The national Republican., 1861-06-21
A COMPLAINING CORRESPONDENT

|
is given to the Administration in the following
communication, which it ought to follow, which
varies at all from the line ofipolcy Il has al.
ready announced, and is already acting upon.
1t refuses to surrender to rebel masters in sc.
ceded States, escaping slaves, and that is all
which our complaining spondent seems to
ask.
| As to the colonization of the negroes, we be.
lieve it to be wise, but it can only be authorized
| BY Congress.
As to the surrender Of slaves at Annapolis
by General Butler, it was the act Of that officer,
not Of the Administration. But we believe it
to have been correct in point of constitutional
principle, and have always defended it. 1t was
| no surrender of slaves to "rebel masters in
arms" Nobody was in arms agninst the Gov.
eminent at Annapolis, and there has never been
a day when that was not loyal city. Neither
had Maryland seeded from the Union.
If we treat seeded and non seeded States
in the same way what inducement is there to
be loyal? .r q 49,. - yuF .a
If Shareholders who adhere to the Union are
to fare no better than those who turn traitors,
what is to restrain any of them from turning
traitors9 Nay, more, if States which adhere to
the Union are despoiled of their slaves, con.
rary to the guarantees of the Constitution, have
they not very great justification for going into
rebellion2
tits easy to End fault, but we abide by the
opinion, that the policy Of the Administration
in respect to escaped slaves, as expressed in
General Cameron's memorable letter to Gen.
eral Butler, and which letter may well be as.
sumed to have been critically considered by the
President and the whole Cabinet, was exactly
right, not only in what it decided, but in what
it postponed for a future decision.
1t simply directed the non-delivery of slaves
escaping into our lines within the seeded re-
gion, without holding out any promises to the
slaves which could be complained Of as stmu-
lating them to run away, and without any com.
mitments as to their future disposition, which
would fetter the discretion of the Legislative
power ofthe Congress which is about to assemble.
This letter Of General Cameron was, in short,
decisive, where it ought to have been decisive,
and prudent and reserved, where those chsrac.
terstics we're required. fit could be improved
upon, we are at loss to know in what par.
ticular.
For tho National Republican.
AN OPINION FOR THE ADMINIsTRA.
... TON. ,n
The correspondent Of the New York Tribune
writes from this city, that ian expression of
opinion from the country is needed for the guild
Al L., " Il
as to what shall be done with the slaves of
rebels, who are focking to the camps Of our
troops.
Now, l am not only Union man, but an
ardent supporter of the Administration still, l
agree most fully with the Tribune correspon.
dent, that the Administration does need an er
preston Of opinion from the country, not only
on this, but also on several other equally i'm.
portant subjects; and, as one of the people,
who has travelled through nearly all the North.
ern and Western States, since the rebellion
began, and have had good opportunity to as.
certain the public sentiment on these questions,
desire to give an expression of the peoples
opinion, on behalf of myself and those who
think as do.
We hold, as l understand the Government
does, that whoever refuses TO obey the laws of
the land, and the regularly constituted authori.
ties is a rebel; and that, whoever "levies war
against the Government, or adheres to its enc.
mics, giving them aid and comfort" is traitor,
guilty Of treason. Every loyal citizen is enti.
lied to the protection of the Government,
especially in personal freedom, aud the posses.
sion of property, and equally plain and we'll
settled is the fact, that when citizens delbe.
rately become rebels and traitors, they forfeit
alike their riShts Of protection, property, and
life. . -.....
Now, if those who are carrying on this war
against the Government, are rebels and traitors,
as we hold they are, and as we understand the
Government also to hold, the oily thing for the
Government to do, is to treat them as such
This the country DEMANDS-and the sooner
this Administration becomes satisfied of that
fact, and acts upon ii, the better. Acting upon
this supposition, or premise, there certainly
need bs no difficulty in settling the question as
to what shall be done with the slaves held BY
rebels, and now escaping to our camps. So
far as the masters are concerned, treat them
the slaves-as property, and confscate them,
So far as the slaves are concerned, treat them
as m.n, and put them to work in whatever ca
paoity they can be best used. The women and
children can perform good service as servants,
cooks, and nurses, while the men can be EN-.
ployed in throwing up entrenchnents, &c.
Then, when not needed for this service, let the
men be armed, and made to assist in quelling
the rebellion, and executing traitors Under.
stand me, | advocate no servie insurrection-
no turning Of them loose to wreak their ven.
geance upon their mastsrs, or commit depre-
dations Of any kind; but | would have them
armed, disciplined, controlled, and allowed to
assist in the fighting. 1t is eminenlly proper
and just that the slaves themselves should
be allowed to put down rebellion gotten up
for no other purpose than the perpetuation and
extension Of slavery.
What shall be done with them when the war
is over, is another question, but not a difficult |