New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-12-23

forever in the eyes of all mankind that pri.ipe and
, plan of government!
Your Rerola'ion takes good ground. I confess
tna, rhould not myself shrink from a sweeping act
OF Emancipation by Congress For although have
never couiended that the nation could with clear
constitutional night aet through ats Legislature. in
lne Oh peace, olety on The great stem Of Slavery
have long contendei that IL could do 40 in time ~
war. Moreover, since the Southern half of the
nation threw away the Constitution ia order that she
might more fully and effectnaly fQht The Norlheyn
tsi,t haye been entirely willing that the Northern
more freely and eiftctnally fight the Southern half
ies, IN all matters touching this stupendous and sa
taric Rebellion should DO quite wiling to see Con-.
gres lit and oct under that SIM le law of necessity
which knows no other law than itself Aware how.
ever, as Am of the vercratoh of most men for law
even when they in STRAITS which make such VEN
GRAFTON absurd and ridiculous, aud 100 as an,
that only minority of the people believe the Cons-
tuition authorizes IL have hot supposed that Con.
gress would enact law OF Emancipation; and there
fore during the present crisis have lot advocated
the enactment oft. Yours is the highest ground &c
which had hoped Congress and tie country could
be brought and of late bad almost ceased to hopo
FOR even this. For given UP is he President TO
the prde and insanity, or, as be deems II, to the
cons,iiuiionality Of whipping tie enemy with one
hand, that was almost ready TO tase il for granted
that both Congress and the country would conclude
that he must be allowed to take lis own way-away
none the tess ruinous If /. be Constitutional instead Of
proud and insane.
hope your Resolution will be adopted. But will
it be executed II is a Resolution ia behalf Of tho
use Of martial law. Bot the way the Presi-
dent has used it in the proclamations of Mcclellan
and Sherman, Dix and Haleck, leaves but little
to hope that hs would execute your Resolution. At
the Extra Session your Body resolved that slave
catching il not suitable tor the Army. Nevertheless
the President did not consent to bold back the Army
from its gariugly unconstitutional and utterly Infer.
nal work. Had the President taken last Spring the
Of RpsOIlflOu. would
have been ended; Slavery abolished; the country
left undivided and indigisible ard with aucb pros.
poets Of a speedy prosperity, Lomogeneousness anf
happiness as bless the ewes Of no other nation. And
were lie even at this le day to take it, there would
be all this resulting pre,ent and prospective good.
But in vain will be take 1t after much longer delay.
Ii in the light Of the past you cannot trust tire
President % execute this Resolution, there are still
two other remedies agl inst ruin. Either of two laws
which Congress might enact would, II the President
should not successfully veto them be an eiectual
remedy. The country being at War, Congress has,
as have already said, the night $50 grandy argued
American Slavery. Would that il had the wisdom
aud bravery to enact 1t! Thereby would it eniur-
ngly honor itself and UNNECESSARILY bless the world.
have in THE letter given ny reasons Tor snpposln9
that Congress will not enact it: and admit that
such an exercise Of the War Power Is not defined Or
specified in the Constitution. Ii IL Included In It
ONLY nfereutia'ly. Nevertheless il is from the very
nature Of the case neldded III it certai4iy
The other law which Congress mi 4ht enact Amend
ments to existing laws would probably sufce would
be one II recruiting the Army from the blacks af
as well as the whites. Ii would be too clearly Con-
stituionsl to he in danger OF encouneIng the Pres.
dents Veto. lis passage would doubtless be OF.
posed by some blind or stubborn deyotees of the
Slave Power, and by some Secessonists in thin ais
suise. They would oppose 1t Oh the ground Of is
conflict with certain State lave. There tcould he
such conflict. Tnese slayehol ing laws DO, TO the
exclusion of all Federal authority and OF all right
authority In bczven and EARTH claim all power over
their victims. Bat were our nation in life CT death
struggle with France Engand, would Congreys
allow itself to be controlled by this claim mol Mol
II would insist It's Constitutional nght TO raise
and support armies' from Whatever sources and oy
whatever means IL pleased and to pay such wage<
as il pleased. II would compose them OF black as
well as white men; and seeing tue endurance and
hafdihood OF black women 1t might draw upon them
also. IL might, your RESOLUTION could perhaps DC
construed 10 mean, "order freedom" 10 slaves as
their f-0ees DaTtioi or entire. But hope u would
not hope it would lie unjust as to let the
former cnslavemeDt of soldier be reason Tor Ie-
ducmg his money pay. No, congress would no more
in the event of such War suier itself to be tram
meed by slave laws THAI by lave were State insane
enough to enact them which should assume the alb!
solute and exclusive control OF li9hthalred white
men Ii would enlist blsck-faced men ana Esht-
haired men in equal and Gisrespect of WHAT
ever State laws might stand III Its way Bat IL Com
gress world thus act in the case OF foreign war,
more emphatically should 1t when tie enemy is iaf
l
nv throwing away the Constitution cut Itself on
from ALI liberty to quote the Constitution. l hardly
need add that Congress by sml taking the ground
that il will allow neither the complexion nor tns
condition of men TO be an obstacle TO It's raising
armies WILL though indirectly nevertheless ebeet-
nally work out the entire abolition OF the whole sy
TEN OF American Slavery. WI, the South say tnas
this ia more than she contracted for when she got up
tbis War Our answer il, that she should have more
carefully surveyed the exceedingly wide scope OF the
contract and more carefully stucled its terIic ia.
biites In other words, she should have calculated
all the cost of the Rebelli before punging into '
One thing more under this head. Not only have
our Generals no Constitutional fight 70 Snow men -
slaves and not only have they been kidnappers and
made themselves fable TO be punished as s1eh ioI
sinking men into slavery, but Congress itsen has no
right to know men as slaves. Even pro-Sh'efy lu'
rists however great the Latitude which they claim
tue Cor sttution gives to State legislation In aiS mat
ter do not generally claim that the National Governs
ment has the power either TO make slave or the
right 10 recognize any one as slave.
You propose compensation to the loyal masterS
Of eiayes had always held it to be the duty Of the
North, being partrceps crim'ns, 10 share with ths
South in the present loss Of Emanelpation-though
had always regarded the claim Of property In man
with as much adherence would regard the claim
of property in his Maker. Bat when Slavery broushe
this inpoyeriehiug War upon u.s. felt that we could
hardly nt TO let the abolition Of Slavery cost uf
anything beyond the cost Of the War. SO expensive
as well as 10 way OF aboliohing Slavery old
feel the War to be- Nevertheless as the loyal slayes
holders are only a comparative handful and as they
have honorably refused 10 follow the general exam.
ple of saveholders they ought TO be generously deat
with and therefore raise no objection 10 TINS Ias
Of your Resolution.
Silce beginning This letter have received the he:
port of the Secretary of the Navy. In this ine OF
Astounding nonsense on the tlave question, tne so9c