The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1864-04-30
,unEcIIITY AT WASHINGTON.

late review Of the administration, lnstiA
tute comparison between the adminis'
tration CT I.incoln and that OF JEFF. Davis,
(hishly favorable to the latter,) and says,
in conclusion:
The life Of the nation Is being destroy
ed by the incurabic consumption of c1N-
TRIAL IMBEciLlTy.' ,.-
Who knows better .han Beecher? Take
survey of the situation and tel: US II
the assertion of Beecher is not verified
every day; and all for the suicidal purpose
of carrying out Lincoln's rule or ruin
policy OF reconstruction with the pur-
pose Of manufacturing electoral votes to
secure hi. reelection. Look at Olustee,
where our gallant soldiers met with such
a terribls disaster, while opening field
for Major Hay to reconstruct Florida
and get e. three ELECTORAL votes Tor Lin
coin Look at Tennessee, where Forrest =
rebel raiders, freebooters, and cut-throats
have been laying waste one end OF the
state, while Johnson, and few OF the
other end, within the Notifications Of
Knoxville, demonstrating with an eve
to obtaining the ten or twelve electoral
votes of Tennessee for lincoln for the sue
cession. And how has it been in Ark an
sas, where cur western troops have been
enca!apei around Little Rock for months
TO let the work Of = reconstruction go on
by the lloyd tenth while Price, with large
rebel army lay at AIkade!phin, within
hearing of cur guns. 80 in Louisiana,
where the same suicidal policy has just
cost us another two or three thousand
brave men, to say nothing Of the moral
damage of such fearful disaster Sher-
man. who aimed to strike an eiieciual blow
at the heart Of the confederacy Was COM
PEELED to CounterriaIch because Banks
failed 20 co operate, not having as was the
calculation. got along far enough in time
with mis- wild goose operations OF recon-
structon' in western Louisiona
yow this whole recons;ructian policy
IS the dlsst as well rs most criminal Of
policies 1t involves the zcccssity Of takih 8
and holding a dozen or two Of prominent
positions in every rebel stale proposed TO
DO Reconstructed, and TO do which in
order TO prevent fr,tterinc away the whole
aruy ia outposts, the forces placed at ,hesc
points are compelled to be SO small that
they offer the rebels an irresis: ole tetnpta.
ton 20 gohble them up, as they did at
Union Ciy, Fort Pillow, and recently NJ
Plymouth, y. &.
j, it possible that there can Us in high
position in our government. man still 50
hope!essy deIucnted, as not TO see. after
the dire experience OF the last tive years,
that all talk OF reconstruction Is the
idlest folly until the rebel armies are sub
dueo There caa be no peace and re.
cancellation within any part OF the terrific
~ claimed 6v the confederacy, unit! the
parties /, this wa. shall either De ;Eatut-
ally exhausted or one of them has game d
such deceive military advantages that il
can dictate terms TO the ether IN the
present balancing Of advantages, han
( there is still at least roam for doubt whsih
/ er the ultimate victory will be With the
( federals or the rebels, and while they are
apparently boyant and confident, VIVA.
madness to imagine that Florida, or Loui
siana, or Arkansas, or even Tennessee can
be RECONSTRUCTED and allowed TO move
on peacefully short of keeping on army Of
occupatien of $4,000 men in each.
The first business in hand - Ia defeat
the armies Of Lee and Johnson. 70 ,a.-
| all the er'er gics OF the nation shcI!. De
directed, axd to this work the whole
army should be concentrated Except .
sufficient force along the Mississippi to
keep the river open, and sufficient force
to hold Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga
and few other strtegic pOints Of inpor-
lance. not another man should be wasted
/ The whole Western Louisiana and Arkan'
/ sas c.npaicn-t the whole Texas movement
the Florida, rnd North Carolina Except
for blockade rurposes) movements are all
wasting of strength for no ina inaLle OBJ
iect /. the world except the Presidents in
sane project Of - reconstruction TO make
electoral votes.