The Portland daily press., 1864-10-10
Monday Morning, Oct. 10, 1864.
GEN. BUTLER ON THE REBELLION.
His Letter to Simon Cameron.
IDoRs. DEPARTMENT OF VA. AND

ADQRS. DEPARTMENT OF VA AND
N. Ca, IN The FIELD. Sept. 26, 1854
MY DEAR CAMERoN: You will deem me
most remss correspondent Ii you had
been enabled TO come here you would have
found much of interest ia answer to the ques-
ton: What OF the rebellion from your point
of view?
We have been lying in front of Lees army
now for four months, which have by no means
been spent in vain. From the examination of
thousands of prisoners and deserters, and ar
ticles in the Southern newspapers, am GER
tain that these have been months of depletion
to The Southern army; that the whole arms
bearing population OF the States within the
rebel lines have been exhausted in the effort
to recruit their forces, and the capability ii
not the will, to resistance is fast dwindling
away.
Ine Confederate Congress. in December
last, passed an act, the first section of which
is in these words: 1.-The Congress of the Con-
federate States do enact that all aohite resi-
dents OF the Confederate States between the
ages Of Seuenteen and fifty are in the service
OF the Confederate Stales."
The act then provides how farmers, mechan-
les and othersmay be detailed by military
authority to raise the provisions and do the
work for the army in the field.
What would our Democratic friends who
are SO blatant over "Lincoln's tyranny" say to
such draft as that on our side? would like
to see Governor Seymour's mild protest
against it. would not like to hear Voor-
hee's denunciations of it, for they would te
vulgar.
Now when / read in the Richm md papers
clamorous calls that the detailed men shall all
be put into the ranks, how can | doubt the
united testimony of deserters 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 re-
lance upon that result. Yet it is csrtain that
the means OF transporting provisions from
point to point by rail have given out, and the
railroads are becoming so crippled in their
equipment that it is impossible for them to
furnish the movement of men and supplies
necessary to the extensive military operations
required to meet our forces
Add to this the concurrent testimony of
prisoners, deserters and refugees, that the
rank and file of their armies are in the conf
dent expectation and belief in the promise of
their leaders, that this will be their last cam
paign, that the nominee of the Chicago Con-
vention will be elected in November, and that
the independence of the Confederate States
will be acknowledged and treaty of peace
concluded, and you have an imperfect synop-
SIS OF the reasons why believe the rebellion
lear 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 Southern leaders, aided
by the election of Gen. Mcclellan and the
Chicago Platform.
Here is the only danger, If danger, exists
at all. Therefore, whatever may have been
or may be the preferences of any man as 10
any person for the Chief Executive of the
nation, or dissatisfaction with the course of
fha EOVprnmQ0f m Of cd
ministration, yea, even in the important
points of administrative policy, as laid down
in the platform or foreshadoWed in its acts
It seems to me the plain duty of every loyal
man to support the election of Lincoln and
johnson.
The question now before the people is not
as TO the prepOndeTance or fitness of Mr.
Lincoln or General Mcclellan for the Presi-
dency. Admit that neither or either one or
the other is of himself the best man for the
place. What then? One must be elected,
No other result is possible We are then re-
mitted to the glass of political ideas which
each represents; and to what is still more i'm
portant, to the men and their affiliations by
whom each will be surrounded, aud controlled
In fact, and by whom his Administration will
beshaped in the event of election. Can it be
that any true man, especially any Andrew
jackson Democrat, can desire this govern
ment put into the hands of the Messrs Vallan-
digham, Woods, Seymour, Pendleton, Long,
Harris, VOORHEES,, and their surroundings,
North and South? Let US see what their plat
form and their candidates mean: The war is
to be carried on or it is not If not, then dis
graceful and dishon0rable peace, which will
be no peace, and which no true man wants
TO he the result. Or, II carried on, then both
platform and candidates are pledged to the dis
bandment OF two hundred thousand colored
men, now doing duty as soldiers or serving in
the army, their places to be supplied either by
volunteers, at an expense of hundreds Of mil
lions in bounties, or by draft, which is the
great ground OF complaint by tho opponents
of the Government.
Nay, more, ii either the Chicago Platform
or McCiellan's acceptance means ANYTHING,
these negroes are to be returned to their mas
tiers, to fight or labor on the other side. Does
any one doubt, if returned to their masters.
they would be at once sent into the rebel lines.
where alone such property has any value Z
Upon the theory of the Chicago Platform and
McClellan's constitutional rights of States"
think it would "exhaust the resources of
craftsmanship" to show why these men should
not be returned to their former masters, as
indeed. was the practice in Gen. McClelan's
army.
Still further, does not General Mcclellan
twice over in his letter and Platform promise
new constitutional guarantees to the rights OF
the South?
Is it possible that all these concessions are
to be forced from the North by secession at
the point of the bayonetY
mat which specially affects the mind OF the
9ih ana true Democracy of the country in the
6alihore Platform is its declaration as to
oiaVery' In the view l take of this question
IL seems unfortunate that such declaration
was maoe' as it proves stumbling block to
many.
Why not treat the Slavery question accord.
ing to the fact that Slavery dies and is huri-
ed wherever our armies march2 No noIi,icaI
action can aid, no resolutions of conIon.;oe
can hinder that result. The war. II nrasao,,
ted to the end, will accomplish all th.t ~
most ardent anti-slaVery man can desire ~
that If the war goes on TO the bitter end foy
the restoration of the Union, then Slavery s i
no more, and all declarations that the wa,
shall or shall not be carried on for the extinc
tion of Slavery are futile and worse than use
less. The war will extinguish Slavery whett
er we wish it or not Nay, it has extinguish
ed Slavery, by rendering the slave worthless
In Charleston, to-day, negro can be bough
for SO. 900 in Confederate money, which sell
for $50 for one in gold, making the value 0
tie negro 800. And this, too, with cotton a
81 Is per pound in New York. Before the
war the same negro would bring 81 600 Ii
gold, with cotton at 70 cents in New York.
Some different system of labor must be de
vised for the southern country in the future
and peace upon sny terms, even the acknowl
edgment of the ConfederacV cannot preven