Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1864-05-19

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the Union. The southern states on the
contrary, knit together by the common
bond of slavery, declared unitedly for dis
union. And thus it happened that the
war speedily became war of sections.
The war, thus fairly inaugurated, resolv-
ed itself into a meer question of forces.
/ Chief among these were four to wit:
quantity and quality of population, wealth,
and commerce. On one side was arrayed
| twenty millions of people on the other,
twelve On the one side was the puritan,
believing God rules on the other, the
cavalier, declaring cotton is king. On the
one side were the descendants of those,
who at Conc ord and Lexington,
Their flag in April's breeze unfur led,
There fred the shot heard round the world,
on the other, the sons of those who ran
away at Guilford Court House, and stood
but feebly at Camden and Savannah. On
one side was purse, which thus far has
sustained unaided the most gigantic war
of modern times on the other, a shinplas-
ter currency, payable two years after the
ratification of treaty of peace with the
United States" On the one side was
commerce, whose keels vex the waters
| of every ocean On the other, no ships at
Ill, except the few stolen or surrendered
| by regenade commanders.
But now, the trial by battle once fairly
| joined, the two stern combatants grimly at
work suddenly there loomed up dusky
element, which the South in its hardihood
had evidently not calculated for, if not
forgotten. There is now no doubt, that
| the leaders of the rebellion in the beginning
relied largely on aid from their northern
sympathizers. They confidently believed
that northern peace party would at least
SO paralyze the friends Of the Union, that
no radical measures could be adopted, and
| that, no matter how the war might go. the
institution Of slavery would remain untouch-
ed. Had not all the parties denounced
John Brown? Had not all the black Re-
puhlicans disavowed abolitionism F? Had
not Fernando Wood declared New York
should be free city Had not the de-
mocracy, in convention assembled, every
where Resoloed, that if the North under
took to "subjugate" the South, it would
first have to fight northern democrats?-
But it happened these naughty cavaliers,
who aforetime were wont to despise
the north, mistaking it's patience for
pusillanimity, and to boast-proud souls
that they carried the nation in the palm
of their hand, were now counting without
their host. The first gun fired at Sumter
ended all this disloyal palaver, and soon
the war-cry of the people, flung from noun
tain to valley, was ''every weapon against
the southern traitor p From this hour
henceforth the only substantial question
was, as to which side should secure the
negro. Here, in truth, was the real turn
ing point Of the war. Sambo became the
pivot about which the whole contest began
to revolve, and the war passed simply into
question as to whether he should continue
Cufee or become soldier.
The progress of the pub lie mind on this
subject, since the outbreak of the rebellion,
has been truly amazing. 1t furnishes anoth-
er lively illustration of the rapid change in
public opinion in times Of civil commotion.
1t is not three years since the most notori-
GUS of our military leaders, then conducting
a campaign in West Virginia, at the outset
forbade all slaves from entering his lines,
and warned them by proclamation that,
if they presumed to rise against their mas
te-s, he would "crush them with an iron
hand" History will not believe it. Who,
before, ever heard of a general refusing the
most valuable Of allies against a common
enemy? 1t is in accordance with the eter-
nal fitness of things, that he has since lost
all command and gravitated gradually into
New York Copperhead. Sixty days,
however, if so long, had not elapsed from
the date of NJ Cleilan's proclamation, before
General Butler, at Fortress Monroe, by a
funny fiction of law, discovered that all
slaves belonging to disloYal masters were
"contraband of war" A broad laugh over
spread the face of the nation bat the coun-
try was grateful for any means whereby we
could rescue our friends and weaken our
enemies. Soon the secretary of state
found out that colored persons, if they
wished to go abroad, were american sciti-
zens Of African desent," in so far as to be
capable of receiving passport. Then the
attorney general decided, that, as such
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