Year: 1864

I SOuIlOQ Oh tDe Y OulOB ny recognition OI TUE
| independence of the South.


! Such is the Interpretation which we soldiers,
! far away from strong partisan influences, are
prone to give to the medley of Inconsistencies
/ known as the Mcclellan platform. And with
| this Interpretation it seems to Us Il piece of
most insane folly. 1t is worse than folly, Il
is so far as it goes a humiliating confession
of our inability 10 maintain our Republican
Constitution and enforce the laws. 1t is a
shameful attempt to degrade great and free
people in the estimation of all civilized ma
tions. 1t is a base betrayal of all the blood
which has been poured out to preserve the in
tegrty of this country and thereby perp9tu-
ate its free institutions. 1t is q criminal DC
knoWledgment OF the justice of causeIess
rebellion against the freest and best govern
ment ever vouchsafed to man.


Of the nominee of this peace party we sol
diers have also opinion. However much
of the fabulous stories told By interested po-
liteal newspapers OF his popularity in the ar
my may have been true, il is certain that his
nomination as a pro-slavery peace candidate
for the Presidency has not incraased that pop
uIarity in the least Even those who have
been his blindest admirers and have stoutly
held out for him military man, are now
generally willing to confess that politically he
is laundering h1mbug. Tue gross incon-
sistences between tbs platform upon which be
was nominated aud the letter in which he ac-
cepts that nomination marks him in the minds
of all fair thinking men as a hypocritical deai-
! agoue, willing to obtain his ambitious ends at
any and ali sacrifices of principle. To politics,
as in religion, the trdth is undeHiabe that
no mao CAT at the same tine serve God and


Mammon Besides, the great crisis now upon
US is too plain and positive 10 its develope-
ments to permit of shufling and prevaricat
| ing course in regard TO the great issues OF the
day, The object and the tendencies of this


war are as plain aud unalterabie rs the Sun in
its course. No human agency can change
them. He who attempts to do so arrays him
self against the war aud the principles for
which it is waged


| This is a war for free institutions. Free
dom is its animating soul. All who sustain
it are friends of freedom, all wac oppose enc
mics. There can be no middle ground, Meth
er can any man lend his influence to more than


one side of the great question Mcclellan is
either for the a0ar as announced in his letter
of acceptance. or is opposed to it as proclaim
ed in the platform of his party. To declare
/ be is both, is to outrage common sense. He
cannot at the same time fully and heartily en-
dorse war and peace sentiments, and to at
tempt such a thing is the lowest grade Of po,
litica charlatanism. Its net results cannot be
otherwise than opposition to the war and NOR
al comfort 20 the rebels in arms. He that is
not for US is against u.s. Mcclellan is rot
| bo 10 MS for
utterly Inconsistent with hearty support of
| the war.


That the soldiers of this or any other army
are mad in their admiration for Mcclellan is
great mistake. On the contrary there is
hardly single prominent Major General now
| in the field for whom they do not manifest a
far more decided regard. To compare him to
Grant or Sherman in point Of either ability
or popularity would be to provoke a smile
| in nine cases out of ten. The general impress
| sion is that Mcclellan is man elevated by


the singular c ,nces and exigencies of Il great
crisis to position far above his proper level,


while the heroes of Vicksburg and Atlanta
have slowly and steadily won their way up


ward by that unobtrusive and genuine merit


which seldom gets above and cannot sink be-
,ow its proper equilibrium. Let the people


but endorse the verdict of the soldiers upon


tie peace party, platform and nominee in No


vember, and they will receive such an over


whelming defeat as will consign them to a


lasting aud meriled oblivion.





The army has returned to the vicinity OF


Atlanta ard is now enjoying season of rest.


The goth Army Corps still occupies the city


and suburbs Gen. Sherman has required all


the citizens to leave the place, and they are


rapidly emigrating either North or South.
This measure is hard military necessity, for


which the rebels themselves are responsible.
! These helpless people have been stripped OF
the means of subsistence by the rebel army


and are left upon Gen. Shermans hands sim
ply that be may have that many more mouths
} to feed. At the same time their friends are
doing all in their power TO destroy our com
muncations aud thus diminish our ability to
I subsst both them aud ourselves. They would


applaud the guerilla who shoots our guards
: aud burns our railroad bridges and at The
same time cry out against the inhumanity o
denying bread to starving women and chill
; dren. For some of the families residing here


this is the second or third emigration they
nave DeeQ COmpoiieI 10 iHdko OI IuO duVduc6
of our armies. Many of them came here (irm-
: ly believing, as they navey acknowledge tina
this point never could be- reached by our for
| ces l now write from neat comfortable
dwelling of a Mr.. Marsh, who formerly lveC
; in Chattanooga where he acquired large
T fortune Being leading and influential rebel
? he thought it prudent to abandon to its tate a
! large portion of his property aad with the res
idue fly from our approaching army aud
hunt more permanent and congenlaI home
] in the far South. He came here aud estao-
0 lished himself, thinking that the uneven teno
of rebellious ways would certainly meet witt
no interruption at so remote point. But
! THE best laid schemes of mice and men


Gang aft a gIey.


: and particularly the schemes of traitors. Ia
. morrow he goes to hunt another asylum with
r in the rebel lines aud good deal nearer tn
J. Gulf This time he leaves behind him the rem
e nant OF his fortune and goes almost pension
]. er upon the charity OF his friends He cot
: fesses TOO that he has now no assurance tina
# he will not be shortly again overtaken by ou
n audaciou4 columns and be made homeless
b and dependent captive. Such is the punish
J. ment overtal1ing those who have dared to Iii
le unholy hands against our just, free, and equ
a table G lvernment under the Constitution an