Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1861-12-26
The Emancipation Question in Congress.

Without waiting to receive the Message of
the 'sGcni or the rpnrts Of the Secretaries
without knowing wh"i policy had already been
adopted by the G'v,r"ment, aud was now in
operation. the Radicals of the two Houses of
Cungre,-, OF the first day Of the Session, pre-
cipitated biore both Chambers, the question of
Emancipation. The process. vas as logical "a
the ailemE itself was reasonable "Whereas."
the resolutions generally ran, Congress has no
power 10 emancpate slaves, resolved that our
Generals shall recruit them INTO the army. and
declare them free T. The mn scGaiiur i. Il.
apparent as II would be in fact if the procama-
ion Tor the negro allies were sounded. They
would not follow to the rall.
We ae vcarird with the per,inacity Of folk
Win which the iacliou, leaders, OF minority
attempt to force the dclusive and fatal policy
upon the country. We Shall no, argue the cues
,ioo "i right, for they heed mot right; nor OF
Tive Constitution, for they mock u, nor Of expe.
dency, for they are incapable OF understand
ing ".
But if Congress di>,ru.ts the power Of .hc
100000 white soldiers in arms in defence Of the
Constitution, and of the vast Navy Of tho Fed
era Government aud mus needs recrui, from
the black population, why not commence at the
North? Ifbacks are needed for soldiers, why
not marshall the fee blacks 20 the rescue, in.
stead Of attempting this tardy and circuitcus
method OF raIlying slaves to our standard -
There are 100000 free blacks in the Iowa
States. and an a,ny Of % geo m;eat' easily Ne
supplied from their numbers. To get the same
Free fable bodied mrn irom the slave popul.-
sc wnnlI hnvn IA t,ka II lnop
and support till he close Of the war, eight times
the number, counting wnmen, children, the
decrrpl aud incapable. The burden Of such
p"pnlation would be Immensely greater Than
that of any similar nnnber Of the most expensive
troops We now have even on the most cxtrava-
gant cStim.re.
| What will il cost to sustain y population Of
20H 600 slaves daring tho war, fed with daily
ra,ions as the "conIrahands'' at Fortress Mon
Zoe now are a.? The elements of tae calrnIa ion
are TO he 'onud N that experiment, and il j. in
the rover of The government TO give the results
also We venture to say that there never was
u body Of men, outside of the established
! A'ms Houses, 20 nnprodnc.vc md was.e'ul
and useless, a. the ahoers at Fortress Monroe
/ and their large dencndent families
We do not believe the people are rich enough
to support snch body Of pensioners, or that
the suf'.r ng citizens Of the North w;'! pa,ient'v
abide the i.lea tina, while the Government leave,
'hem TO their bitter fate Of hunger and cold. j,
l. manif"s,'pg Maternal Indulgence and heStowipg
lis ilHersl h"Untie. upon the vngrnn' population
at the Sou'h whom il has invited into id'rnrss.
| And then, when the negro class has sncl 81 It's
n.'ions from tho Tr"asnrv the mas'or class 10
10 have Is tun! How mnuv mi'i,ons will his
take. and who hu, the Northern latorer will
have to pay them?
VIII the Northern soldier stand, side bv side
it, the RANKS with he black fr.emnn? Irv II
Let the experiment he made with the soldiers
recruited from the black population Of the
! North. before we rush into the experiment Of :,
general levy OF troops at the s nth The
Northern negro. if freedom is an advantage. i,
the better man of the two, and is certainly he,-
ter educated. and disciplined. aud ,elf.reliaot
! What w0nid bc he tate Of a brigade ii blacks.
otlicarel by their own class, or even ~ whites.
and marghng "a bate WHet would he their
,i>cip'in, thclr tone, their cnu?agc and 10 wha'
extent would they elevate or Genrc.s the war-
/ 'Ir sentiment, and esprit de co,pS Of the Army
, fv" man can answer tn N. Fhe c"nntr' has
already answered lhcm Mt 8 State has sent
IA single hacs mau to the i,t,fcc Of the country
The Z vernnent has asked tor none, and viii
accept mnne. II is mere trick Of words a
! jelusion and f,'sehuod, to talk abcu. recruiting
/ uur s,m'.e from, such a source Reduced t.
lis real nearing, I e action ct Congress cones
10 thi,--an Invitation 10 the slaves to deSer, tbeil
masters, vita The promise that government vii
support and iree them If they d.. Behind thi.
invitation is the hidden inctement to servile in
surrectiou hut the tanotcs of Congress have
not ye, resolved that snprra,aI !oly and crime
into words. They hope that the 1,lie, ear o
tic negro will catch the thought ere it is ey
pressed in words, and that he will hrstcn 10 tn,
lines of our army and seek his promi. ed reward
with the blood OF his master aud mistress anC
children dripping IRON his knife ; and those WIN,
have not toned up their minds To this expecta
lion, hope at least that The fear of such an ia.
pending horror may drive the South ino sub
mission.
II is but new de'usion. another sequence il
that long line Of fallucies, which unicrratin!
the energies aud tho power Of cur adverssries
has led ~ from One error TO another. IN q lon!
career Of disappon,meuls and calamites.--N
Y. Argus
: ARREST Of FUGInvrs.- Wa.h;ngo,
correspondent of the New York Express com