The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1861-12-12

1t ly safe and free from the burd.ns
o war, if it should be brought on bv n
l. contemplated rebellion, and that bo.,
e was accompanied by the savag. tbres
y that Northern towns and cities wonI
n become the victims of rapine and mil
!. tary spoil," and that "Northern me
should smell Southern gunpowder an
l. ieel Southern steel" No one doubt
J, the disposition of the rebels to carr,
f tnat threat into execution. The wealtj
1 OF Northern towns and cities, the pro
9 duce OF Northern farms. Northrr,
3 workshops and manufactures. woul,
: certainly be seized, destroyed, or ap
propriated as military spoil. No prop
orty in the North would be spared from
= the hands of the rebels, and their ra
pine would be defended under the law,
t OF war. While the loyal States thu
hd0e all their property and possession.
az stohe, are the aaasurgeaat rebels to can.
9;y on sod'1are against the Gouerganaen
M peace and security to their oao,a pro,,
erty? 80, -
reason and justice and selfpreserva-
ton forbid that such should be the poli
cy OF the Government, but demand. on
the contrary, that, being forced bv
traitors and rebels to the extremity q,
war, all the rights and 2,oacers of S,o,
should be erercised to 5rinq at to q
speedy eaad .s 3r5
Those who make war against the
government justly forfeit all rights of
property, privilege, or security, derived
from the Constitution and laws while
they are in armed rebellion and as
tho service of their slaces constitutes
the c|sef property Of the rebels, such
property should. fire the common fate
Of aoar to sohich they haze deyoted the
property Of loyal citizens.
While it is plain that the slave prop.
erty OF the South is justly subjected to
all the consequences of this rebellious
war, and that the Government would
be untrue to its trust in not employing
all the rights and powers of war to
bring it to a speedy close, the details of
the plan for doing SO, like all other mill.
tary measures, must in great degree.
be left to be determined by peculiar ex-
igencies. The disposition of other
property belonging to the rebels that
becomes subject to our arms is gov
erned by the circumstances of the case.
THE Government has no poaoer to hold
stdces, none to restrain q Slace of his |
liberty nor to e5cact his service. Ehas
q right, ho,ceUer, TO use the voluntary
service of slaves liberated by war from
their rebel masters, like any other prop.
erty of the rebels, in what ever mode
may be most efficient for the defence
of the Government, the prosecution of
the war, and the suppression of the re-
bellion. 1t as as clearly q right of the.
Government to arm sSaves, when it
may become necessary, as it is to use
gunpowder when taken from the enc
my. Whether it is expedient to do so
as purely q military question. The
right as uaquestioaable by the Iaaos of
acdr. The expediency must be deter
mined by circumstances, keeping in
view the great object of overcoming
the rebels, establishing the laws, and
restoring peace to the nation.
1t is vain and idle for the Govern
ment to carry on this, or hope to main
tain its existence against rebellious
forces, soithoutem2oloying all the rights
and poacers Of acar. AS has been said
the right to deprive the rebels of their
in slaves and slave labor. is as
clear and absolute, as the right to take
forage from the field, or cotton from
the warehouse, and powder and arms
from the magazines. To leave the ene-
my in the possession of such property
as forage and cotton and military stores,
and the means of constantly reprodue-
ing them, would be madness. 1t is,
therefore, equal madness to Iedve them
ie peaceful and secure possession of
staUe property more valuable and eff
cae'at to them for acdr, than forage, cot
tom and military stores. Such policy
loould be national suicide. What to
do with that species of property, is a
question that time and circumstances
will solve, and need not be anticipated |;
further than that they cannot be held by
The Government as SLAVES. 1t would
be useless to keep them as prisoners of
" ~ Gnu sSiI ti iSSSi NdtiOi, tHC h's shtSo
duty of government, or of individu- ,
ais, demands that they should be dis |
posed of or employed a's the most eff {
fectiye manner. that will tend most :
speedily to suppress the insurrection |
and restore the authority of the Gov 5
If it shall be found that the
men who have been held by the rebels :
rs slaves are capable Of bearing arms
md performing efficient military SER
,ice, it is the right and may become ,
he duty of the Government to arm ,
md equip them, and employ their. SER
aces against the rebels, under the prop
n military regulation, discipline aud ,
~ ns
But in whatever manner they may
De used by the Government, it is plain
hat, once liberated by the rebellious
act of their masters, they should mecer i
1gain be restored to bondage. By the i
masters treason and rebellion he for 8
eits all right to the labor and service |
If his slave; and the slave of the re- /
,ellious master, by his service to the i
Government, becomes justly entitled to S
i'eedona and protection. i