Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1861-10-18

o,r,. > and strengthen Union party in West
g. S- VI -inia and E lstern Tennessee have i'm.
,a.lsd - o., ar than aided its military opera,
t,nns o,'5 H.. 1t campaign, without gam
/ ing it any rsal AZ tditional strength.
Notb;n, is moro in, then. than to sup
- CON 'ow be conciliated
by politicians, OF that The Go 'e[ninent, II! with
out abdicating itself, has 1t IN l., power 70
make peace The Government has NO al
tentative, fit would sustain i,Seit, ahd pre-
serve the integrity of the nation, or cyeh Z. 70
! own honor, but to prosecute the war, ana
! prosecute it with all the yigor and ali the
/ forces and means 1t can command. For men,
then, who profess 10 be attached TO the In
ion, to talk of peace" of ''conciliation," of
"compromises, Of conventions, is the
veriest twaddle, or would be, if it were not
| the grvs5ost outrage upon common sense and
common deccncy. As we have said, all
these things have gone by; and to attempt
TO recall them from the dead past, or to gal
yanize them into life, is only to betray our
own stupidity or our disloyalty. No. we
must fight, fight maniullY to the end. aud
teach rebellion lesson that it will not soon
| forget.
We are engaged in suppressing no Ordina-
~ rebellion we are engaged in suppressing
Il rebellion of vast proportions, Of vast re
sources, and OF strength hardly inferior to
that of the loyal States themselves. We c4n
put it down, and, God helping, we shall put
1t down, bat not without eyerting all our
strength and ayailing ourselves of all the
means to suppress 1t authorized, we Will not
say by the Constitution, but by the recog-
-. G l.,
and while it lasts Il 0verrides all other laws |
and, il need be, places the Constitution itself, |
50 far as it would be barrier to its success, |
in allegiance. Sahls popud ier suPrenla ea |
is universally received maxim, and the |
safety of the nation is the only law which |
can control military operations or determine |
the measures necessary or proper in the pros
ecuu0n Of the war.
This brings us to the qu stion Of the slave
population in the rcbcliOus States. In these
States there are over three millions of he |
popul ttion held by the laws or usages of
those States as slaves. These people are an
integral portion Of tho people of the United
States, owe allegiance to the Federal Govern-
mcnt and ale entitled 10 the protect OF
that Government. The Government has the
SAINT iL ~ 4titihN A4--AiAo dLA tIA4CS Ol lLlC4
and 10 enroll ana arm them against rebellion,
that it has to make friends al lilies, or to
enroll and arm the white population of vest
ern Virginia or Of eastern Tennessee. 1t
makes nothing riinst this that these people
have heretofore been slaves 10y the laws or
Go4gos Of the States in which they reside
for those laws OF usaCes are deprived Of all
force against the Union by the very act of
~. solI
protection OF the Iie or property OF the rebels.
BY the very act OF rebellion, the rebel forfeitS
t. the Government against which he rebels
both his property AID his lite, and holds
henceiorJh neither, save at its mercy or dis
creti0n. Il 1t were not 50, the Government
would have no right to confscate the prop
erty Of tie rebels, or to attempt to suppress
reb lli0n ~ force Of arms If the slaves held
in the rebellious States are property, they
are forfeited 10 the Government. And the
Government may confscate them, as cotton,
rice tobacco, or amy other species Of property
found in tie hands Of the rebels. The same
principle that gives to the Government the
right % cJnGScite a bale Of cotton owned by
Il rebel, gives t u right to coniiscate every
negro slave claimed by 4 rebel master. This
Is perfectly clear, and Is implied in the recent
act of Congress on the subject But if these
people held rs slaves are not property, they
are and should be regarded as citizens of the
United States, owing allegiance to the Fed
eTal Government, liable TO be called into the
service of the UnIon IN the way and manner
it deems most advisable, and if loyal, entitled
to the same protection from the Government
as any other class Oi loyal citizens. Nobody
can pretend that the Federal Government Is
Obliged, by virtue of the laws and usages
heretofore existing in the slave States, to
treat these people as property. Whatever
might have been its obligation before the
acts Of those States, that obligation
is no longer in force.