The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1864-08-26
WHY GEN. BUELL., RETIRED FROM
THE ARMY.
His Views On the Present Policy of
the War. q
From the philade1nhia Age Aug. 6.

teres:ing in, this, that..it is the expression
of inner thought and mos, conscientious
convictions of tried and gallant soldier !;
and, as we believe and Gen Buell. hints, a
revelation, and unfolding as it were of the
real sympathy of the best soldiers how in
our service with the cause Of constitution
al liberty. There is not, in our judgment,
a regular officer, or disinterested volun-
teer, who looked into the crater - at
Petersburg and saw black and white SOL
d;ers mingled in iruitess carnage; there
is DO gallant man who from military
necessity" followed in Hunters train OF
desolation through Western Virginia, or
now watches the use ess Smelling of Charles
ton, who, in bis heart, does not feel pres
cisely as Gen; Buell. does. We thank him
for speaking cut SO boldly ID his couvic-
tons. This lettar was addressed TO a
friend, by whose permission we prins it
Bedford Springs, July 10.
"DEAR SIR-The public have seen no
official announcement of the fact-though
il is no doubt by this time very generally
known-that have resigned my commits
sion in the army. have several times
since been f:assured that my personal
friends, and many who, without any claim
of personal acquaintance have taken an
interest in my oflcial career, feel that
some explanation of the circumstances
and motives If my action is due to them
Accepting This claim upon me, have al
ready answered some of my friends in
substance as | do you now.
at is perhaps unnecessary to enter into
an exposition of the circumstances of my
supersedure in Tennessee in the fall of
1862, since the particulars, though not
without a certain value, involve interests
of my own with which it is not my wish
to weary you. AS far as the facts are con-
ce,ned, it will suffice for the present to say
that after the adjournment, about the lst
of May, 1863 Of the 'Commission" which
investigated my campaign, my correspon-
dence with the department was confined
to moLthly report made to the Adjutant
General tina. [ was waiting the action of
the War Department on the proceedings
Of that Commission; that about the first
week of April last, was offered command
under Gen. Sherman, my junior, which
declined that, month later, was again
offered command under Gen Candy, also
my junior, which declined that about
three weeks later, | received notification
that | was mustered out OF my rank as
MAJOR General of Volunteers, and that on
the same day, | sent in my resignation as
Colonel in the Adjutant Generals De
partment of the regular army.
"The impulses of mos, men would ap-
prove my course in this matter, if it even
rested on DO oFhcr ground than determi
nation not to acquiesce in any other meas
ure that would degrade me but l had a
higher motive than that. | believed that
the policy and means with which the war
was being prosecuted were discreditable
20 the nation and stain upon civilza-
ton; and that they would not only fail to
restore the Union, if indeed they had not
already rendered its restoration impossi-
bic, but lhat their tendency was TO subvert
the institute ms under which the country
had realized unexampled prosperity and
happiness and TO such work | could
not lend my hard.
While therefm may have been more or
less of personal ambition mixed up in the
Of accession, as there must gem
orally be in the management OF political
affairs, yet l do not doubt that it was
mainly determined by an honest convic
ton in the minds Of those who engaged in
it that the control Of the government bad
passed permanently into the hands of a
sectional party which would soon ,rampe
on the political rights of the south, This
was shared in by very
large portion Of tie people who did not
favor secession, and who were so anxious
for the preservation Of The Union that even
coercive measures, if tempered BIZ justice
and mercy, would not have estranged
them. Under these circumstances the
use of military force to put down armed
resistance was not Incompatible with a
of the Union with It's former
glories and affections, provided the means
were employed in such manner as to con-
vince the people that their constitutional
rights would be respected Such poll
cy, therefore, in the use Of force, if force
must be resorted to, had The manifest ad-
vantage of weakening the power of the re-
bellion and strengthening the government,
of the moral force which
dignity aud justice always lend to author
ty.
A policy which recognized these prin-
,iples was wisely declared by Congress in
he beginning OF The war and from FER
rent desire for the preservation Of the
Union, 10 which pride of country and all
nv interests as citizen concerned, not
ess than from a natural impulse, | gave
hat policy my earnest support. Unfor-
unateIy it was too often cheated Of its
Tue effect BY the intrusion of sectional
ancor, and the injudicious or unfaitbful
Icts of agents of the government and
when at the expiration of a year, system
# spoiation and acknowledgements was
the cause was robbed Of its
anc,ity, aud success rendered more DIFF
c9lt Of attainment.
You have, in these few lines an ex>
lanation of the motives of my conduct |
,hile | was in command, AS well as of the
tep which, after ,wenty-three years Of
8rvIee, has closed my career as soldier,
I'd broken up the professional habits and |
ssocations TO which was educated and |.
D which have passed The larger portion
{ my life. | am very far from casting