The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1861-12-20

The principal wealth aud power of the
rebel States is peculiar species of property,
of the service or labor of Af.i-
can slaves OF the defendants of Africans.-
This property has been variously estimated
at the value Of from $700,oo0,0 GOO to 81,
0O,Oo0,090. -....-.-.s. ....
Why should this property be exempt from
the hazard and consequences Of a rebellous
war?
1t was the boast of the leader of tire re-
bellion, while he vet had a seat in the Sen
ate of the United Staes, that the Southern
States would be comparatively safe and free
from the burdens of war, if it should be
brought on by the contemplated rebellion,
and that boast was accompanied by the
savage threat that "Northeln towns and
cities would become the victims of rapine
and military spoil and that "Northern men
should smell Southern gunpowder and feel
Southern steel"
No one doubts the disposition of The reb
els to carry that threat into execution. The
wealth of Northern towns and cities, the
produce Of Northern farms, Northern work
shops and manufactures, would certainly be
seized, destroyed, or appropriated as military
spoil No property in the North would be
spared from the hands Of the rebels, and
their rapine would be defended upon the
laws of war " hile the loyal States thus
have all their property and possessions at
stake, are the insurgent rebels to carry on
W arfare against the government in peace
ana security to their own property2
Il
forbid that such should be the policy Of this
Government, but demand on the contrary,
IL. 1t, being forced by traitors and rebels to
the extremity Of war, all the rights, and
mowers of war should be exercised to bring
it to a si,eedy entl. 5f =-f
Those who make war against the Gov
ernment ius..ly forfeit all rights of property
privilege, or sc eurity, derived from the Coz
stitution and laws, againsl which they are
in armed rebellion; and as the labor and
service of their slaves constitute the CHIEF
prcperty of the rebels, such property should
share the common fate Of war to which
they have devoted the property OF loya
citizens.
While it is plain that the slave property
of the South is justly subjected to all the
consequences of this rebellious WaT, and ina
the Government would be untrue / Q it's trus
in not employing all the rights and powers
of war to bring it to a speedy close, he de
tails of the plan for doing SO, like all other
military measures, must IN great degree ,'e
left to be determined by particular, exigen-
cies. The DISPOSITION Of other property
belonging to the rebels that becomes sub
ject to our arms is governed by the cir
cumstances of the case. The Government
has no power to hold slaves, none to re
strain a slave Of his liberty, or to exact his
service.
It his a lioht, however, to use the We ltrl-
tary services of slaves liberated by wal from
their rebel masters, hhle any other propert,
of tie rebels, in whatever mode may be
most efficient for the defense of the Govern
ment the prosecution Of the war and the
suppression of the rebellion. 1t is as GEAR
ly sight of the Government to arm slaves,
when it may become necessary, as it is to
use gunpowder taken from the enemy
Whether 1t is expedient to do SO is purely
a military question. The expediency must
be determined by circumstances, keeping in
view the great object of overcoming the reb-
els, re establishing the laws and restoring
peace to the nation.
1t is vain and idle for the Government to
carry on this war, or hope to maintain its
existence against the rebelIious forces, with
out employing all the rights and powers #
war. AS has been said, .he right to de-
prive the rebels of their property in slaves
and slave labor, is as clear and absolute, as
the right to take forage from the field, OF
cotton from the warehouse, Or powder and
arms from the magazine. To leave the
enemy in the possession of such property
as forage and cotton ard military stores.
and the means of constantly reducing them,
would be madness. 1t is, therefore equal
madness to leave them in peaceful and Sc
cure possession Of slave property, more Val
liable and efficient to them for war, than
forage, cotton and military stores. Such
policy would be a national suicide
What to do with that species of property
is question that time and circumstance;
will solve, and need not be anticipated fur
ther than to repeat that they cannot b
held by the Government as slaves. /
would be useless to keep them as prisoner
of war; and self preservation, the highes
duty of government, or of individuals, de
mands that they should be disposed of o
employed in the most effective manner tina
) will tend most speedily to suppress the in
surrecton and restore the authority of th
Government. If it shall be found that tn
. men who have been held by the rebels a
slaves are capable Of bearing arms and pei
forming efficient military services, it is til
right, and may become the duty Of the GOV
: ernment to arm and equip them, and en-
s ploy their services against the rebels, unde
e proper military regulation, discipline an
G command. So
e But in whatever manner they may t
|, used by the Government, it is plain tia
: once liberated by the rebellious acts Of the
il masters, they should never again be restore
5, TO bondage. By the masters treason an
e rebellion, he forfeits all rio bit to the labor an
S, service of his slave; and the slave of the 7
r bellious master, by his service to the Go
n ernment, becomes justly entitled to freedo
le and protection. --.
q Tho Il dispo Sition to bn roada Of the sIay