The National tribune., 1909-09-09

GEN. DON CARLOS BUELL..
first, and for days the two forces
marched sometimes within sight of each
other, with Buell. steadily forbidding
anything that would be likely to bring
lon an engagement. His subordinate
commanders and the men wanted to
fight, but they were held in leash by
Buell's express orders. Thus they raced
across Tennessee and Kentucky, and
| thus Bragg moved to Frankfort to gath
er in the spoils of the rich Blue Grass
region. beat up recruits and install the
iConfederate Government of Kentucky.
He was quite as unsuccessful in gath
ering recruits in Kentucky as Lee had
been in Maryland, and for the same
reason. All those who had tlt:. courage
of their Secession convictions had long
ago Joined the Confederate army, and,
| like Lee. Bragg lost more men by de-
sertion than he gained by recruiting.
| The ceremony of installing the Sc
ceSsion Government was rudely inter-
rupted by the battle of Perryville,
brought on against Buelrs wishes in an
attempt to secure stream of water for
the thirsty men. The army's disgust at
the long, hard march and the constant
refusal To give battle had much to do
with McCooks bringing on a fight at
a leaf from McClellans book, and tho
he was within two miles of where the
battle was raging, he held all the rest
of the army back. preventing them
| from going to McCook's assistance, and
allowing him to fight out a combat of
exceeding fierceness against the whole
of Bragg's army. Buell. pretended that
he had no idea that a battle was going
on, which statement was received with
natural incredulity by everyone. A
Commanding General especially in the
presence of the enemy, is supposed to
know every hour all that is happening
! in his immediate front, and certainly
the volume of the cannonade must have
carried some meaning to all listening
ears. Buell. was summarily removed
after the battle, and the command Of
Ifered to Gen. Thomas, who refused il.
Then it was offered and accepted by w.
S. Rosecrans, whose laurels won at
Iuka and Corinth were the brightest of
iany other Generals OF the moment.
All these momentous events pivoted
naturally and inevitably upon President
Lincoln, who, perplexed to the last de-
gree as to the military situation around
him, had, in addition, to give the last
word and take the responsibility for
the swift-moving events in every part
of the country.
The Slavery Issue.
In the midst of this wild swirl of gil
gantic battles, thru this maelstrom of
hundreds of thousands of armed men,
fighting to the death for the perpetuity
of the Union, the slavery question ragged
with daily growing intensity. The rad
ical Abolitionists OF the North and the
equally fanatical slavery worshipers of
the Border and Middle States seemed
to be able to think of nothing, amid all
this clash of arms and the myrads of
men dying on the battiefields, but the
leternal negro. The radical Abolition
lists cared much less for the re-estab-
lishment of the Union than for the de-
lstruction of slavery, and their oppo-
nents cared great deal more for slav-
lery than for the preservation of the
Union. Neither could be made to un-
derstand that the logic of war was
Iswiftly destroying slavery.
In the midst of the avalanche of mil
itary events demanding the intensely
anxious thought of the President, the
radical Abolitionists were shrieking
Iarouhd him to abolish slavery, and the
radical Slavery men We're bowling as
Ifiercely at any act of war that seemed
to threaten the sacred institution. Meth
ler could be made to forget for an in
lstant their narrow fanaticism in the
midst of the most terrific disasters to
our armies. The halls of Congress were
sounding with the harangues of one
side or the other even at the time when
the victorious Confederate legions were
in sight of the National Capitol. The
cruelty haraSsed President, in spite of
everything, was conducting his policy
in accordance with the promises he had
made on the day OF his Inauguration.
He was keeping faith with the people
to the strictest letter OF his pledges not
10 interfere with the domestic insutu-
TONS OF the South except where the
facts of those npnnIa thaunceluac n.
Interference military necessity This
was not only due To his pledges, but II
was due 10 the Democrats who had SO
lsplendidly rallied TO the defense of the
Union, and who had been particularly
promised that the war should only be
prosecuted for the restoration of the
lpower and authority of the Government
II was also matter Of the highest pol
icy in holding the very. important Bor-
der states true 10 the Union.
There was madness among these
people with regard TO slavery which IL
Is impossible to comprehend in the full
light of this 10th century's day of civil
ization. Madness tho il was. It had Ia
De carefully considered, for IL was the
most important factor in deciding the
issue. Lincoln saw clearly that no mat.
; ter what was done the war would put
an end 10 slavery, and he tried hard
TO get the Border States TO recognize
. N''''- 'N''N 49, ~ 'iHaiiNipdilOIIs Will pay
,, ment out of the National Treasury TO,
their negros. With a folly which il is
absolutely impossible to comprehend to.
day they stubbornly refused this, and
in the end lost their negros without
any compensation.
Emancipation in Congress.
Immediately upon its assembling II
! December, 1861, Congress began tht
discussion OF the slavery question, and
: among others a bill was introduced tc
abolish slavery in the District of Co
: lumbia. with the payment to the own.
ers of 5000 each for the negros freed
The Senator's from Delaware. West Vir.
ginia, Kentucky and California fough
5 the bill, but II passed the Senate, wen
, to the House. where 1t was rancorously
. opposed by Vallandigham and Sunse
: Cox, Of Ohio, and most of the Repre-
sentatives from the Border States. i
} passed, however, and was signed by tht
, President April 16, 1862 A bill to Civ,
2 aid TO the Shareholders In Delaware
Maryland, West Virginia. Kentucky and