The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1861-10-10
AROman Catholic View of the War.
MIR. BrOwns0n ON Slavery and the Rebel
lion.

AhO OSbOUCt AuluUSE VI DJOtCWSOH &uuTteTtY
ReUie,o, the official quarterly of the Roman Cath
olcs in the United States, contains most able
and patriotic essay on the different questions
raised by the pro-slavery rebellion, and in par
ticulsr on the relations of slavery to the rebellion
and to the Union.
Mr.. Brownson takes the position that, if we
value peace, honor, liberty, prosperity, all we
have or hope for, we must maintain the Union !;
and he believes that to put down the rebellion,
and bring back peace which shall be lasting
and honorable as we'll as righteous, we must
not only put down the rebellion, but that which
is the sole cause of rebellion-slavery.
We make room for few extracts which we'll
deserve careful perusal:
Mr.. BRowNsoN's POSITION.
We need not say, for the fact is well known
to our readers, that no man. according to his
ability and opportunity, has, since April, 1888,
more strenHously opposed the Abolition move
ment in the free states than we have; not be-
cause we loved slavery, or had any sympathy
with that hateful institution, but because we
loved the Constitution of the Union and because
We believed that liberty at home and throughout
the world was far more interested in preserving
sttuticn, than in abolishing slavery as it existed
in the southern section of our common country.
But We believe, and always have believed that
liberty the cause OF tree institutions, the hopes
of philanthropists and Christians both at home
and abroad, are more intereste in preserving
The Union and the integrity of the nation, than
they are or can be IN maintaining negro slavery.
Ii we have opposed abolition heretofore, because
we would preserve the Union, we must, forti-
lnr; s1ou wb IN, ;,,dn
its continuance becomes incompatible with the
the maintenance of the Union, or of our nation
as free republican state.
Certainly We said in the article on "The
Great Rebellion" i'll our last Reuieao, the North
has not taken up arms for the destruction of
negro slavery, but for The maintenance of the
federal government, the enforcement of the laws
and the preservation of the Union. This is true
The lloeratlun of The slave is now engaged,-
The war is war az alnst rebellion, an unprovoked
and wicked rebeliion engaged il by the rebels
for the purpose OF making this great slavchold-
ing republic III which the nab II OF The country
shall be performed by slaves, either black or
white; and If, To defeat the rebellion, the de-
structiCn Of slavery be rendered necessary and
and be actually effected, Ii Will change nothing
in the character or purpose Of The war. 1t will
have been necessiated by the rebellion, and the
rebels will have only them1eives TO thank for
the destruction abortion inev force us to adopt
in defence OF liberty, the uhon anG he author
ity OF The government.
THE WAR A SERIOUS NATTER.
1t is no time 10 miuce words OF TO study out
honeyed phrases we must call things by their
right names, a.d uea, all who are not for us HIS
against us. We have something more than even
the constitution and laws 20 maintain the very
existence Ut The nation IL at stake; aud as no
means are scrupIed at to destroy it we have q
right to use all the means which the law of pres
ervation renders necessary or expedient. We
t0iSh readers and the public at large to under
stand that ace are IN and to let 1T gtt through
their heads that the ,oh,ch the REBELLION has
torcsf ap0Tt rs, IS 40 mimic chttds play,
and is not to be conducted to successful asSue on
the principle of treating the rebels as friends, giU
ing them e0ery advantage and doing them no
harm. They in downright earnest and are
putting forth all their strength, and doing their
best to Subjugate US; and we also must be in
downright earnest, put forth all our strength,
and do our best to subjugate them. War can-
not be conducted on peace principles, or success
fully conducted by men who do not enter into
it with spirit, resolution and energy.
THE SLAVE POPULATION. ...
This brings us to the question of
the slave population in the rebellious states
In these states there are over three millions of
the population held by the laws or usages of
those states as slaves. These people are an in
tegral portion of the people of the United States,
owe allegiance to the federal government, and
are entitled to the protection of that government.
The government has the same right to make
friends and allies of them, and to enroll and arm
them against the rebellion, that it has to make
friends and allies, or to enroll and arm the white
population of Western Virginia or of Eastern
Tennessee 1t makes nothing against this that
these people have heretofore beenssaves by the
laws or usages OF the states in which they reside;
for those laws or usages are deprived Of all force
against the Union by the very act of rebellion.
Rebellion dissolves all laws for the protection of
the life and property of the rebels By the very
act of rebellion, the rebel orfeits to the govern
ment against which he rebels both his property
and his life, and holds henceforth neither, save
at its mercy or discretion. fit were not 40, the
government would have no right to confscate
the property of rebels, or to attempt to suppress
a rebellion by force of arms. If the slaves held
III the rebelious states are property, they are
forfeited to the government, and the govern
ment may confScate them, as cotton, rice, tobac-
co, or any other species OF property found IN the
hands of the rebels. The same principle that
gives to the government the right to confscate
bale of cotton owned by rebel, gives it right
to confscate every negro slave claimed by a reb-
ell master This is perfectly clear, aud is implied
in the recent act of Congress on the subject
But if these people held a. slaves are not prop
erty, they are and should be regarded as citizens
of the United States, owing allegiance to the
federal government liable to be called into the
service of the Union in the way and manner it
deems most advisable, and, if loyal, entitled to
the same protection from the government as any
other class OF loyal citizens. Nobody can pre-
tend that the federal government 10 obliged by
virtue Of the laws usages heretofore existing
in the slave states, ID treat these people rs prop
erty. Whatever might nave been lis obligation
before the rebeions acts OF those states, that
obligation is longer III force.
SLAVE LABOR AND FREE LABOR.
The present rebellion proves what thoughtful
and TAI. seeing neil in ali sections OF the Union
have long Seen and sad. tha the preservation of
the Union, with he Slave lem Of labor ex-
tending over Une-h3li ii u, aad We free labor
system over tie ober ts.f. Is. III he ordinary
courses OF human aii8iis an inpVsslbllty. Sen
ator Seward OF ratae, Aeln I.e,j D.efenbaGb in
our Repieao before hia. fghC In saying there
is an " lrrepressibie conflict between tie two
systems They cannog longer co-e1lst together
in peace aud harmony here IS al 'rIepresslble
tender CIV IN each to exclude the other; and no
possible wisdom prudence on the part OF any
administration eau narmonize their co-exi-tence
under one and the same government. You must
make your election between the systems, and
adopt for the who'll country either the slave
system or the free-iabor system aud the real sig
rifcance of the contest IN which we are now en-
gagged is, as to which Of these systems shall be
the American system
However homogeneous in race or character,
habits or manners, may be the pc ople OF coun-
try in the outset, they separate and grow gradu-
ally into distinct peoples, with almost entirely
different ideas, habits and customs, if one-haf
of them in the one section adopt the slavery sys-
TEN, AID the other halt III The other, the free la
Dor system We have already IN the United
States, Notwithstanding our common origin, our
common language, the similarity of our laws,
and our habitual intercourse, grown almost into
two distinct nations The confederates are
Americans indeed, for they have been born and
bred on American soil; but they no longer re-
tain the original American character "hile IN
the free states, banng the alterations anscteo Dy