The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1864-01-14
w Ey kkaVe we TO Peace "a
Voice from the Army
From the Chicago Times.

[The following observations are from a
Captain i'll the 10th Regiment Illinois
Volunteers.
Why have we no peace? This question
doubtless presents itself to the mind Of
the American citizen more frequently than
any other Why should it? First. be-
cause peace, and, with this, our former
prosperity and happiness, is more desirable
than anything else. Secondly, because
VIXEN this war was begun, without reason
or reflection, the people North and South
were everywhere told that it would be
erded in sixty days, or six months at far
thest. Believing this then. and promise
after promise having been made that it
would soon close, and three wears having
rolled into eternity. and the war, instead
OF beng closed. having assumed constantly
more colossal proportions, and new diff
culties and complications constantly ari-
sing, it is no wonder. that this que.ton
comes horelessly, Yer spontaneously, al
NEST hourly, to the lips of every lover Of
his home, friends and county: Why have
We no peace? Why does this cruel war
still rage sweeping away QUE friends. oul
homes and our ultimate confidence in our
ability to maintain a free government
There ale several powerful and cocent
reasons for it. The first is that there are
more corruption ami partnership at the
bottom Of j. than there are Of honesty and
patriotism. The leaders of rhe reorlc,
whom with criminal blindness. they follow
are set cf ''ev;l men and seducels. who
wax worse and worse dece;ying and being
deceived This applies with equal force
to Norti, and South.
When war might have been honorably
aver ed, in the winter of 1860, by the just
and humane measures proposed by the
venerable and patriotic Crittenden, tie
noble and gallant Douglas. by the 'Bor-
der State propositions, the Pcopie were
ciamcrous for the application Of the rene
dy, and they were right, erery p, h.c.
was in f4vor Of the adoption of some vne
ot these measures to save great country
Only fanatics opposed it, yet these corrupt
leaders. such as Sumner oi Na.saelusett
1f I fN
vote for any Of these remedies, abolition
lists al voting against. and, Ike the inhu-
man Chandler, Of Michigan. called for
blood letting" being careful. however. to
sore tier own bad blood. These measures
were defeated, and the poor, miserable peo-
pie. who only week before had prayed
and implored their adoption, now fell into
cileSsly murdered their country. Troops
were called out, and the war began by
rebels firing into the Star of the West and
+ rt Sumter Then it was said, ''Chastise
the rebels" Suppress he rebellion" Ev
cry call for trocps was responded to by
the people with alacrlty; but when final
success was within cur grasp,-when the
southern people were divided AMI the nor
thern people united and powerful, and re-
cruting progressing tavcrabiy the Pres
lent's notorious proclamation of Sept
-, 1862, fell like clap Of thunder on 1t
bright day, upon the American people
The South became unit Those who
before. opposed openly rebellion, at once
gave it their hearty and full support
Kentucky ard other border slave States
sent ten thousand more mea into the field
to fight. as they believed, for their right.
The rebellion was greatly strengthened.
How in The North? Recruiting stopped
the people said, "if this is to be war to
free negroes instead Of to restore The su
premacy Of the broken ani violated laws
we are not interested in it." A strong
peace party at once sprung up. Our unity
was gone; theirs established.
This state of affairs was soon discovered
at Washington; but, rather than to have
she vii! of TIC people honored that REBEL
i'm mi ght be suppressed, this suicidal
course was rerseveid II. Our troops We c
soon driven from Nashville to Louisville
1t was found necessary to procure more
men. They would not new volunteer to
fight under the partisan policy OF the al
ministration What was to be done?--
Draft them, was the only recourse left.
The foregoing facts form the basis OF
the necessity for drafting American citi-
zens. How has the draft worked How
many men have been sent to the field by
'conscription" Not one fourth SO man,
AS the proclamation OF the President sen.
into the rebel army. The policy stands to
day unchanged, and still produces its own
legitimate fruits. The leaders are wrong
corrupt, and mere attached to their par