Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1861-12-13

of OUR OWN knitting
-------S- -S-@~.p------
The secretary of War aud the Slaves.
The followingis that portion Of Mr.. Cam
eron's report referring to the policy to be
pursued with reference to the slave popu-
ation of the South:
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 terri
tory, as the Beaufort district of South Car
olina. Tho whole white population is six
thousand, while the number of negroes ex-
ceeds thirty two thousand The panic which
drove their masters in wild confusion from
their homes, leaves them in undisputed po-
session of the soil. Shall they, armed by
their masters, be placed in the field to fight
against us, or shall their labor be continu-
ally employed in reproducing the means for
supporting the armies of the rebelionG
The war into which this government has
been forced by rebelious traitors, is carried
on for the purpose of possessing the pro-
perty. violently and treacherously seized up
on by the enemies Of the Government, and
to re-establish the authority aud laws of the
United States in the places where it is op-
posed or overthrown by armed insurrection
or rebellion. Its purpose is to recover and
defend what is justly its own.
War, even between independent nations,
is made to subdue the enemy, and all that
belongs to that enemy, by OCCUPYING the
hostile country and exercising dominion
over all the men and things within its ter
ritory. This being true in respect TO inde.
pendent nations at war with each other, il
follows that rebels who are laboring by force
of arms to overthrow government, justly
bringing upon themselves all the coDse
quences of war, and provoke the destruction
merited by the worst of crimes, that gov
ernment would be false TO national trust
and would justly excite the ridicule of the
civilized world, that would abstain from the
use of any efficient means to preserve it'
own existence, or 10 overcome rebellion!
and traitorous enemy, by sparing or protect
ing the property Of those who are wagine
; war against it. ...... .r.
The principal wealth and power of th'
rebel States is apeculiar species of property
. consisting of the service or labor Of Afri
can slaves, or the defendants of Africans
, This property has been variously estimated
: at the value of from $700,0oO,0o0 to 81,
OOO,OO0,ooO. .....
Why should this property be exemp
5 from the hazard and consequences of re
. bellious warl
b 1t was the boast of the leader of the re
: beIlion, while be yet had seat in the Sen
ate Of the United States, that the Souther
States would be comparatively safe and fre
from the burdens Of war; ifit should b
brought on by the contemplated rebellion
and that boast was accompanied by tn
E. savage threat that "Northera towns an
II cities would become the victims of rapin
and military SPOIL" and that ''Norther
men should smell Southern gunpowder an
D feel Southern steel" -sa
." No one doubts the disposition of the rel
els to carry that threat into execution tn
wealth Of Northern towns and cities, h
= produce of Northern farms, Northern worl
: shops and manufactures, would certain
p be seized, destroyed, or appropriated
: military spoil No property in the Nor
2 would be spared from the hands Of Il
nd' rebels, and their rapine would be defend'
: upon the laws of war While the 10y
States thus have all their property aud pC
sessions at stake, are the insurgent reb,
i, to carry on warfare against the governme
he in peace and security to their own propert
o~ Reason and justice and self-preseryati
forbid that such should be the policy of d