Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1861-06-07
An Offset to Privateering.
From the New York Courier and Enquirer !

destroy it and ruin all whom it protects
They no longer profess any obedience to
its requirements and of course cannot
claim It's protection. By their own act,
our duty to respect their rights under that
Constitution, ceases with their reputation
of it; and our right to Iiberate their slave
property is as clear, as would be our right
to iberate the slaves of Cuba in war
with Spain. Every freeman in America is
| an enemy to African slavery and the mo-
ment he is discharged from bis constitu-
tional duty to respect the institution and
to protect his fellow citizens in the enjoy
ment of slave property where it is recog-
nized by the Constitution, he is morally at
liberty to pursue just such course in rela-
tion to slavery and slaves, as his feelings
and his sense of duty to the slave himself
may dictate. His philanthropy and love
of justice-his convictions of right and con-
siderations of public poiicy-hencefortb,
become bis only rule of conduct. The ab-
clifton of slavery everywhere in the Slave
Confederacy, is a matter to be decided
hereafter, by questions of public expedi-
ency; and not by considerations of obliga-
tions to Constitution which the Rebel
Confederacy repudiate and utterly ignore
Let the Rebel Confederacy reflect upon
these facts; and then if they dare, issue
solitary letter Of marque, or what they
pretend to call such, we'll knowing that
band of lawless rebels and robbers, can
! possess no such right, and the attempt to
exercise it, is nothing more or less than
organized piracy. The first assault upon
our commerce from such quarter, be-
comes by the late piratical law of the slave
contederacv, the act of the whole piratie
horde; and just SO certainly the people Of
the North with one voice, Will not only de-
mand, but will compel the manumission of
every bondman in the slave confederacy.
This Is no idle threat. \ band of pi-
rates threaten and authorize Piracy
upon Northern commerce and from the
moment that threat is carried into execu-
ton, the fetters will fall from the manacled
limbs Of their slaves, and they will be en-
couraged and aided in the establishment
OF their freedom. Suppose Cuba were to
issue letters Of marque against our com
merce, and seize upon the rich prizes which
may be coming from foreign lands, does
any sane man doubt that we should at once
invade that island and Iberate her slaves?
Or does any statesman or jurist question
cur right to do so? And why, then, should
We hesitate to pursue similar course in
respect to this so-cal;ed Southern Confed-
eracy? Spain, as well established ma
ton and recognized d as such by all the pow
s.Io IL
cording to the laws of nations, to adopt
such course of proceeding: but she
would do it at her peril, and well weighing
the consequences. But the Rebel govern
ment of the slave States possess no such
right. The act would be no mere or less
than piracy; and we should not only hang
at the yard-arm all persons caught in the
practice, but we should be compelled, in
self defense, to carry the war into Africa,
and deal with the slaves of the Confed-
eracy precisely as we should, under similar
circumstances. deal with those Of Cuba.
1.-The richly laden ships of the North. "
says the Mobile Adrerti8er, '.swarm on ev-
cry sea. and are absolutely unprotected The
harvest is ripe" We admit it, but gather
it if you dare. Venture upon the capture
of the poorest of those ''richly laden ships"
and from that moment, your slaves become
freemen doing battle in freedoms cause,
Hundreds and hundreds of millions of the
property of the enemy invite US to spoil
him-to spoil these Egyptians" says the
same paper True, but you dare not ven
ture upon the experiment; orif you should
be so rash as to make the experiment,
your fourteen hundred millions of SLAVE
property will cease to exist. and YOU will
find four millions of liberated slaves in
your midst, rceking upon their present
masters the smothered vengeance of SER
vile race, who for generation after genera
tion, have groaned under the lash of the
Negro Driver and his inhuman employer.
The risk of the privateer, says the same
organ Of the Rebel Confederacy, will still
be trifing but he will continue to reap
the harvest.
His risk will only be bis neck, and bis
''Harvest" will be halter. But the
''risk, nay, the certainty of the punish
ment to be visited upon the Slave Confed-
eracy, will be far greater-of infinitely
greater magnitude than they can well con
ceive because it will be no more or less,
than the loss of all their slave property,
accompanied with the necessity of contend
ing hand to hand for their lives, with the
servile race SO long accustomed to the lash,
and the torture, and the branding. and
manning Of their inhuman masters A
nation of robbers who, now in the face Of
the civilized world, repudiates their just
debts, rob Banks and Mints. sell freemen
| captured in an unarmed vessel into perpet-
ual slavery, trample upon law and order,
insult our flag, capture our forts and arse
mails, and finally invite pirates to prey upon
our commereel Such nest of pirates
may do some mischief and greatly alarm
the timid. But the men of the North
know how to deal with them; but we tell
them once fer all, that if they dare grant
solitary letter of marque. and the person
or persons acting under it, venture to as
sail the poorest Of onr vessels in the peace
fuI navigation of the ocean, or the coasts
and rivers of our country-from that mo-
ment their doom is sealed and slavery ceas-
es to exist. We speak the unanimous SEN
! tIueDt of our neople and to that sentiment