Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1864-01-07
Thursday Morning Jan. I
A Year Of the Proclamation.

The Journal gives retrospect Of the
events and occurrences since the break
ing out of the rebellion, and after sum-
ming up the events that preceded the
Proclamation-ho a series Of great bat
ties had been fought. in which, with but
few exceptions, we had been worsted, or
barely held our own. True We had cap
tured New Orleans, but all above
that point was still in possession of the
rebels. All these things had the effect
to make our prospects Of putting down
the rebellion not very fatterlng. Add
to this the insolent and confident air of
the rebels in arms, and their allies in our
midst-all these, and many other things,
made it necessary that something must
be done to change, if possible, this state
of affairs; and as the most feasible, the
President issues his Emancipation Pro
clamation after due notice.
And when the proclamation came,
timid and lukewarm Union men, rebel
sympathizers, and those whose political
creed, not yet unlearned, had taught
them that in order to be conservative
they must venerate African Slavery as
sacred thing, united in predicting the
most disastrous results. They said it
would still farther exasperate the rebels
that it would cause them to fight
with re-doubled vigor-that it would
dishearten and disgust the soldiers Of
the Union-that it was changing the
purpose Of the war for struggle to re-
store the Union to crusade against
slavery and the rights of the South, and
that the army would not fight for any
such purpose. They predicted moth
ing but disaster and confusion as the
consequence Of the proclamation.
A year under the proclamation has
passed. We have now enough of ex-
perience to Judge how well founded were
these pretended apprehensions. Not
only has the proclamation been enforced
wherever our arms have gone, but poll
CIV vet more radical, and at the begin
ming yet more zealously denounced, has
been adopted, viz the liberated slaves
have been armed md mustered into the
United States service as soldiers How
have the prophecies of evil been fulfilled?
During the first year of the proclamation
the first substantial blows have been
struck at the vitals of the rebellion. The
Mississippi has been opened and the re-
bellion severed into isolated parts Ten
nessee has been restored to our possess
sion, and the most important source of
supplies for the rebel army cut off, Ar
kans acid by the Union forces, and
the -Jple are preparing to return to
their allegiance. At Chattanooga we
hold the key to Georgia, and threaten
Charleston and Mobile in the rear. The
harbor of Charleston has been closed i
A Judgement in Texas has been effected,
and the contraband trade via Matamoras
checked. But one port remains by which
the rebels can hold even hazardous
communication with the world outside.
cf the population, of twelve millions
which the leaders of the rebellion claim
ed at The beginning, over one half are
already within the lines of the Union
army. No accession of enmity or des-
perate courage has been noticeable on the
part of the rebel leaders or their armies.
The armies of the Union have never
manifested greater devotion or more
sublime hcroism At the close of the
first year of the proclamation, we find a
unity of sentiment and confidence of sue
cess on the part of the loyal States hith-
erto unknown, while from every part of
the rebellious districts comes tidings of
exhaustion, suffering and failure. Star
walton stalks abroad in the rebel Capital,
while desperation and despair are plainly
evident in the message of the rebel Presi-
dent and the report of his minister of
finance. All fear of foreign intervention
is ended. The rebels themselves have
ceased to hope for it. And instead of
apprehension and dismay among our
friends in other countries, there is now
assured confidence, while the successes
of the past year have extorted respect
even from our enemies