Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-11-23
THE CoNTRABAND QUESTION.


The institution bad and dangerous one. They
never become so confident and eager or SO
much in earnest as when set at work by llIs
disposition That slavery is bad aud dan
gerous institution is plain enough 10 every
careful observer We all understand very
vol that il is the main cause of our national
troubles that it bred and trained the poll-
clans who have so recklessly undertakes 70 e-
strov the republic, and that it has not IN any
respect merited public favor 1t Is clieny
among northern Unionists that We find these
singularly behaved patriots. In most cases 1t
is impossible to question the sincerity OF their
patriotsm. They are Union men, but they
can not lay aside that old style OF politics
which has caused so much evil These PEG
ple are much to blame and they will Mt length
BEE it, 1t is not necessary 10 become wild
with extreme views of any question in order
to shun their bad example.
The New York Evening Post states that
when Gen. Fremont issued his proclamation
coniscating and setting free the slaves OF reb-
els in Missouri, the gallant and undetermined
ed III Cincinnati what he thought of IT, at
is right" said he promptly, " the man W ho r.
bells against this government has no right to
own anything" The union men in Missouri
applauded that proclamation, and, i'll Kentucky,
Prentice OF the Louisville journal represent
ed a very prevalent sentiment when he took
the same view OF it that had been expressed by
Andrew johnson, and warned the Kentucky
rebels that similar fate was in store for them,
ard urged them to avoid itby timel, repentance
and reformation. And why should there not
be approval of the policy OF contiscating the
slaves OF traitors What is slavery that it
should not be touched by the ayenging hand
of confscation When a rebel is stripped
OF all his other property, why should his
slaves be excepted 1t is much easier to
speak against Fremonts proclamation than 10
answer these questions
The belief that it will often be found neces-
sary to strike at slavery in order to hit the
rebellion is gaining strength everywhere, and
quite as rapidly among the Union men Of the
slave states as anywhere else. 1t is spreading
in the army. and some Of the utteranceS OF
army officers have drawn considerable atteu-
ton. The speeches of Col. john Cochrane
and Mr. Cameron, delivered at Washington,
the other day, have been circulated in Ken
lucky, and the Frankfort Commonwealth, one
of the Oldest and most influential papers in
that stale, speaks ON the subject as follows -;
''The policy indicated by Mr.. Cochrane is
exactly right, and in accordance with the
usage OF civilized warfare. We hope 10 see
it adopted by the government. II should have
been at first. Had it been, many lives Of loyal
citizens would have been saved, that were lost
through the anomalous conduct OF tine govern
ment toward traitors in arms. Since the COM
mencement OF this most unnatural war it has
been safer to be a rebel than to be loyal 10 the
government. The extreme punishment OF
treason has thus far been an cath OF allegl-
ance,' which rebel will lake with as much
sang JfOid as he would gln cocktail.
Why should not not the slaves OF traitors in
arms be contiscated TO the of the goyeII-
ment? The Democrat will hot deny that
slaves are property as clearly 80 as are
mules. Is it right aud proper 10 contscate
a mule, and put it 10 hauling transporla-
ton If it is, why is it not equally right and
proper 10 confscate a slave Tor a driver
of that mule Both are property and both
are employed by the rebels in their at
tempt TO destroy this government. We
believe in fighting the devil with fire
The rebels employ armed negroes, armed
savages they resort 10 all sorts Of base
means, even TO piracy on the high seas. They
poison wells, and when they can-as at Guy
andotte-they resort TO assassination. 1t Is
all stuff to talk about fighting such an enemy
OH Ina h4p
trying the experiment some eight months,
with Indifferent success. Ii we meet rattle
snake in our path, we mash his head II we
can Let this barbarous rebellion be crushed
out. We care not how, so il be done quickly.
The Boston Journal, the other day, stated
that the "drift oi the ola democrats is toward
such. views as those expressed By John
Cochrane. This very true of many old dem
ocrats, and an explanation OF the fact may be
found in their political training. Since the
time of Andrew jackson the democratic party
has been very positive and aggressive i'll its
movements. 1t has invariably managed to put
its opponents on the defensive; sometimes by
superior strategy, sometimes by tie force OF
amazing audacity, and always by virtue Of its
positive character ana It's IdOlt OF steering ilght
onward to the accomplishment OF its purposes.
Men trained in such "A school are much less
likely to engage in the gymnastics OF lodging
and dawdling, in their treatment OF great ques
tions, than those trained in the opposite school
1t is therefore not surprising to US that prom
inent democrats in the volunteer service, who
are honestly and earnestly fighting treason and
rebellion, are moved to strike at slavery as the
principal cause and support OF the attempt OF
traitors TO destroy the government. Those
whom the tactics OF the democratic party have
kept lodging and apologizing all their lives,
may hesitate, waver, and seem incapable CT
downright action on either side OF the ques-
ton, but the "old democrats" 10 whom the
Boston Journal refers have not been trained to
act in that way, bur, on the contrary, astonish
their old opponents by the directness and force
with which they Gan chit the nail on the
head"
The VOLUNTEER CAvALRY.-The war de-
partment will accept no more regiments of
cavalry, and an order for raising third regi-
ment in Wisconsin has been revoked. Besides
various detached companies and squadrons,
50, are now hity full regiments OF volunteer
low, u"iaed among the states as fol-
New wv Do's IL regiments, Pennsylvania Z,