The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1861-12-13
The Secretary OF War Upon the slave
0nesiinn.

; eron, we extract the following upon
the contraband question:
1t has become grave question
Tor determination, what shall be
done with the slaves abandoned by
, their owners on the advapce OF Our
troops into Southern territory, as in
the Beaufort district Of South Caro-.
lima. The whole white population
iis six thousand, while thesnumber
of negroes exceeds thirty two thou
sand. The'panic which drove their
masters in wild confusion from their
homes, leaves them in nndisputed
possession Of the soil. Shall they
armed by their masters, be placed
in the field to fight against us, or
/. shall their labor be continually en-
ployed in reproducing the means for
supporting the armies oi rebellion!
The war into which this govern
ment has been forced by rebellious
trait 'rs, is carried on for the purpose
of repossessing property violently
and treacherously seized upon by
the enemies OF the government, and
to re,establish the authority and
laws OF the United States in the
places where it is opposed or over
thrown by armed insurrection and
rebellion. Its purpose is.to recover
and defend what is justly it's own.
War, even between independent
nations, is made to subdue the enc.
my, by occupying the hostile conn
try. and exercising dominion over
all the men and things within its ter
ritory. This being true Iin respect
to independent nations at war with
each other, it follows that rebels who
are laboring by force of arms to
overthrow q government, justly
bring upon themselves all the con
sequences OF war, and provoke the
destruction merited by the worst OF
crimes. That government would
be false to national trust, and would
Justly excite the ridicule OF the civil
lied world, that would abstain from
the use OF any efficient means to
preserve its own existence, or tc
overcome a rebellious and ,raitorous
enemy, by sparing or protecting the
, property OF those who are wagine
/ war against il.
The principal wealth and power
Of the rebel states is "A. peculiar
, species OF property, consisting OF the
, service or labor OF Afr can slaves
~, or the drscerdents OF Africans. -
= This property has been variousl,
eetima'ed at the valuc o' from 500,
, OgO 900. To 81 900 10000.
p, WHY shonld this property hc rx
emIt from the hazards and conse
. qurnces OF rebellions war?
. IL wac the bOast OF the leader o
, the rebellion. while he yet had {
. seat in tie Senate %. the Unite,
. States, that the Southern states
wonld hn comparatively safe ant
, tree 'rom the burdens OF war. il i
I -horl be brought ON by the con'em
, pla e , rybCl.iOD. and that boast wat
accompanied 10y the savage threa
that "Northern towns and citio
would become the victims of RI
q pine and military spoil and tla
"NorIhern men should smell South
crn gunpowder and feel Souiher'
@ steel"
No ono doubts the disposition q
e the rebels to carry that threat int
!. xecu,iou. The wealth OF the North
ern towns and cities, the produce {
- Northern farma. Northern workshop
d and manufactures, would certanl
!. he selzed, destroyed, or appropriate
Y as military spoil No properly i
the North would be spared from til
J hands Of the rebels. and the rapin
would be defended upon the law
r Of war. While the loyal states thu
J, have all their property and possess
@ ions at stake, are the insurgent re
g bells to carry on warfare against th
, government in peace and security /
J. their own property?
= Reason and ias,ice and self pre-
, scrvation forbid that such should b
j the policy OF this government, bt
is demand, on the contrary, that, bein
orcei by traitors and rebels to III
Q extremely OF the war all the ligh'
,r and powers of war, should be exc
r cised to bring it to speedy close.
d Those who make war against th
= government justly forfeit all righ
10 OF property, privilege, or securlt,
It derived from the Constitution an
n laws, against which they are in arm
is ed rebellion; and as the labor an
At service oi their slaves constitute tt
al chief property Of @ rebels, sue
id property should sh re the commo
" late OF war to which they have d
q voted the property Of loyal ci'izens
- While it is plain that the sIa,
es property of the South is justly su
ected to all the consequences OF th
mt rebellious war, and that the COVER
n ment would be untrue to its trust
i'll not employing all the rights al
powers of war to bring it to speet
", close, the details of the plan for d
to ing so, like all other military mes
er ures, must, in degree, be lett to
to determined by particular exigenci'
,e, The disposition OF other proper
belonging to tho rebels that becor
subject to our arms is governed
the circumstance OF the case. I
'he uoyprnmpnt has no noycr IN IA,