, 1861-12-20

u UA l3IS AA4 1outh3uE5 tul sllT4f0l III GEUp
sland, when the General caused to be pub
oya} citizens Of the Southwest. HaYing with
lin no member Of lis immediate staff, he had
'Tident1{ consulted ehiedyhis own Judgment in
cutting forth the address. After its completion
9ccasfon as peculiarly fitting one for setting
forth in . frank and, at the same time, a toll
Grant spirit, the sentiments which won1d govern
his conduct in prosecuting VIII 'against rebel
lion IN the Southwest Having already reached
our destination, and the active duties Of pro-
sidipg for the landing Of the troops degolYing
upon him, Gen. Phelps intrusted his procla-
nation to your correspondent, with the re-
guest that he would copy and circulate it, as !
widely as possible. The document was copied |
rival in Ship Island Roads, it was read aloud |
in the presence Of the passengers and officers, !
who were convened in the steamers Saloon |
On the following morning, other copies were !
made, one Of which was read to the officers |
on board the United States steamer -Aassachn- |
sets, in the hearing Of seVerM secession pri5- |
oners, who had been taken on board the rebel !
steamers Henry Lewis, Anna, and other prizes |
in port. 4 copy WIS also left On board, for |
Commander Smith.
HEADQeARrERs A1nnrEsEx Bn.sApHl
SNIP ISLAND. A1ss1ssIRrE, Dec 4, 1861.
To the 1osEd citizens Of tie Southwest:
Without any desire Of my own, but contrary.
IL ult GlltsltE s1Ed1Ll ufu LILY 6C1
among you as q military officer OF the Govern
mcnt. 4 proper respect Tor ny fellow eoun-
t1ynen renders It not ont o. plaee that
should make known to you the motiTes and
principles by which my command viii be gov
eFncd-
We believe that every State that has beeu
admitted rs SlaTe State into the Union, since
tile adoption of the Constitution, 1,ns been SO
admitted in direct violation Of that Constitu~
tion.
listed, as such, at the adoption Of our Consti-
luton, arc, By becoming parties to that COM
pact, under the highest obligations Of honor
and noralit1 to abolish slavery.
It is our conviction that monopo1ies arc rs
destructive as competition is conservative Of
the principles and Sitalities Of republican
government; TINT slave labor Is 3 monopoly
which excludes free labor and competition;
that slaves are kept in comparative id1eness
end eose in fertile half Of our arable national
territory. while free white 1aDorers, constantly
augmentiHE in numbers from Europe, arc
confined to the other halt, and are often dis
trcsscd by want. that tho free 1abor Of the
North has more need Of expansion into tho
Southern States, from which it Is virtually ex-
eluded, than slavery had into Texas in 1916;
that free labor is essential to free Institutions;
| that these institutions arc naturally better
adapted and more congenial to the Anglo
| Saxon rnce than arc the deEpotlc tendencies OF
slavery; and, finally, that the dominant poEt-
ical principle Of this North American conti-
| pent, so long as the Caucasian race continues
| lie that Of free institutions and free govern
| 1ncnt- ANY distractions to the progress OF
that form Of government in the Unitcd States
must Inevitably be attended with discord and
] war.
Slavery, from the condition Of j universally
recognized Eocial and moral evil, has become
! at length political institution, demanding
political recognition. It demands rights to
I tlsc exclusion and annihilation OF those rights
which are insured to us BY the Constitution
and We must choose between them, which NC
i will haye, for ne cannot have both. The Con
stitution> was made for Ftccmen--not fol
Slaves Slavery, as a social evil, might for I
tint be tolerated and endured; but as pofiti
cal institution it becomes Imperious and e1
acting, controlling, like dread necessity, al
whom Circumstances have compelled to ivt
under its sway, halnpering their action ant
thus imperiung our national progress. As :
| political institution it could exist as co-ordi
! bate part only of two forms Of government
| VIZ: the dcepotic and the free; and 1t coplt
exist under free government only where pub
| lie sentiment, in the most unrestrlctcdc cxer
else Of d robust freedom, leading to extraya
Eancc and Righteousness, Ind swayed til
thoughts and habits Of the people beyond til
] Rounds and limits Of their own moderate COL
stitutional provisions. It could exist under
: free government only where the people in
/ | period Of unreasoning extrayaSanee had Pc
mitted popular c1anlor to overcome poPul:
reason, and had attempted the imrossibility
e setting up, permanently, MS 4 political inst
tuition, j social evil Which is opposed to NOR
3aH.
