Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-12-03


but we think he has made great mistake |
in his Order No. 3, and we are astonished |
that the President has not ere this "modi. |
fed" it. Under the doubtful, not to say
false, pretense that slaves may and do act as
spies for the rebels, he has forbid their ad-
mission within the lines of his armies, and
orders the expulsion of all that are or may
hereafter be found therein. Now, look at
the effect. The telegraph brings Us the fol-
lowing:
"CAIRo, December 2.-Three negroes from
below presented themselves TO the picket
guard at Birds Point about noon TO day,
aud were taken before Colonel Oglesby, COM
mandipg Birds Point, who ordered them 10
be sent back through the lines, with orders
rot to return again. This action was based
upon General Order No 3, issued by Major
General Halleck.
"The report that JcF Thompson has four
hundred negroes 'gorking on the .toTtyiCations
Ut New Madrid is confirmed"
Is this right? We say mol but that it is
wrcpg-outrageously wrongl If this is the
wsy our armies are to manage the slavery
question in this war, then we will never sue
ceed in putting down the rebellion and re-
establishing the supremacy of the Constitu.
To say nothing of the justice and morality
of the thing, such policy is Incompatible,
Thy sically and absolutely incompatible with
success.
At the late extra session of Congress
bill was passed confscating property "used
for insurrectlonary purposes against the
Government. 1t was intended mainly for
the confscation and consequent liberation of
slaves thus used by the rebels. 1t was but
lsme and inefficient MEASURE, not going half
far enough in the line of "con6scation;" but
it was considered to be better than nothing,
and it was thought that it would certainly
Re carried out as far as possible. No one,
rot even the rebels themselves it would
seem, could make any ''constitutionap' OBJ
lection to it. Now look at the facts. At
the very time that these three negroes are
met at our lines, escaping, as undoubtedly
they were, from the rebels, and are turned
back, and ordered not to return again. the
rebel commander Thompson has four hun
dIed of the same class of men at work build
ing Notifications at New Madrid, only some
forty miles below. May not these three ref.
ugees have been deserterS from that very
point, and from working On those very forti-
fcations? Indeed, Were they not? Who
knows to the contrary? This New Madrid
lies directly in our way to Memphis; it is on
the Mississippi River, and must be taken, the
Notifications destroyed, and the rebel forces
captured or "cleaned ont" before that great
highway can be opened to our commerce.
General Halleck, his commanders at Cairo
ard Birds Point and the public generally,
have been informed for near week past that
"Jeff. Thompson had four or five hundred
slaves at work on Notifications at New Mad
rid" Why have not the proper measures
been taken to frustrate and break up that
arrangement, instead of aiding it? 1t could
easily be done.
As soon as the fact became known, land
such things may always be learned through
the medium of slaves, if the proper induce
ments shall be held out why were not a few
negroes, slaves if you please of the right
kind, acquainted with the country and the
locality, secretly despatched to the negroes
at work on these Notifications, to induce
them to DESERT assuring them that on thei1
reaching the lines at Birds Point and Cairo
they should be free?
This could have been done. 1t ought to
have been done. Itmight yet be done. The
probability is that the three negroes turned
back yesterday by Colonel Oglesby had
either escaped from the trenches at New
Madrid or fed from the .neighborhood tC
avoid being compelled to act as traitors tt
their country and help build fertilization
for the rebels Why were they not at one,
secured as emissaries to go back TO New
Madrid and effect the escape of the whole
four hundred at work there? Would whitc
deserters from the rebel army be turned
back, as were these three black ones?
The telegraph brings US the intelligence
that on the oath ult. the Governor of Louis.
lana reviewed, among others, fourteen hun,
dred colOred troops in New Orleans. We
learn, also, that regiment or more of ne
groes are being drilled at Winchester, Va
The same is being done in other places in tn,
South. Suppose the rebel armies shoulC
lie mainly composed of colorsd soldiers
would we continue to repel and send back Il
their armies and fortifcations all their de
seTters, if they happened to be colored2
We should not deceive ourselves, or be de
ceived. We are acting worse than childre
in this war against rebellion. We are actin
the part of fools and mAniacs.
The slavery question, just now, is tn
great question of this country. 1t is th
question of the age, and the question of thi
war. There is one thing as true as Hol
WTit-there is nothing truer this side {
HeaVen-and that is the fact that we can no
put down the rebellion and at the same tim
protect slavery 1t does not follow that W
must declare or bring about general eman
cipatiOn, or interfere with the slaves of loya
citizens nor does it by any means follow
that we must arm the slaves that shall b
liberated. But it does follow that we ca
not and must not protect rebel slave owner
in their rights To their slaves, and at the sam
time expect to succeed in putting down tn
SlAYeholders rebellion
IT is reported that several European steam
ers have been insured in London, for ru
from England TO New Orleans and back,