The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1861-09-26

shall be required or permitted by the per
son to whom such labor or service i:
claimed to be due, or his lawful agent, tc
work or to be employed in or upon any
fort, avy-yard, dock. armory ship, in
trenchment, or in any military or nava
service whatsoever, against the govern,
nent and lawful authority of the United
J States, then and in every case the person
to whom such labor or service is claimed
to be due shall forfeit his claim to such
labor, anv law of the State or oil the Uni
ted States to the contrary Notwithstanding
And whenever thereafter the person claim
ing such labor shall seek to enforce his
claim, it shall be full and sufficient an,
swer to such claim that the person whose
service or labor is claimed had been en-
ployed in hostile service against the gov
ernmenI of the United States, contrary to
the provisions Of this act''
On this subject the Chicago Tribune, of
last Monday. has the following remarks:
at will be seen that while Gen. Fremont
after declaring Martial Law, announces in
terms the freedom of the slaves Of. all
masters who take part against the aathori-
ty of the United States, the President,
overlooking the fact that Martial Law ov-
errides, as military necessity, the laws
of Congress as we'll as of the State in
which it is declared, narrows the General
down 10 the liberation of slaves that have
borne arms against the Government, or
have been employed upon some military
or naval work against the authority OF the
United States. We quote Fremont's Ian
guage in the Proclamation, that i. may be
eontrasted with the law which the Prosi-
dent reaffirms:
The property. real and personal, of all
persons in the State of Missouri, who shall
take mp arms against the United States. or
who shall be directly proven to have taken
part with their enemies in the field, is de-
clared to be confscated to the public use,
and their slaves. if any they have. are
hereby declared free men,"
The difference is essential. The law
frees tie slaves who have been engaged in
disloyal pursuits; the Proclamation frees
the slaves OF masters who are in rebellion
against the Government. By the law, the
slaves cf Gen. Price and Tx Governor
Jackson. ii kept at home raising corn for
the rebels. must continue to wear their
shackels. BY the Proclamation. the slaves
Of the meanest and lowest OF the Missouri
rebels, the moment his master commits
the overt act, becomes free man. The
distinction is obvious.
Our position is well known. There is
no Constitution. there is no law, fot rebels.
They disown aud defy both. aud can claim
the protection Of neither For them MILL.
rARy NECESSITY is the only rule which need
Or ought TO be consulted; aad until this
ground is assumed and the battle is fought
on 1t, we are condemned 10 defeat and
disgrace. This view. we believe, is tha.
which the people long ago adopted; and
they, with US, will believe that the Ad-
has committed a bIunder IN
this matter which no efforts can retrisve.
Men will ask, and properly toe. why is
there this extraordinary tenderness when
the question Of Slavery-the tap-root of
this wicked rebellion--is touched, and
such notorious disregard of tho rights
assuming that the Constitution shields
rebels) of white men? Secretary Seward
telegraphs to Tom, Dick, or Harry, arrest
this man or that and send him 10 Fort La.
iaye!te; and 1t is done. There is no law
for it. The Constitution rorbids it: but
not day passes in which some prisoner
is not shut up without trial, without even
warrant. The people approve, because
these acts; but they want the same rigor
carried into all operations of the Govern
ment-lhto matters which touch the Iiher.
ty of the slave as well as the most pre-
cious privileges Of the while man. Gen.
Dix orders the arrest of half the members
of the Maryland Legislature. and the
whole country cries Amen! The proper
ty of rebels is every day con6sca,ed with.
out legal inquiry, and always upon ex-p par.
te statements; and there is no complaint
among loyal men. no compunction on the
part OF tie Administration, no appealing
on the part of the President to acts of
Congress already out of date. Not bit
of it! But lay finger upon negro prop
orty, offer to interfere with that sacred
relation between rebel master and loyal
slave, and here comes the Constitution.
and the law to Withhold all sacrilepisus
hands. We see neither good sense nor