The Express.
London, England, 1862-03-25 00:00:00

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LONDON, TUZSDAY, MARCH 25.

THE Houma of Representatives at Waahington
has approved President Lisooues proposal con-
cerning the gradual emancipation of slaves, by a
majority of nearly three to one. This is • very
remarkable fact. Many practised observers of
American politics had confidently predicted that
Mr. LINCOLN'. recommendation would not be so

much u entertained. Some said it would be
summarily rejected as pernicious intermeddling ;
others that it would be dismissed as ridiculously

inadequate : both had a ogrta'n colour of reason on
their side, but both are seen to have been wrong.
Perhaps it would be too much to suppose that the
House of Representatives sees its way clearly to
the full realization of the end. And it may be
supposed that some votes comprised in
the majority are little more than an ex-
pression of confidence in the man who, unlike
so many of his predecessors, asserts and increases
his ascendancy by the consistency of a simple and
sincere character. But by whatever reasons led,
the House of Representatives has committed itself
to • great aim. It has declared the extinction of
slavery to be a proper object of Federal policy.
This is an immense step in advance. We see the
Union returning to the great idea on which it was

founded, the ides of Human Right. Let the
United States persevere, and exalt this principle,
and they cannot but be great in the eyes of
the world. And there is no going back
from this resolution. It fixes the character

of the Federal Government. The fanatical
portion of the South can never forgive it. Their
friends in this country try to hide its real cha-
racter from themselves. Tbey lay that it is the ter-
tative commencement of a series of measures for

buying off the unconquerable South. But we ven-
ture to predict that the liaxegva and MARSHALLS
of Alabama and Misaisaippi will not be found of
this opinion. In truth, this proposition, although
aiming at the termination of the war, is eweentially
a part of a war policy. Apart from the military
success of the North. endangering their property,
we know of no motives which would induce the
owners of &laves to listen to the proposal to accept
pecuniary compensation for the liberation of their
human chattels. But whatever the fortune of
war, the North has taken ita side, and the great
question of Slavery has attained its due recogni-
tion in the Federal politics.
We noticed the other day another fact of
namely lase, although of less obvious importance.

The Washington Government has now sanctioned
the reception and the treatment as free men and
women, of from twelve to fifteen thousand Carolina
and Georgia negroes who were slaves the other day.
The case is this. When the fugitive and forsaken
slaves of the Carolina coast and islands threatened
to be an embarrassment to the Federal commanders,
military and naval, the Government despatched
Commissioners to Port Royal and the islands in
the possession of the Federal forces. These Com-
missioners were directed to examine into and
report upon the condition of the negroes,
and to private plans for the disposal of
them. One of these Commissioners, Mr. Pliers,
a Massachusetts lawyer, has presented a report
of gri..t value and interest. We have no room
here for even the slightest glance at the two
hundred plantations, and the twelve thousand re-
leased slaves. It must suffice that the men and
women are at work for wages and rations ; and
that the children are at school (and many of the
adults also); and that good people at the North
are sending them clothes and agricultural imple-
ments, and means of instruction in all ways, from
the improved Church services to the reform of
household management in the cabin. Our busi-
ness now is a :th the share of the Government in
the project. Mr. Pixel z's Report proposes a
scheme of industrial organization which fully re-
cognises the freedom of the negroes ; and the
Government has publicly and expressly sanctioned
the proposal. It directs that everything that is
wanted for the school education and industrial
training of the negroes shall be supplied
at its expense ; that not only food and clothes
shall he sent, but books, and teache-s, and
guardians, in any number considered desirable.
We road of one vessel conveying forty of these
missionaries of education, and many more were to
It might he confided to anybody's common sense
to say whether those twelve thousand negroes
could ever be made eaves of again ; but there is
a significant word to be said about that. The
Minister, Mr. Cu Ass—who speaks for the Govern-
ment on this matter—says, in his letter to the
Commissioners, that the object of Government is
to keep up the estates and people during the pre-
sent period of suspense ; but, in approving Mr.
Puttee's Report, the Government has sanctioned
a pledge which includes much more. Mr. Puttee
reports himself as having publicly assured the
assembled negroes that the Northern people would
so educste their children as that they would
be as well otf as the Whites, and that
the Northern people " would stand by them
" against their masters ever coming back to take
" them." The comment of the Government is
very striking. " Reposing great confidence," writes
Mr. CHASE to this gentleman, "in your intelli-
" genre, discretion, and benevolence, the depart-
" merit confides this important mission to you"
(the agency recommended by Mr. nuke), "with
" confident expectation of beneficent results."
From this scheme it is too late to draw back; and
we can aye as plainly as the wisest citizens of the
Republic that the only prudent and worthy course
for the Government and nation is to follow up

this beginning, train the negroes as hired labourers,
and render the estates thus more valuable than
ever before, making it a condition of restitution
to the landowners that they shall pay wages
henceforth to the labourers they employ. What-
ever the masters may choose to do, the men are
free, and the laws of nature and society ensure
their remaining so.