Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1861-12-13

SOON MAKE SucH demonstration as VIII
establish its authority throughout all the
rebellous states.
THE SLAVERY QUESTION.
1t has become a grave question for de-
termination what shall be done with the
slaves abandoned by their owners on the
advance Of our troops into Southern ter
ritory, as in the Beaufort district of
South Carolina. The whole white pop
ulation therein is six thousand, while the
number of negroes exceeds thirty-two
thousand. The panic which drove their
masters in wild commotion from their
homes, leaves them in undisputed pos
session of the soil, Shall they, armed
by their masters, be put in the field to
fight against US, or shall their labor be
continually employed in reproducing the
means for supporting the armies of re-
belion?
The war into which this government
has been forced by rebellious traitors is
carried on for the purpose of rcpossess-
ing the property violently and treacher-
ously seized upon by the enemies of the
government, and to re-establish the au-
thority and laws OF the United States in
the places where it is opposed or over
thrown by armed instruction or rebel
lion. It's purpose is 10 recover aud de
fend what is justly its own.
War, even between Independent ma
tons, is made to subdue the enemy, and
all that belongs to thai enemy, by occu-
pying the hostile country, and exercising
dominion over all the men and things
within its territory. This being true in
respect TO Independent nations at war
with each other, it follows that rebels
who are laboring by force of arms TO |
overthrow a government, justly bring
upon themselves all the Consequences OF (
war, aud provoke the destruction melited
by the worst Of crimes. That govern
mant would be false to national trust,
and would justly excite the ridicue OF
the civilized world, that would abstain
from the use OF any efficient means to
preserve its own existence, or TO over.
come a rebellious and traiiorous enemy,
by sparing or protecting the property Of
those who are waging war against it,
The principal wealth and power of the
rebel states is a peculiar species of pro-
perry, consisting of the service or labor
of African slaves, or the descendants Of
Africans. This property has been va
riously estimated at the value of from
S700,0o0,0o0 to Sl,0OO,o0o,oOO.
Why should this property be exempt
from the hazards and consequences of a
-ebelious war
1t was the boast of the leader Of the
while he yet had sea; in the
Senate of the United States, that the
Southern states would be comparatively
ate and free from the burdens of war, if
I should be brought on by the contem-
dated rebellion, and that boas! was &C
by the savage threat that {
northern towns and cities would become a
be victims Of rapine and military spoil" 5
md that "northern men should smell I
Cuthern gunpowder and and feel south c
IN steel" No one doubts the DISPOSE
ion of the rebels to carry that threat in >
0 execution. The wealth of northern o
owns and cities, the produce Of northern C
arms, northern workshops and manufac-
Dries, would certainly be seized, destroy
d, or appropriated as military spoil.
No property in the north would be spar
d from the hands of the rebels, and their
apine would be defended under the laws Il
{ war. While the loyal states thus Z. q
ave all their property and possessions o
stake, are the inSuIgent rebels to car II
y on warfare against the government in :,
l peace and security to their own pro e:
erty? IL
Reason and justice and eli.preserva- Oh
on forbid tia; such Should be the policy D
this government, but demand on the i,
that, being forced by traitors
nd rebels to the extremity of war, all
lie rights and powers of war should be
lcrted to bring it TO speedy end.
Those who make war against the @
,vernment justly forfeit all rights of =
'operty, privilege or security derived an
ON the constitution and laws against be
II. 81