The national Republican., 1861-12-05
KNANc1PAr1oN-THE MILITARY VIEW

paid to anonymous communications.
KNANCIPArI0N-THE MILITARY VIEW.
Whatever diversity of opinion may exis,
among loyal citizens, in respect to the emsuci.
patton Of slaves per Sc, there Is substantially
none as to the propriety and necessity Of deal
ing with the slave property Of the rebels just
as with all other property Of the rebels, aud OF
making no difference In the treatment OF the
people in the rebelious States, founded upon
distinctions of color. or Of condition as slaves,
or free. If any Of them choose to come within
our lines as friends, they are not to be rejected
because they are not freemen, and In respect
to seizure and appropriation. there is to be no
more scrupie in the case Of the slaves, than In
the case of the horses and mules, of the rebels.
Public opinion upon these points is well made
up, and indeed was 50 as long ago as the extra
session Of Congress Of last summer, In the legis-
lation Of which, nearly all these ideas are en-
bodied.
There has been u great advance from the
old ideas which invested slave property with
superstitious sauctity beyond all other forms
of property When Lieutenant Semmes, CON-
to their rebel owners seven slaves who escaped
to him, we stood almost alone, for weeks, 10
condemnipg the act Col. Dimmick, then com
manding at Fortress Monroe, did the same
thing, with scarcely any rebuke from the press.
The world has visibly moved since that time.
In this connection, we refer to q speech ol
Judge Cowles. (given on the Iside,) exhibit
ing the principles under the avowsl of which
Mr.. Opdyke has just been elected mayor of the
city OF New York.
But while 1t Is thus true that public opinion
is now sound und substantially unanimous, in
respect to the treatment of slaves in the mill
tary point Of view, it is slso lameniaby true
that the conduct OF many the ufiiC T. the
army In surrender ng slaves has been shameful,
and that the conduct of some of them contiLues
to be 80.
There Is no evidence that the Administration
is responsible for the conduct of officers to
which We refer and certainly not otherwise
than in being too lenient in di-countenancng
aud Furnishing it. All the orders which have
emanated from the Cabinet, which have beer
made public, have been framed upon substan
TALLY correct principles, commencing will
those given to Gen. Butler at Fortress Monroe
and terminating with the order given to Gen
Sherman when he sailed to Port Royal. Ncl
is there the slightest reason to suppose thai
any orders on this subject, not published, have
emsnated from the Cabinet inconsistent with
the orders which have been published. The
difficulty seems to be-, hot 10 bring The Execu.
tive political authority here up to the true
standard, but to wesn the military authorities
from their old errors. And this will appear
less remarkable, when it is considered how
exclusively q Southern institution the regular
army of the United States has been for gen.
GRAFTON.
The views Of the Secretary of War are 80 well
known that it is not necessary to recapitulate
them. In reference to the secretary of the
Navy the New York Evening Post Of last Mon
day rays:
I'VE know that several months ago a naval
officer, stationed near Fortress Monroe, was
Of black fugitives from the enemy on board his
ship. He sent messenger post. haste 10 Wash.
ington, 10 inform the Secretary of the Navy of
the fact, and ask what he should do. The reply
given by Mr.. Welles was, in substance, this: III
you succeed In capturing any Of the enemy
send your prisoners 10 Washington. II friendly
persons escape to your ship from the enemy I
lines, you will either employ them on board
your ship, If you need their services, or send
them ashore within our lines. No difference
is TO be recognized between white men and
black men, in the effort to suppress this rebel
lion.' This Is taking the right direction, and ii
the Government pursues the policy indicated
1t will end the rebellion before January"
The officers OF the navy have generally CON
formed to these instructions. The exception,
which We have happened to know are, however
few, and none OF them have occurred recently
We have no doubt that the views here as
eribed to the Secretary of the Navy, harmon
iziDg as they do with his reputation as
straightforward Republican statesman, are thos,
which have steadily governed him.
With these two Secretaries controlling ou
military and naval operations, we may hopeful
conclude that the deviations of subordinat
officers OF the army and navy, from sound prir
ciplss in the treatment of slaves, will becom
less and less frequent.