Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-08-22
Letter from Gen. Ruell.

The following letter appeared in the
Philadelphia 4ge
BEDFORD SrRINGs, Pa. July 10, Ga
DEAR SIR: The public have seen no
official announcement Of the fact
though il is 20 doubt By this time very
generally known--that have resigned
my commission In the army. | have
several times since been assured that my
personal friends, And many who, without
the claim Of personal acquaintance, have
taken an interest in my official career,
feel that some explanation Of the cir
cumstances and motives Of my action il
due to them Accepting this claim up
on me, have already answered some Of
my friends in subsistence As | do you
now.
II is perhaps unnecessary to enter into
an exposition of the circumstances Of
my supsrcedure in Tennessee in the fall
of 1862, since the particulars, though
not without a certain value, involve in
terests OF my own with which il is not
my wish to weary you. As far as facts
are concerned, il will suffice for the
present TO say that, after .he adjourn
ment, about the first OF Nay, 1862, Of
the Commission" which investigated
my campaign, my correspondence with
/ the War Department was confined 10
a monthly report to the Adiutant Gen
eral that ! was waiting for the action Of
the War Department on the proceedings
of that Commission; that al,Sut the 6rst
week in April last was offered com
mand under General Sherman, my ju-
nior, which declined; that about three
weeks later | was again offered com
mand under General Cauby, also my ju-
Nor, which | declined; that about three
weeks later received notification that
was mustered out my rank as Major
| General Of Volunteers, and that on The
same day | sent in my resignation q:
Colonel in the Adjatant Generals De
partment of the Regular army.
The impulses OF most meH would ap
prove my course in this matter, if il
even rested on no other ground than 9
determination not to aequiesce in AM
measure that would degrade me; but
had higher motive than that l be
heved that the policy and means will
Z
we're disreputable to the nation, and I
stain upon civilization and that the,
would not only fail to restore the Union
If indeed they had not already rendered
its restoration impossible, but that thei
tendency was to subyert the institution
under which the country had realize,
unexampled prosperity aEds happiness
and to such q work | could not lend
hand.
While there may have been more o
. less of personal ambition mixed up i
the movement of secession-as ther
must generally be in the management c
Political sifAirs--yet l do not doubt ths
il was mainly determined by an hone:
conviction in the minds Of those who er
gagged in it that the control Of the Go-
ernment had passed permanently int
the hands of sectional party, whic
would soon trample on the politics
rights of the South. This apprehensio
was shared in By very large portion
/, the people who did not favor secessioI
and who were so anxious for the pre-
:. ervatiOn of the Union that even eoereiS
measures, if tempered by justice AT
- mercy, would not haze estranged theu
Under these circumstances the use
s. military force 70 put down armed resi-:
ance was not incompatible with rest
ration of the Union, with its former gl
ries and affections, provided the meal
were employed in such q manner as
convince the people that their constit
tional rights would be respected. SUI
q policy, therefore, in the use of force,
force must be resorted to, had the MAJ
fest advantage of weakening the pow
of the rebellion and strengthening {
to Government, independently Of the mor
iai force which dignity and justice alWa
J. lend to authority.
o. A policy which recognized these pr
are ciples was wisely declared by Congrc
,'s in the beginning Of the war; and from
- ferrent desire for the preservation of
''A Union, in which pride of country a
!, all my interests as citizen CENTER
not less than from 8 natural impulse
= gave that policy nv earnest suppo
!, Unfortunately il was 700 often cheat
NJ Of its due effect by the intrusion of s
tional rancor, and the injudicious or
ent faithful acts of agents of the Cove
ans ment; and when, at the expiration o
YER year, system of spoilation and disfr
less chissmeut was inaugurated, the ca
arss was robbed Of its sanctity, and succ
Ons. rendered more difficult Of attainment
You have in these few lines an exI