Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1864-10-21
Letter from Gen. Butler.
General Butler has addressed the fol-
lowing able letter to Hon Simeon Gamer.

ont
"HEADouARTERs DEPARTMENT OF
VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA,
In THE FIELD, September 26. 1864, J
My DEAR CAMERON You will deem
me most remiss correspondent. If you
had been enabled to come here you would
have found much interest in answer to
the question What of the rebellion
from your point Of view ?
We have been lying in front Of Lees
army now for four months, which have
been by no means spent in vain. From
the examination Of thousands of prison
ers and deserters, and articles from SOUTH
ern newspapers, | am certain that those
have been months Of depletion to the
southern army; that the whole arms
bearing population Of the State within
the rebel lines have been exhausted in
the effort to recruit their forces, and the
capabiity, ifnot the will, to resistance is
fast dwindIing away.
The Confederate Congress, in Decem.
Der last, passed an act, the first section Of
which is in these words: The G ngrcss
of the Confederate States do enact that
all white residents of the Confederate
States, between the ages Of seventeen and
fifty. are in the service OF the Confeder-
ate States.
The act then provides how farmers,
mechanics, and others may be detailed by
military authority to raise the provisions
and do the work for the army in the
geld.
What would our Democratic friends,
who are SO blatant over 'Lincoln's tyran-
n.y. say to draft like that on our side ?
| would like to see Govcrnar Seymour 5
mild protest against it. | would not like
to hear ' voorhees, denunciation Of it, for
they would be vulgar.
Now, when | le in the Richmond pa.
pers clamorous calls that the detailed
men shall be all put into the ranks, how
can | doubt the united testimony of de-
serters and prisoners, that the rebel means
as to men are at an end
Never having been convert to the
theory that the provisions at the South
would be readily exhausted, | have not
placed much reliance upon that result
Yet it is certain that the means Of trans
porting those provisions from point to
point by rail has given out, and the rail-
roads are becoming 50 crippled i'll their
equipment, that it Is impossible for them
to furnish the movement Of men ana
supplies necessary to the extensive miHt-
airy operations required to meet our
forces.
Add to this the concurrent testimony
Of prisoners, desertcrs, and refugees, that
the rank aud file of their armies are in
the confident expectation and belief IN
the promise Of their leaders that this will
be their last campaign; that the nominees
of the Chicago Convention will be elect
ed in November aud that the indcpend-
ence of the Confederate States will be
ackuowled sed, aad treaty of peace be
concluded and you have an impeafect
synopsis Of the reasons why | believe the
rebellion near its end.
1t will be for the loyal men of the
North to see to it that their treason does,
not end in the way proposed by the Souths
ern leaders, aided by the election Of Gen.
Mcclellan and the Chicago platform.
Here is the only dagger, if danger ex-
i.ts at all. Therefore, whatever may
ue the preferences OF any man as to any
person ior' the chief executive Of the ma.
ftiOn. or dissatisfaction with the course of
the government upon matters Of mere adj
miul,tratlou-yea, even in the important
points Of administrative policy. as aid
down in the platform or loreshadowed lu
its acts--it seems to me the aain duty of
every loyal man to SUPPORT the election Of
Lincoln aud Jehuson.
The question now before the people is
not as to the preponderanee or fitness OF
Mr. Lincoln or General Mcclellan for
the Presidency. Admit that neither, Or
either one or the other, is of himself the
best man for the place. What then p
One must be elected No other result is
possible. We are then RENTED to the
lass of political ideas ,ehich each repre-.
sents, aud what is still more important,
10 the men and their affiliations By whom
eaeh ,ciU be surrounded, and controlled,
in fact, and by whom his administration
will be shaped in the event OF election.
Can it be that any true man, especially
any Andrew Jackson Democrat, can de-
sire this government put into the hands OF
the Messrs. Nallandigham Woods, Sey-
mour, Pendeton, Long, Harris, Voorhees,,
aud their surroundings, North or South -?
Let us see what their platform and their
candidates mean: The war is to be car
ried on, or it is not if not, then dis
graceful nd dishonorable peace, which
will be no peace, aud which no true man
wants, is to be the result.
Or, if carried on, then both platform
and candidates are pledged to the dis
baudment of 100000 colored men, now
doing duty as soldiers or serving the
army their places to be supplied either by
volunteers, at an expense Of hundreds of
millions in bountes, or by draft, wEich
is the great ground Of complaint by the
opponents of the government.
Nay more, if either the Chicago plat
form or McClsllan's acceptance mean
anything, these negroes are to be return
ed to their masters, to fight or labor on
the other side. Does any one doubt, II
returned to their masters, they would be