Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1861-12-09


mastcrs, be placed n me 6sldso fight
asainst W, or shall their labor be contin-
uslIy employed IN reproducing the
rseans for supporting the armies Of re-
bo1lionl
The var into which this Government
has been forced by rebelllous traitors,is
carried on for the purpose Of repossess-
ing the property violently and trcachcr-
ously seized upon by the enemies OF the
Government, and to re-establish the au-
thor;ty and laws of the United States in
the places where 1t is opposed or over
thfown by.armed insurrection and re-
bcIion. Its purpose is to recover and
defend What is justly its own.
War, even between independent ma
tons, 10 made to subdue the enemy, by
occupying the. hostile country, and exer-
cising dominion over all men aud things
within its territory. This being true in
respect to independent nations at war
with each other, it follows that rebels
who arc laboring by force Of arms to
overthrow a government justly bring
upon themselves all the &C nseqncnces oil
war, and provoke the destruction merit
cd by the worst Of crimes. That gov
ernment would be false to national trust,
and would Justly excite the ridicule Of
the civilized world, that would abstain
from the use of any efficient means to
preserve its own existence, or to over
come rebellious or traitorous enemy,
by sparing or protecting the property
OF those who are waging war against it.
The principal wealth and power OF
the rebel States is peculiar species
Of property, consisting Of the service or
labor of African slaves, or the descen-
dants Of Africans. This property has
been vaaiously estimated at the value Of
from 800, 100000 to 81, O0O,O 100000.
Why shonld this property be exempt
from the hazards and consequences Of a
rctclious war?
1t was the boast of the leader Of the
rebellion, while he yet had seat in the
Senate Of the United States, that the
Southern States would be comparative
" safe and free from the burdens of war
II it should be brought on by the con-
templated rebellion, and that boast was
! accompanied by the savage threat that
"Northern towns and cities would become
the victims Of rapne and military spoils, !"
and that "Northern men should smell
Southern gunpowder and Southern
STEEL" No one doubts the disposition
of the rebels to carry that threat into
execution. The wealth of Northern
towns and cities, the produce Of North
ern farms, Northern workshops and
manufactures, would certainly be seized
destroyed or appropriated as military
spoil. mo property in the North would
be spared from the hands of the
rebels, and their rapine would be
defended under the laws of war. While
the loyal States thus have all their prop
erty and possessions at stake, are the in
surgent rebels to carry on warfare
agalpst the Government in peace ane
security to their own property? Reason
aud Justice and self.prescrvation forbit
that such should be the policy of thi
Government but demand, on the con
trary, that, being forced by traitors an;
rebels to tie extremity of war, all thu
rights and powers Of war should be ex
ercised to bring it to aspeedy end.
Those who make war against tn
Government forfeit all rights of proper
ty, privilege or security derived from tn
constitution and laws, against whic
they are in armed rebellion; and as tn
laborapd.hsa'propefty oi1he rv0cis ,S:.l
property should share the common fat
of war, to which they have devote,
the property of loyal citizens.
While it is plain that the slav
property OF the South.is justly subjecte,
to all the consequences Of this rebellion
war, and that the Govern mcnt would b.
untrue to its trust in not employing al
the rights and powers of war to bring
to speedy close, the details of tn
plan for doing SO, like all other militar,
measures, must, in great degree, b.
left to be determined by particular ex
igencies. The disposition of other prop
crty belonging to the rebels that become
subject to our arms, is governed by tn
circumstances of the case. The Govern
ment has no power to hold slaves, nom
to restrain slave of his liberty, or t,
exact his service. It has a right, how
ever, to use the voluntary service G
slaves liberated by war from their reb
el masters, like any ather property Q
the rebels, in whatever mode may b.
most efficient for the defence OF tn
Government, the prosecution Of tn
war, and the suppression Of the rebel
lion. 1t is clearly right of the Gov
ernment to arm slaves, when it ma,
become necessary, as it is to use gun
powder taken from the enemy. Wheth
er it is expedient to do so, is purel,
a military question. The right is un
questionable by the laws of war. Th'
expediency must be determined by cir
cumstances, keeping in view the grea
object of overcoming the rebels, re-es
tablishing the laws, and restoring peac,
to the nation.
1t is vain and idle for the Govornmen
to carry on this war, or hope to main
tain its existence against a rebellion
force, without employing all the right
and powers of war. Az has been said
the right to deprive the rebels Of theil
property in slaves and slave labor, is a
clear and absolute as the right to tax,
| fnra oo from, tho fold m action from, ~.