M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1861-09-19

idens transmitted a letter 10 Generai
Fremont on the 18th inst. 90 the sub.
idat of3Fremont's recent proclamation
rHo ssys: :StH'A ssdming you, being on
the ground, could better judge of the
necessities of your position than |
could at this distance, on seeing your
REORGANIZATION 6f the 9eth Of August, !
lporeoiysd~ Nc. gensral-objection to it.
1.-The, particular Objection being the
.Iblause fslatiyc to ihe eonfscation Of
property and the liberation Of slaves,
Objectionable for it's conformity to
the act of Congress passed the Sth OF
last August. t..-..---.-,.-.,.,.....>.......--
81 wrote expressing the wish that
THAT clause shonld be modified. Your
answer expresses the preferences that
/ make an open order for this moditi-
cation, which | ebecrlully do. 1t is
therefore ordered that the said clause
be modified, held and construed, to
conform with, and not transcend, the
provisions contained in the act Of Con-
gress entitled 'An act to contiscate
property used for insuTectionary pur-
poses, and that said act be Published
at length with this order.
80 49, ga. LINCOLN"
It seems that the President "par-.
1ticularly objected" to a clause in the
Fremont Proclamation "for its non
conformity TO the act Of Congress
passed on the 9th of last August" y
lie wrote to Gen! Fremont at once,
Expressing the wish that the clanse
should be modified" Gen. Fremort's
communication expressed "prefer.
f encc" that the President should
"make an open order for this moditi.
cation"-which was to inform the
Z President that if the Proclamation
, was to be modified, the responsibility
before the country should be taken by
b. him. The President "cheerfully"-
. that is 10 say with alacrity and pleas
ure-makes this open order - anf
therefore, orders that the "said clause
+ of the Fremont Proclamation "bl
y modified, held and construed to con
0 form with, and not transcended thI
provisions" contained in the act Q
Congres; known as the Conf cation act
d 1t was understood by some person
# that Genera! Fremont was, in hi
proclamation, only carrying out til
provisions of the confiscation act
Q The General was, however, consider
d ably transcending the act. The fac
: that he did tratiscend it was, indeed
the fact which distinguished bis proc
lamation from others, and gave it ce
T lebrity; and, we may. add, popularity
SEC, 4. And be itafurtber enacted
: That whenever hereafter, during tb
= present insurreetion against the gov
s l.ernment of the United States. an
person claimed to be held to labor o
8ervice under the law of any Stat
shall be required or permitted by tn
person to whom such labor or servic
q is claimed to be due. or by the lawfr
O. agent of such person, to take up arm
against the United Stases; or shal
, be required Or permitted by the per
son to whom such labor or service j
claimed to DO duesor his lawful agent
to work or to be employed in or npol
Fauy fort, navy yard, 4 dock, armory
ship, ontrcnchmentb orin any militaF.
or naval service whatsoever, agains
the government or lawful authority o
tine United States, and in every sucl
case, the person to whom such labo
or service is claimedp to be due shal
forfeit his claim to such labor, any Law
of tho State or of the United States t
the contrary notwithstanding ;AnC
when ever thereafter the person claim
ing such labor or service shall seek
to enforce his claim, itrshall be q ful
and sufficient answer to such claim
that the person whose service or labol
is claimed land been employed in hos
\ tile service against the government o
the United States contrary to tht
provisions Of this act, p .rry gEI
Approved August 6,.1861. MIN q
Tho above is the only law that re-
lates to the confiscation of slaves--aG
"persons claimed to be held to service
or labor" as the law, with excessively
t cautious circumlocution, words it,
The difference between the Confsca
ton Act and the, sFremonti Proclama
, ton is, that the former only confis
Gates such slaves as are forced o.
permitted to take up arms, or labol
! in military service against the UEitet
+ States !; while the latter confiscate;
the slaves OF men themselves engage(
in making war against tue Uuitet
: States. Under the Fremont Procla
, nation, ifa rebel entered the Confed
! crate army, the slaves be left at hom
! at work on his plantation, were mad
; lreemen. According to the Confsca
ton Act, tile slaves of any arme
traitor in Missouri provided they ar
r employed only in works of peace, ar
G secured to him, or at least are nc
D taken away from him, The modif
cation Of the Proclamation is, there
fore, SO far as the negro question
J concerned, an a5rog We sha