Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-05-28

The following article upon the probable
abolition Of slavery as of the results of
.hs 8st, vo copy from ile Columbus Ciy |
l'dst, the Hrsekihridge otgh during the iAte.
pEesiasnlial Campaign
Doomed.
Il Is With no great pleasure, as much as We
deprecaie the inbuman custom, that We
prophecy the speedy abolition OF slavery in
tae United States. The events Of eanA sue
ceeding day strengthens the general belief
that the moment is close at hand when man
shall cease TO hold property in man. Chattel
servitude is incompatible with morality,
Christianity and all the ennobling attributes
and finer feelings Of human natare, and has
only been submitted 10 by Christian North
SO lar 10 bur short history, because It's exist
ence was supposed 10 be necessary TO a
q more perfect Union ~ Of these States. II
a transparent eompromise betweeE right
and wrong --tolesAted Rs an expediency un-
der form OF government that acknowledge
that nall men are born free and equal. -
That It has become pFeselt essential to
Southern enterprise, Is our only reason for
not heartily rejoicing at is inevitable down.
ALI. It has gone fnrther than any other ele-.
ment 10 engender aFistocFAtic and indolent
uotions, and humble fee labor. It has des-
troyed the genuine Democratic Republican
platform on which it was the hope OF our
fathers that tho interests Of the Union should
be cherished and now it seeks to destroy
the Union ITSELF With a view TO q "perfect
Union,p the Democratic party has ever pro-
tecled Southern planters in their right TO
hold slaves under the Constitution bnt that
party in Che North never justified itself in q
moral point Of view, in its good faith to the
faithless South.
There are three powers now IN active force,
either of which can, and one OF which viii,
within year, totally destroy the institution Of
negro slavery in the rebelliOus States of the
Union. Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, Mis-
soeri and Western Virginia will be protected
in sItheir rights and the possession OF all their
properties, by the Federal Government and
wherein they may suffer through desertion Of
slayesor otherwise incidental to the impend.
ing campaign, they will be reimbursed by
Government. But the rebeliOus States must
suffer the pecuniary calamity brought upon
themselves aud they may thank God if it
| be 10 worse than peruniary calamity For,
should the army of the Union undertake to
fight its way through and subdue the rebel
States TO loyalty, servile insurrection viii
follow in its tracks and the chains will All
| from llavery Of their own unrestrained
gravity. The quantity of innocent blood
that may be split in such a stampede as this,
will depend upon the quality and amount
of resistance made to the sel-immanci-
patton movement Murder, fire, raplne
and 6eIdish revelry are not necessary Incl
dents to insurrection. They are only an
abuse or a necessity, as passion dictates or op-
position warrants. They may be sverted by
non-resistance on the part of master TO free
U. G. R. passage for his slaves in search Of
the North star and liberty. Then the warm
blooded virgins of the South, in all their
pristine purity, may live many years to bless
their lucky stars 4,l
The second available power for the extir-
patton of slavery is now in the hands Gf the
President of the United States, and he may
at any moment exercise that power AZ an
effectual movement towards quelling the
Southern insurrection. 1t will be remem.
bered that these are not ssweak piping time:
! OI pEdItt Uuk VI I'm NlootAHCa wall e~L1
that there is great range to the power of {
Government that does not infringe interna
tional law. The originator of the trueisu
that the Union cannot exist "half tree RnS
half slave" has it in his power to say that j
shall exist all free, and the contingency ma!
arise for such proclamation. aAE
The third power is military authority
which takes the place Of municipal institn
tions, slavery among the rest. On this poini
we have among others, the authority Of Johl
4 Quincy Adams, who says that when coun
try is actually at war, whether it be wal
cfinvasion or war of insurrection, Congress
has power to carry on the war, and mus
carry it on according TO the laws of war, an'
by the laws of war an invaded country ha
! all its laws and municipal institutions swep
by the board, and martial law takes the plae
of them This power in Congress has per
haps never been called into exercise unde
the present Constitution of the United States
But when the lawsof war are in force, what
I ask, is one of those laWs2 1t is this: tha
when a country is invaded, and two hostil
armies are set in martial array, commander
Of both armies haze pol0er 70 emaneipate all III
slages n The ingaded territory. Nor is this
mere theoretic statement. The history 0
South America shows that the doctrine ha
been carried into practical execution withii
the last Thirty years Slavery was abolished
in Columbia, first by the Spanish Genera
Morillo, and secondly BY the American Gen
erai Bolivar. It was abolished BY virtue Of
military command given at the head of th
army, and its abolition continues to be th
law to this day. Tt was abolished by th
laws of war, and not by municipal enact
ments.- The power was exercised by militaF,
commanders, under Instructions, Of course
from their respective Governments"