to
dictate to them what agents officers they shall
employ, nor does it become them to feed plentiful
| Iy at home while their brethren starve within a
hundred miles of their capital therefore, be it
ResOlred by the Senate and House Of Representatives
an Congress assembled:
SECTION l. That the President of the United
States is hereby authorized and requested to call
out and arm one million of volunteers to serve for
the period OF ninety days. unless sooner discharged,
and to be employed to carry food and freedom to
every captive held in Rebel prisons. and to plant
the flag of the United States upon every prison
they occupy.
SEC. ,. That the President be requested to as
sign Major Ten. Ulysses 5. Grant to the command
of the forces raised under this CALL together with
such of the forces now the field may be
oined with them, and he is hereby authorized to
detail TOR the subordinate commands in the forces
to be raised under the authority of these resolu
ons such officers priyates in the field as he
may deem best qualified therefor any person
or persons who may volunteer under the same au-
thority, provided, however, that any officer pri
yate the military service of the United States
who may be detailed to any such command by
thonty hereby, shall receive no additional pay for
such substituted service and no volun teer under
the same authority, who shall be detailed to any
such command, shall receive more pay than the
pay of private.
SEC. 3. That persons volunteering under author
ity hereof shall be sworn into service the -
day OF February next and the term OF their enlist
ment shall commence from and alter that day
SEC. A. That both Houses of Congress will, on
the fourth day of March next at twelve o. clock
meridian, adJou to meet on the fourth day of
June following and Immediately upon such ad-
journment each member thereof under fifty years
OF age, shall report himself to the commandment
OF some company in the forces hereby provided
for, and shall thereupon be into the mil
itary service, and unless discharged, shall
continue in such service without pay therefor until
the expiration OF the period tcr which such forces
are enlisted.
COMMENTS OF THE PRESS.
From the New York Tribune.1
We believe we have never vet
counseled the President as to the selection of
commanders for the Union armies, and we
shall not begin now =; but we will say that the
spirit and purpose of that resolve commend
themselves to our hearty appreciation. We
tried to make similar proposition a year
ago; but those who carefully withheld our
article from their readers told them that we
had markedly proposed to abandon the War if
if it were not prosecuted to successful issue
within ninety days! Admonished by that
lesson, we will now only say that we like Mr.
Howe's proposition. Let all our strength be
put forth, and the rebellion promptly crushed
Had we fifty thousand men to-day i'll Tex
as, with proper munitions and trains, we be-
lieve they never need fight battle, but that
| the rebellion west of the Mississippi would
collapse within the next two months. Had
! Gen. Grant two hundred thousand he would
bisect the Confederacy afresh within month
after the weather will permit him to advance
once more. Do let us finish up this job
From the New York Herald
Now we see that Senator Howe
has struck the right key. In a resolution
presented to the Senate, he calls upon the
President to bring into the field one million
Of volunteers for ninety days, to carry food
and freedom to every captive in the rebel
prisons throughout the land and to put this
fresh force under the command Of the gallant
Grant. This is the ring of the true metal.
| Let Congress and the President adopt such a
| o1, Of 81 I'll, 49,
rebel confederacy will be split asunder and
virtually extinguished Senator Howe, how
ever, we think, goes even further than is ne
cessary With half the number of volun-
! teers, he proposes to raise, our soldiers could
be released and the rebellion might be oblit-
Grated and peace restored.
With half a million of fresh men in the
field, moving from Fortress Monroe and other
points, direct upon the rebel capital, and, in
conjunction with our other armies, stri-
king the enemy at every vital point. jeff.
Davis and his motley crew would soon be
driven into the Gulf of Mexico, and peace
would become the normal condition of the
nation. What grand spectacle would this
be for Europe nation, with nearly mil
lion men in arms, bringing out another half
million for a special and triumphant duty on
service of ninety days! The idea is as good
as it is suggestive. Let it be adopted by all
means.
From the Chicago Journal.
This would be vigorous policy" to say the
least, and that it would be effective not only
in freeing our prisoners, but in giving the
| final death-blow to the rebellion, there can
be but little doubt.
We have no misgivings as to the ability Of
the Government to raise this special force, for
such brief and active service. The call
would be responded to with alacrity. To en-
list and organize this army of liberation
would require about month, and during the
remaining two months Its task could be sue
| cessfully accomplished.
We doubt not that this plan, il Immediately
adopted and vigorously carried out, would
finish up the war, and prove the most econom-
ical in the end But our representative wis
dom in Congress sees and moves slowly, and
we can hardly expect so.much good from it as
would be the prompt and immediate adoption
of Mr.. Howe's rebellion crushing proposition.
By the time each of the self-wise members
shall have made his inevitable speech, the
season will have advanced too far to insure
the enlistment Of the proposed number of
men, for short winter campaign, and conse-
quently we are not ready to see anything
practical resulting from Mr.. Howe's timely
and Well-c0nceived measure.
From the St. Louis Union.
This looks like wild scheme, ct first
blush; but we do not see why it might not
prove to be as successful as it is gigantic. 1t
is folly to spend further time in haggling ne
gotiation with the perfdious rebel Govern
ment about the exchange Of these untortu-
nate and oppressed captives.
The more eager for their rtlcdse