, 1861-09-27

tEf0m FQf E6Qfs& 111M4<11PL.l
A BRIEF SUMMING UR.-Instead Of Wasting
tion. We ahould settle the matter fhus-war
exists between the Federal Government and
the Confederate rebels; call 1t BY what name
we will, 1t is war. Men taken IN the battla
are held - prisoners; seaport8 are formally
blockaded; flags Of truce pass hetWeeu the
certain States and parts Of States; these things
constitute war. Now there are certain well
defined rules for the conduct Of war, which
Eeitter Corgreas nor President Lincoln can
alter, amend, or annul These rules ne shall
call belligerent rights. Among them are the
deiachipg from him I'LL the strength possible
inducing his soldiers to desert ard his peo~
ple to revolt, cutting of his means Of suste-
nance by Selling sill supplies within his reaeh,
destroying roads and bridges to impede bis
march, taking his wagons and DRAFT animals,
whether dwellings,, public buildings, Or rsgu-
lar fortreeseF. These are simply bel6gerent
rights. If We are st War, they belong to us,
and may be exercised By every commander OF
cur armies.
The peculiar social relations Of certain COM
mpnities can claim no exemption from the
necessities Of war. On the score Of humani.
1y, not word can be said against Gberaing
slaves in such time as the present. The
whole civilized world applauds It, accounts 1t
glc1ious, and places 1t on 1eFe1 with freeing
captiyes chained in dungeons for no offense,
Talk 1ot Of se1vae Instructions: 1t is the
right of belligerents to Stir up instructions
whenever they can-amo1g white men or
back men, free men or slaves. Our Govern.
INT mt Las stirred up an ihsurTectiOn, in all but
the name, in Virginia; the SANG thing is pro
posed to be done in Tennessee and in NortE
Caroljna-in truth in every rebel State. And
| these irEurre ecti0ns must necessarily be O
he ivSN fail
against Eor, brother against brother. Bu'
| rhis does not deter Us from exercising ou
| aelljgerent right.
Ina pecuniary point Of view, there is no in
| Justice in uberatirg the alave Of rebel W
| noy take his horse, his money, his crops. VI
| free the slave; and ne make such use Of thh
| property as we please. On the ground Of ab
solving the e1ave from service due his master
there can be no objection. We must be gov
erned in the matter by the universal law Q
| civilization, not BY the laws of South Carolina
OF Of any rebel State. The slave, 90 far as Fl
But We need 20 no farther than the rebel
themselves have authorized us to 60. Tne
have absoI1ed Southern debtors from their OF
legations to their -Sorthern creditors and AZ
we, in Wa2fpg War against such people, to .
I governed BY their barbarous trad1tionss tn
rebeIs are Under as many obligations to obe
the Constitution in dealing with us. as we ar
in dealing with them. When they make va
on us aud set it at defiance, We can only Fl
back on our bel1igerent rights.
To sum up the whole matter ina few words
the only questions to be settled are these
fi1Et, are We at war with the rebels ?-secont
j., did Gen. Fremont's proclamation violal
the rules Of WARP The highest earthly author
tt has already decided, with an emphasis mott
be mistaken, that We are actually at war, Al
that the General claimed no more than OF
simple right fully established by 1sage and /
Law and We therefore stand BY the PROCLAIM
| ton