, 1861-12-07

s.Es1zsExzt
abandoned by their owners on the advance Of
our troops into Southern territory, as in the |
whole white population therein is SIX thous-
and, while the number Of negroes exceeds |
thdrty-two thousand The panic which drove |
their masters In wild confusion from their |
homes, leaves them in undisputed possession
81 tAe e1 s9H i! ~ an M Ma g dn1; S1 a b. Ger nass sa
their labor be continually employed IN reproducing
The means supporting The armies Of rr5eVione
The war into which this Government has
been forced by rebelious trnitors, is carried
ty violently and trcacherously seized upon by
tho enemies of the Government, md to re-
establish the authority and laWB Of the United
States In the places where 1t is opposed or
ovcrthrown By armed insurreetion and rcbc1-
lion. Its purpose Is TO recover and defend
what is justly its own.
War, even between independent nations, is
made to subdne the enemy, and all that be-
longs to that enemy, BY occupying the hostile
mem and III tinss witkin % is terrtory Gr ~ Ts lis
being true in respect to independent nations
d. war with each other, it follows that rebels
who arc 1aboring By force Of arms to overthrow
a,goyernrnent, Justly bring upon themselves
AlA tlE CNt1hC4AC1EIa III WIZ Alu TECfuhN
the destruction nletitcd by the worat Of crimes.
That government would be false to national
tr71st and sooztd justly ercite the idicaIe Of the
cis1zcd scorld that scoa:M abstain from the Use
Of any efficient means to presesae its ORR e1ist
eacc, Or to oaerconas Ty5e1lious ana trastorous
ene''y, By spafing or projecting the property af
Moss zetto are tagging aet1r agdsHstA-
CoNF1scAT1ox OF SLAVES OF REBELS.
The principal wealth and power of the rebel
States is peculiar species Of property, con-
sisting of the service or labor OF African
| sluyes, or the descendants Of Africans. This
pf Falae of rom s7oo ooo, 600 to Il, ,0o0, 900 900
| Why should Mis property be exempt from the
hazards ard consequences of q rc1s1f7o7ss soar?
/ It Was the boast Of the leader Of the rebel
tie United States, that the Southern States
would be comparatively safe and free from the
| burdens Of war, if it should be brought on by
| the contemplated rebellion, and that boast
| Tas accompanied by the sayage threat that
"Northern towns and cities would become
! the victims Of rapine and military spoil," ="
and that "Northcn mcn should smell
| Southern gunpowder and feel Southern
| steel" No one doubts the disposition Of the
rebels to carry that threat into execution. The
wealth OF Northern towns and cities, the pro-
ducc Of Northern firms, Northern workshops
destroyed or appropriated us military spoil.
No property III the North would be spared
from tile lands Of tile rebels, and their raplne
would be defended under the laws Of war.
l1ic tie loga1 States thass haze all their property
and possessions at stake, tie insurye'& 9cbe2s
TO carry on araI7dre against tie Government IN
peace and security to their dlc5a o7Vpe,tyS
Reason and Justice and sclf-preservation for
bid that such should be the policy Of this Gov.
erpment, but demand, on the contrary, that
being forced by traitors and rebels to the eE
| trcniity of war, all the rights and g,omers q
arar should be exercised to bring it to q speed,
end
| Those who make war against the Govern
ment justly forfeit all rights Of property
privilege, or security, derived from the Consti
tuition and laws against which they are il
| armed rebellion; and as the service Of Utci
sZaees constitutes tic cief property Of the rebels
sucA property sto2lld share The common Jate Q
.oar to solich they hare aesoted the property 9
loyal citizens.
: ALL THE MEANS TO BE EMPLOYED
| While it is plain that the slave property c
( the South Is Justly subjected to all the eonse
Government would be untrue to its trust i
: not employing all the rights and powers {
S war to bring it to speedy close, tho detail
Of the plan for doing 60, like ali other militar
measures, must, in a great degree, be left t
= be determined by particular cXiggencics. Th
# disposition Of other property belonging to til
:. rebels that becomes subject to our arms
governed by the circumstances Of the cast
Tie Government has no Eoacer to hold ssaye
&c none to restrain a s(dye Of his liberty NJ
:. to use the voluntary service of slaves iberatc
By war from their rebel masters, like any otht
" property Of the rebels, in whatever mode ma
n be most efficient for the defence Of the Go
c. eminent, the prosecution Of the war, and Il
suppression Of the rebellion. Il Is as clearly
H. right Of tie Gorc91.ae5st to arm S2dpes, when
II may become necessary, ls it Is to use gu
,e powder taken from the enemy. Whether it
cxpedient to do SO ispurely Il military qasestio
Tie right is ataquesti0adble BY the lars Of act.
nc cumstanccs, keeping in view the great obje
x Of overcoming tho rebels, rc-establishing II
:" laws, and restoring peace to the nation.
IN It is vain and lille for the Government
in carry on this war, or hope to maintain its c
istence against rcbe1lious force, 1eithox G,
ployfng aIlk1e rights and poecers Of acar. As Il
~ been said, the right to deprive the rebels
~ their property ii slaves and slave labor, Is
=, clear and absolute, as the right to take fora
~ ~ from the field or cotton from the Tarchous
~ = or powder and arms from the magazine.
r., leave The enemy in the possession OF su
~ ~ property as forage and cotton and militia
- - stores, and the means Of constantly reprodr
a. ing them, would be madness. II is, therefor
~ rqAaI madness 10 kaze them IN peaceful aud ssca
s possession Of Stare property more sulud51e a
a7ad military stores. Such policy mould be u
7e tiozal Suicide. What to do with that speci
| of prOncrty is question that time and c
IS cumstlncc win solve. and nccd not be anti
cs natef1 further than to repeat that ey c,1u,tt
u u held 6y tie Eoye,7l,,,e,tt as slu,es. Il would
AZ AZ useless to keep them as prisoners Of war; u
Us selfpresergation, the highest duty Of &c
AZ crnn1ent, or Of individuals, demands that IL
'n should be disposed Of or emp9oycd in the NJ
7" efettise .uay7ac4 that viii tend most speedily
u u suppress the insurrection and restore the 1
IT, IT, thority of the Government. # it shall
e e found that the men who have been held BY t
r. r. rebels as slaves are capable Of bearing ar
y and performing efficient military service, If
W y, the tight and may become the duty Of t
a. a. Government to am, and eqnip them, and
~ ! ulov their se,1ices aq1inst tie rebels, mi
OF propcr military regulation, di5cipline .
y, command
la But in whatever manner they may be Il:
os by the Government, it is plain that, once Ill
70 aied By the rebelHous act Of their n1aste
el. they Should 4seec7 .rgain Be restored to boude
o1 By the masters treason and rebellion lie I
n | feits all right to the labor and service Of
Sc slave: and The slave Of the rcbellfous mast
ese by his service to the Government, beco
Ink i,tst7t, entitled to freedom, and protection
lns ryhs f,,7o1r;,,, i t,,c s1st;+1,, thn u,
on Ane aoiio" inS 10 LIZ suoe-.o'e W. tne ao
led passages which we're erased By the Presid,