The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1864-10-05
WHOLE NO. 4l6.

J Hg "
Here is the concluding portion Of Gen
Sherman's admirable reply to the petition
of the Mayor and Council Of Atlanta com.
planning Of his order requiring the removsl
Of all non. combattants from tina. city
You cannot qualify war in harsher terms
than l will.
War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it !;
and those who brought war on our country
deserve all the curses and meladictions a
people can pour out. l know had no
hand in making this war, and know will
make more sacrifices to-day than any Of
you TO secure peace. But you cannot have
peace and division Of our country. If
the United States submits to division
now, it will not stop, but will 60 on till we
reap the fate Of Mexico, which is eternal
war. The United States does and must
assert its authority wherever it has power;
il it relaxes one bit to preserve it, it is gone,
and know that such is not the national
feeling. This feeling assumes various
shapes, but always comes back to that Of
Union. Once admit the Union, once more
acknowledge the authority of the National
Government, and instead of devoting your
houses, and streets, and roads to tn. dread
uses of war, l, and this army at once become
your protectors and supporters, shielding
you from danger, let it come from what
quarter it may. know that few individ-
uals cannot resist a torrent Of error and
passion such as has swept the South into
rebellion, but you can point out, so that we
may know those who desire government,
and those who insist upon war and it's
desolation. You might as well appeal
against the thunderstorm as against these
terrible hardships of war. They are inc.
vitable, and the only way the people of At
lanta can hope once more to live in peace
and quiet at home is to stop this war, which
can only be done by admitting that it be-
gan in error and is perpetuated in pride
We don't acant your negroes, or your horses,
or your houses, or your land, or anything
you haze but zoe do scant and riM haze a
just obedience to the laos Of the United
States. That we will have, and iii involves
the destruction Of your improvements we
cannot help it. You have heretofore read
public sentiment in your newspapers, that
live by falsehood and excitement, and the
quicker you seek for truth in other quar-.
ters, the better for you.
l repeat, then, that by the original com.
pact OF government, the United States had
certain rights in Georgia which have never
been relinquished, and never will be that
the South began war by seizng forts, arsen
ais, mints, custom houses, ETC., etc., long
before Lincoln was installed, and before the
South had one jot Of provocaton. /, my
Self, have seen in Missouri, Kentucky,
Tennessee. and Mississippi, hundreds and
thousands of women and children fleeing
from your armies aud despe farlocs, hungry,
Vicksburg, and Mississippi, we fed thou
sands upon thousands Of the families Of
rebel soldiers left on our hands, and whom
We could not see starve. Now, that war
comes home to you, you feel very different
you deprecate its horrors, but you did
not feel them when you sent car loads of
soldiers and ammunition and moulded shell
and shot to carry war into Kentucky and
Tennessee, and dcsolate the lives of hun.
dreds and thousands Of good people, who
only ask TO live in peace at their old homes,
and under the government Of their inheri-
tance. But these comparisons are idle. l
want peace, and believe it can only be
reached through Union and war, and will
ever conduct war purely with view to per-
feet an early success.
But my dear sirs, achen thut peace does
come, you may call on me for anything.
Then miU I share aeith you the last cracksr,
and catch aoith yot to shield yoar homes and
families against danger from any quarter.
Now, you must 60, and take with you the
old and feeble feed and nurse them, and
build for them in more quiet places proper
habitations to shield them against the
weather until the mad passions Of men cool
down and allow the Union and peace once
more to settle on your old homes at At
lanta. 81
Yours in haste,
w. 7. SHERMAN, Maj. Gen.