Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1864-10-13
IMPORTANT LETTER FROM
GEN. BUTLER.
Hts VIEWS OF THE sITUA-
TtON.

& I1ON.
1 Headquarters Department of Vir-)
ginia and North Carolina,
La the Field, Sept. a6. J
4 MrDEAR CAMERON:
You will deem me q most re.
miss correspondent If you had
, been enabled to come here, you
Z would have found much of interest
In answer to the question, What oi
the rebellion from your point OF
yiew?"
j 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 articles in the Southern news
papers, 1 am certain that these have
been months of depletion to the
Southern army; that the whole arms
bearing population of the States with
in the rebel lines, have been exhaust
ed in the effort to recruit their forces,
and the capability if not the will to
resistance, is fast dwindling away.
The Confederate Congress in De-
cember last passed an Act, the first
section of which is in these words
1.-The Congress of the Confederate
States do enact. that all white resi-
dents OF the Confederate States, he
tween the ages of seventeen and fifty.
are In the service of the Confederate
4 States"
The act then provides how farmers,
mechanics, aud others, may be de-
tailed by military authority, to raise
the provisions ana do tie work for
the army in the field.
What would our Democratic friends,
wh6 ore so blatant over "Linc6ln's
tyranny" say to SUCH a draft as that
on our side? i would like to see
Governor Seymour's mild protest
against it. would not like to ieaf
Voofhees' denunciations it, for they
would be tulgar.
Now, when read in the Richmond
papers, clamorous calls that the de-
tailed men shall be all 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. = a.
Eeyer havinglbeen convert TO the
theory that the provisions at the
South would be readily exhausted, I
haFe not placed much reliance upon
that result Yet it is certain that
the means of transporting those
pr9yisions from point to point, by
rail have given out, and the rail
roads are becoming so crippled in
the equipment that it isimgossible for
them to. furnish the movement of men
and Supplies necessary to the exten-
sive military operation required to
meet our forces.
Add TO this the concurrent t. stimony
of prisoners; deserters and refugees,
that the rank and file of their armies
are in the confident expectation and
belief in the promise of their leaders,
that this will be their last campaign,
that the nominees of the Chicago
Convention will be elected in Novem-
Der, and that the independence of the
Confederate States will be acknoBl-
, edged, and treaty. Of peace be con-
! cluded, and You have an imperfect
synopsis of the reason why / believe
theIebellion near It's 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 General MeCleffatf aud
the Chicago platform. -,
Here is the only danger, if danger
exists at alt ""
Therefore whatever may have
been or may be the preferences Of
any man to any person for the Chief
Executive Of the nation, or dissatis-
faction with the course of the Gov
eminent upon matters Of mere adj
mmistration-yea. even in important
points of administering policy, as
laid down in the platform or fore
shadowed in its facts-it seems to me
the plain dirty Of every loyal man to
support the election of Lrcoin and
Johnson.
The Question row before the peo;
PIE Is not as to the prepohderance Of
fitness 6fMr. Lincoln or General Nc
Clellan for the Presidency. Admit
that neither or either one or the other
is of himself the best man for the
place What then2 One must be
elected No other results possible.
We are then remitted to the class of
political ideas which each represents;
and to what is still more important,
IT. the men and their affiliations by
whom each will be surrounded, and
controlled, IN fact, and by whom his
administration will be shaped In the
event of election. Can IL be THAT any
, true man, especially any andrew
: jackson Democrat, can desire this
' Government put into the hands o.
3 the Messrs. ValIandigham, Woods
: Seymour, Pendleton, Long, Harris
j Voorhees,, and their surroundings
= North ard Southf Let ms see whs
s their platform and their eandidate'
r. mean The war is to be carried OIL
!, or it is not; if not. then a. disgraeefu
/ and dishonorable peace. which vii
d be noapeace, and which no true mai
n wants. is to be- the result Or,
4 carried on, then both platform AM
i candidates are nledged ito the dis