Rebellion
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Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would
consider their latter end! How should one chase a thousand, and two
put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the
Lord had shut them up?”
There are generals in the army who are wholly devoted and seek
to do all they can to stop this dreadful Rebellion and unnatural war.
But most of the officers and leading men have a selfish purpose of
their own to serve. Each is looking for gain from his own quarter, and
many of the true, whole-hearted soldiers are becoming fainthearted and
discouraged. They nobly perform their part when in an engagement
with the enemy, but the treatment which they receive from their own
officers is brutal. Among the soldiers there are men that have fine
feelings and independence of spirit. They have never been accustomed
to mingling with so degraded a class of men as war brings together,
and being tyrannized over and abused, and treated like brutes. It is very
hard for them to endure all this. Many officers have brutal passions,
and as they are placed in authority they have good opportunity to
act out their brutal natures. They tyrannize over those under them as
Southern masters tyrannize over their slaves. These things will make
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it difficult to procure men for the army.
In some cases when generals have been in most terrible conflict,
where their men have fallen like rain, a reinforcement at the right time
would have given them a victory. But other generals cared nothing
how many lives were lost, and rather than come to the help of those
in an engagement, as though their interests were one, they withheld
the necessary aid, fearing that their brother general would receive the
honor of successfully repulsing the enemy. Through envy and jealousy
they have even exulted to see the enemy gain the victory and repulse
Union men. Southern men possess a hellish spirit in this Rebellion, but
Northern men are not clear. Many of them possess a selfish jealousy,
fearing that others will obtain honors and be exalted above themselves.
Oh, how many thousands of lives have been sacrificed on this account!
Those of other nations who have conducted war have had but one
interest. With a disinterested zeal they have moved on to conquer or
to die. Leading men in the Revolution acted unitedly, with zeal, and
by that means they gained their independence. But men now act like
demons instead of human beings.