The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-01-31


If any one were disposed TO entertain
doubts Of the efficiency of the Presi-
dents amnesty proclamation, they would
certainly be dispelIsd By careful peru
sal Of the letter Of Longstreet to General
Foster, which is now made public. tits
dated at the Headquarters of the Con-
federate forces, East Tennessee, Jan. 3D.
1864" snd at the outset the rebel says 70
Foster:
find the proclamation Of President
Lincoln, of the 8th of December last, in
circulation in bandbilIs amongst our sol
diers.
The discovery doubtless took Mr.
Longstreet by surprise; but then if bis
soldiers are . unit in favor Of Southern
Independence, and il they unanimously
regard the proposal Of the President 81
an insult, why should he complain
What harm could the document do
Would II not rather add to the morale o.
the army than otherwise Itrather sp-
pears that way to outsiders at least
Longstreet then proceeds:
The immediate object Of this circuls-
ton seems to be to induce.Our soldiers to
quit our ranks and take the oath of ale
glance to the United States government
/ presume however that the great object
and end in view is to hasten the day Of
peace. l respectfully suggest for your
consideration the propriety Of communi-
eating any views that your government
NAV have upon this subject through me
rather than by handbills circulated
amongst our soldiers.
But why need the rebel General care
about Fosters O5sct, if the result was
really to cement more strongly, the ties
which bind the army together, as we
have been assured would be the case, on
more than one occasion, by the Richmond
leaders. Hencefortb, it is suggested, ii
any more are 10 be forwarded, they shall
psss through the usual channel; they
should first be submitted TO the general
commanding. But why would he sup
press the documsts to prevent his soldiers
from reading them or would he alter
and amend them to suit his purposes 2
II neither, what other effect would it
have, if sent through the regular channel,
than if given to the pickets, through an
irregular process There is something
strange about this matter; like Gradgrind
and GLORIOUS George Pugh," we swat for
the facts"
Longstreet then informs Foster that
the few men who may desert under the
promise held out in the proclamation can
not be men Of character or standing. II
they desert their cause they disgrace
themselves in the eyes of God and Of
man. They can do your cause no good,
nor can they injure ours"
The fesO who desert are worthless men;
well then why does LOngstreet complain?
The fewer of such membranes an army
has, the better; and be should welcome
every process which would rid him of
them.
Divested of ell flourish, the logic of
the writer is, that the soldiers of the
rebel army have surreptitiously obtained
copies of the amnesty proclamation, and
these are circulating without the knOwl-
edge Of their officers; and those who read
the document are anxious to avail them
selves of the pardon offered and the re-
suit is highly demOrsliziHg; and the effort
made 10 conceal these facts, only make
them the more glazing.
But this curious document is not the
only means we have of estimating the
effect of the profered amnesty; every
rebel mail captured, is filled with letters
relating to il, aud scarcely a writer but
longs for the hour when he or she can
escape the further calamities Of war, by
accepting a pardon.