Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1861-05-30
From the Washington National Republican.
REPRISALS AND THE BLACKS.

1.-THE word property becomes exceedingly
significant now. The Southern CoDfederacy
have authorized their President TO issue letters
of marque for privateers to capture and destroy
the private property OF our people; and of
course wherever our troops make a landing
they TOO will be instructed to capture and de-
stroy the property of the traitors in the rebel
States Are slaves PROPERTY? was asked Of
member of the Cabinet recently and the an
swer was, sd say the traitors in rebellion against
the Government Now when this property is
captured, what are we to do with it ! The sole
title of the STAKEHOLDER to his properly in the
slave is derived from war and capture. The
negro is captured in Africa, and the prisoner
thus captureh in war IS sold into slavery, and
thus becomes the property of his master and
he and hi descendants are held through this
title By capture then in the pending war, ev-
cry slave becomes the property Of the Govern
ment which makes the capture We do not deal
in human chattels-we do not pat blood money
in the treasury but it does not follow thar be.
cause we will not sell the property Of caattels
thus captured, we are 10 return it to the party
from whom it is captured Far from II What
then WHY Of course, We shall! be compelled
10 give freedom 20 the captured 'chatte!s HOVE
Leave him 10 be re.capturcd Not willingly:
and therefore il will be the duty OF oar people
thus capturing their ChatteIs, either 20 bring
them off and give them their freedom, or 70 free
to protect freedom. Such is the proposition
made to the Government
II it be right to let loose pirates to prey upon
our commerce and destroy the private pro perty
of cur merchants most assuredly it is right and
proper for our Government to make inrOads all
along the coast of the rebel States, capturing and
destroying their property : and a. we do not
propose to take the lives Of their chates. il will
be our duty 10 give them their liberty. But
L. { ~, a. D. -ls=u
YOU give hin a sword to defend it and prevent
his recapture Such is the punishment which
Jeff Davis and his associate rebels are bringing
upon the South. just as certainly As they issue
letters of Tnarque 10 pirates TO prey upon our
private property. just so certainly we will hber
ate ever7j shqCe captured during me teIr Let
them put this il their pipes and smoke t. Let
the property Of rebels be c0nhscated wherever
found and without regard 10 its character Its
being slave properly will certainly not make Us
more chary m meddlIny with it-but on the con
trarv. cause US 70 require that the institu,iOn
for the propagation Of which this war is waged
By the rebels, shall be made 70 feel is effects
most severely.
We have made this extract from the
Courier and Enquirer, as a significant indi-
cation Of the tendency OF public sentiment.
and not because we endorse the precise line
Of argument which is resorted to.
Right, or wrong, there is a well settled dis
tinction Of the law Of nations between the
capture ofprivate property on thu seas. and
Of private property On land. The one Is
lawful. and the other IS unlawful, according
TO that code. Upon the theory that the
Southern Contcderacy isto be treated a. an
actually existing foreign power. its issue Of
letters OF rharque would not Justify reprlsllo
on land. That, Of cOurse.i, the theory upon
which it is itself pro~eeding-al the
correctness Of that theory is not admitted by
this Cove Fnment.
There an be no sort OF doubt however.
that an atmy advancing into an enemy 5
country. may not only take advantage of all
disatIectiqn- among the population. but may
stimulate such disatiectOns 10y appeals Of ev-
cry available description. In fact, the com
manders Of invading armies almost inyarla-
bly, Issue pTOclamauOns. suggesting consider
ations TO particular classes. TO induce them 10
assist in the invasion. or not TO oppose it.
Such consideration, may De presented by the
different nationalites, or different religious
creeds Of the invaded populations OF by 9TH
er circumstances When our revolutionary
generals invaded Canada, they addressed
proclamaGons to the French inhabitants.
inyasions of Ireland have always been &C
companed by appeals to the Catholics.
Whatever difficulty. then, II any there
may be, in respect to capturing slaves as
property, there can be no difficulty as re-
spects legal principles, treating them as per-
sons. in dctaching them from the enemy BY
promises OF liberty and protection. As a
part Of the population Of the States now pro-
posed to be invaded. they constitute, while in
= condition ofallegiance TO the enemy, part
o. his resources, and really a most important
part. 1t Is they who carry on the operations
Ct agriculture, while their masters fight.
And they are actually employed in the ar
mics OF their masters as servants and indis-
pensable laborers. 1t Is the slaves Of the
South who have done the hard work in all
the Notifications at Norfolk. Charleston, Pen
sacoia. and elsewhere. Deprived OF their
slaves, the con-mrators would be absolutely
deprived of their means OF support
Events are progressing with great rapldIty,
and if this war continues much longer. the
slaves OF the South, now used as laborers at
tending Southern military operations, will be
employed as soldiers to fight Us. That IS not
thought Of to-day, because slaves have been
too costly and valuable TO be used a sol
diers-but when they cease 10 be saleable
they Will be offered liberty by their own
masters. a. the condition OF fighting in the
ranks Of the rebellion They vii! bee less
dangerous in the army than on the pianta-
tons, and the pressure OF d continued war
will require the fighting men of whatever col
or in the Gulf States, the population on
which. ofall kinds, Is not numerous. The
South is already raising black troops, GER
tainly. at ILynchburg and New Orleans, OF
free negroes. The next thing will be slaves
organized into companies and regiments.
What IS q1pedjontto be done will depend up
on circumstances and localities.
Fomentng instructions anon slaves,
with the probable consequences to women
and children, is an idea abhoTrent to ciyiliza-
ton and humanity. 1t is not to be entertain
ed for a single moment, or under any con-
ceivable contingencies.
To invite a general stampede from their
masters Of all the slaves Of the South, in
wolves abturdities and impossibIities of all
sorts. 1t imight weaken the enemy, but not