5, By reverting to the history Of tue past, y
!. f:ld that one Of the most destructive wars {
record, that Of the French Revolution, 4;
l. originated by the attempt to give polite
= | character to m Institution which was not su
: | ccptible of political character. The Churc
l. with 1ln1itfc1t 73nFCnr VII
Is its eonvGnts, its schools, its Immense land
wealth, it's associations, secret and open, b
y cazpe the ruling power Of the State, and til
1t Occasioned war Of more STRIFE and biootshe
n probably, than any other war which has des
~ iated the Garth.
4 Slavery il still less susceptible Of polite
~ | character than mas the Church. It is Is fit
t1is mo1ncut for the 1umber-room Of the pt
= as was in 1888 the monastery, the land
q wealth, the c&clusiye privilege, etc, OF t
IL 10 consider, as se1fgovcrning people, bl
i'll and reared, and practiccd in tho habits Of 81
j., | government, whether we cannot, whether
u GigAt not, to reyolutionize slavery out Of I
IN istcnce, without the necessity Of q conflict
m arms like that Of tie French Revolution.
IL indeed, We feel assured that the NOM
et- slavery is abolished, from that moment (
ne | Southern brethren, every ten Of whom Ii
probably seven relatives in the North, wo
u hegin to emerge from a hateful dclirir
" From that moment, relieved from inlasin
al tcrrorz, their days become happy, and I'll
o. nights pcaccab1c aud free from alarm the
ng grcgatc amount oflaboE, under the He~ sti!
as lus Of fair competition, becomes greater
by day; property rises in value; invigor;,t
Influences succeed to staguation, degrne5
aud decay and union, harmony mad peace
,eD which nc have 20 long been strangers, beck
"a | restored; and bind us again in tho bonds
Aa' friendship and amity, as when VIC first be
OH | our national career, under our glorious {
yet esrment Of 1852.
ss Why do the leaders Of tho rebellion see
ate. Change the form of our ancient Governme
ris- Is it because the growth Of tho African
n1cnt has come at length to render cha
'v. necessary? viii you permit tile free Gov
int, zlcut under which you Lave thus far lived,
+o,, With is so well suited for the desc!opncr
e'i' true manhood, to be altered to narrow
arc Delittleirg dcspotism, in order to adapt
rioe | tie necessities Of ignorant s1aEcs, and th
[ duirements Of their proud and aristocl
IDS owncrss viii the laboriug mcn-of the 81
,Yn ] bend their necks to the sumo yoke tha
suited to the slaycss We think not
ls- may safely answer that the time has not
not | arrived when our Southern brethren, for
mere sake Of keeping Africans in slavery.
abandon their long cherished free instituti
and enslavc themselves.
lew It is tllc conviction OF my command,
tho part OF the national forces Of tie Ur
States, that labor manual labor--is inhcrc
neg noble; that it cannot be systematically
had graded by any nation without running
tn peaee, happiuess md power; that free lat
wv the granite basis on which free fnstitu
siye must rest, that it is the right, the capital
0r. Inheritance, the hope Of the poor man e
VI where; that it is especially the right o,
'ops millions Of our fellow -countrymen ID the
not srs ns WI, ~ = ~ ~ nv r nt tTu thaufr. ~
Gen. ever small or great, whether directed u
finn the interference Of governments from ab
or against rcbellious combinations at
| shall be for free labor: our motto, ant
standard shall be, here and everywhere
attic Oh Ill occasions, FREE LApoR AND Woh
,ther h aa. 'on hf th.t ur 10 u .is nvcr
out the asylum OF the nastons-.can be pei
I'M ated and preserved. j. W fHELp
W. BTig~Gcn Of Volunteers, Command
Eiano Newspaper correspondents On dutY at
1,Wyo quarters Of military chieftains have 1ca1
! his degree Of caution in comments, nevet1
l. 1t the one in question docs not conceal tha
way Phelps's production met with a violent
essee s'tloo' anu SUM uelas "s.s snuS causeo
IL the psonla'eaeaon ~ ene p't..ous ooeo1en'
up the cddgcl against him, General
=, quietly remarked, with slight degree
80, patience:
JILL ."Whst did the5 cnme down here forf "
ays- sacrifice their case to waste their time. "a =
re uI1 fsw pers<5s nav hold elavesf did not &
with any sosn pnIp9se came 81 a9 1a ag a4S Thesa q
i'll do among whom wc have conc, do MT ask an,
>. -. ofns and esknons Of item. did not col
rs w to sted{* but to tell them just what mcan
Others Of the officers who disscntct
the proclamation, expressed TINT diss
'assed respectful terms, md proceeded, liz
days soldiers, in the discharge Of their duE