Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-01-14
Arkansas. the Emancipation Pro'
elamation and the conservative"
Party.

We nave now thc uifctt WoNthohy vi 81
man who was recently an officer of high
grade in the rebel army, upon two I'M
portant subjects,-the effect OF the email
cipation proclamation, and the influence
of northern so-called " conservatism. ="
This testimony, coming from such a
source, is worthy of attentive considera-
ton by all, and we especially commend
IL as an excellent thing for copperhead
digestion. The witness is Gen. CAN'T OF
Arkansas. Having been prominent
rebel, he can hardly be accused Of any
original tendency TO 'aboiitionism.' Hav-
ing. become staunch and genuine tsiioH
mar, with no original prejudice agaisst
slavery or bias in favor OF the presest
administration at Washington, his opin-
ion concerning parties at the north
should BE considered as derived from
view Of what will quickest and best
promote the restoration of the Union.
1t may be remarked by the way that
Gen. CAN'T has had some experience Of
the encouragement given by those pecu-
liar Union" men at the north, called cop
perheads, to southern men to repent of
their treason and return to their allegi-
ance. Gen. CAN'T repen,ed and issued
an appeal to the people of Arkansas to
return with him to the old flag, Loyal
men rejoiced over his repentance, Cop
perheads assailed him as an Office
seeker. That is their manner of well
coming back the prodigal sons Of the
Union. al a speech made q few days
ago in Cincinnati, Gen. CAN'T said:
81 desired that my appeals might
reach the hearts of my fellow citizens
And | know that my words did reach
soldiers in Mr. Prices 1--WE call him Mr.
Price in Arkansas) army, and had their
effect. They reached, too, beyond Mr.
Prices army and have had many let
tiers from Union men among the rebels.
assuring me that my words had brought
TO them bright ray of hope in the flu
ture, and had nerved than with comfort
and courage And they cali upon me,
on every hand, to pursue the course |
have started in. And | shall pursue it,
my friends. Then, when |
spoke through that letter, there was
raised against me, by the Copperheads
of the North, cry that did it with
view to office But told them, as |
now tell you, that | would not accept
any office or emolument which is in the
power of the people or their President to
give. wanted only to see peace restor-
ed to my people"
II was in this speech that Gen. CAN'T
uttered his testimony concerning the eff
feet of the proclamation of emancipa-
ton He said;
1--WE waited long and patiently for our
recognition by foreign powers. But, in
stead of that came Lincoln's proclama-
ton of emancipation Prolonged APP
plause.l don't think the vast impor-
lance of that measure was fully under
stood, either by the people or the Presi-
dent himself, when it was issued We
of the South certainly did not fully or
nearly appreciate it. But first came his
notice, and at this we laughed. What
said we, has Lincoln or his government
to do with us, that he sends us his no
tice Let him try it on and see what
good it will do him. Sure enough, the
famous emancipation proclamation was
issued. But still we laughed. What
does his proclamation amount to? said
we. Our government doesn't ratify it ;
il doesn't affect our Constitution. But
armies had been raised, and under the
old flag the legions of the North and
West bore down upon us, and ther
brought with them--the proclamation !
TCheers. We called them Lincoln's
hordes, but with their appearance the
manacles fell from off our slaves, and
they were free. We in the interior saw
this result along the rivers, and we pit
led our friends who were thus feeling
the effects of the proclamation but we
soon felt the same trouble, and we
laughed no more on that subject. And
here let me express my belief that God
Almighty intended this war to be the
death blow to slavery From the first
we can trace circumstances and signals
which point Enthusiastically to this fact
Every circumstance in this rebellion
shows struggle in the nature of things
to free the nation from the blight of this
curse. And we will throw it off and be
more homogeneous and united people
than ever before The people of the
South did not understand this at first,
but they are beginning to learn it, and
to see the philosophy of events. Many
of us see it now, and desire the evil up
rooted forever"
And he spoke as follows concerning
the good work done (for rebeldom) by
the Northern peace democracy"
II believe this war is nearly ended.
believe that if certain men in the North
will stop talking about peace and con-
servatism, and use every effort in sup
port Of the war, that the rebellion will
be so pushed as to collapse by spring
time. You would think, if you visited
us in Arkansas, that the seat of Adolf
tionism had been transferred from New
England to Arkansas. Our people have
q right, God knows, to be sick of slavery,
and they are sick of it. Oh SO sick. They
can point to desolated homes, devastated
fields, forsaken firesides, and smoking
villages, as a monument of slavery
They turn from il with lOathino indie