The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1862-02-27

AtlvCe, that have heretofore acted with
Republicans, urge that the Government
shall put down the rebellion, and reclaim,
the rebels by for.oaring TO set free their
slaves. CUn6scate their estates, ravagc and
uaks dcsoate their houses. il need be-
iDatilste or kill theM by shot AID shell, in
battle, but do Mt touch their stocks Of slaves
because that will destroy the peculiar in.
stitution." And they 10 on to tell us that
the great mass of these rebels are deludod
that they have been led TO takc up arms by
secession demagogues, who alleged that
the object Of the Republican Administration
and the war, looked to a general cmaucipa.
tien of the slaves--that they must bo shown
by immunity, in this respect, that they arc
laboring under n mistake. The Federal
authorities must carefully arrest, take care
Of, and surrender slaves TO rebel masters
who are now i'll arms against the government
in order to eradicate from their minds this
monster delusion." Such is the mode of
reasoning, by the press alluded to, on this
subject.
Undoubtedly this rebellion, from it's in.
o"ption to the present day. has been mis-.
take AS Rev, Dir. Breckenridge says, "a
irightful mistake" But all crime is mis-.
take,-no less. Murder, robbery, forgery
in the expressed judgment of mankind, are
as UnpiSe as they are wicked. Crime would
lose lis claim to the adherence of men if it
were only heinous when it was committed
in the exercise Of well balanced Judgment.
Until now, no one ever thought of cxtenu-
ating tho turpitude of an oGcnso by pleading
it's folly. There have not, it is true, boon
wanting philosophers who insisted that
crime was maincss, and madness a disease :;
and who, therefore. might consistently look
for its antidote in the ,ndicyir D,eRica; but
such faulty is rivallcd by the proposal to
guarantee the non-fDrleiture of slave prop
erty to rebels, for the purpose Of dispelling
supposed mistake Of theirs on that sub
iuct.
The rebellion was, as we have said,
deous mistake but the delusion did not
in any alarm for the security of slave
Toperty, where il had the sanction of State
ws. 1t was in the idea Of the conspirators
lat the Government Of tho United States
'ould be overtarown, and an empire estab-
Iished, of which slavery should bo the
cornerstone, and its pcrpctuation the vital
idea. Those who entered upon it may well
have anticipated the coyiScation and eqfral.
chiSemcm Of their slavcs ~ one Of Me
consequences Of their crime, in case Of tail
ure. They would not have been 50 creduous
as to imagine that the Government would
guarantee that estate to them, and protect
them in the possession, while they were i'll
insurrection against it, and employing these
very slaves as a military resource for its
overthrow. The rebel leaders were not de.
ceiving their followers, if they pointed out
this as being, in tho cvcnt of defeat ono of
the sure and inevitable results, which, il is
now claimed on their behalf, they regard az
The purpose and object OF the war, on the
part Of tho Government.
There are many things incidental and in.
evitable, in war, which are by no means its
object. Thus, it may often occur that
slave-owner is killed in battle, whom the
eud or object Of the war never took that
into account. But, if they will array
themselves in resistance, they must be put
down as insurgents though in the process
they shall be killed. But, setting u rebels
slaves free is no more abolition than killing
an armed rebel in battle is murder and to
ask the Government 10 exempt any kind of
rebel forfeiture, for tho sake of conciliatipg
any portion of the South, is us absurd at IT
would be to endcavor to bgir. =. hostile
army back to allesiann: ~ employing no
deadly weapnTs agaiGstit, bu, using swords
OF lath and blank cartridge in the fight. lest
through mischanoe, somebody might be
hurt, aud so bc irritated beyond recoucilia
ton.
Should the Government change it's policy.
and determine to hold sacred the slaves of
rebels, or any slaves used 20 operate agains,
il, Il will commit mistake, the couseauen.
ccs of which no man can estimate. There
was no hcsitanoy about putting down John
Brown, and bringing him and his followers
to speedy punishment, AMI in proportion to
tho extent and power Of those now in revolt
so much more severe ought TO he the means
employed to maintain the authority of the
Federal Government. Slavery is admitted
on all hands TO be the cause of this war.
and practical men see in the return OF the
rebel StatSs TO the Union, as they ,rere, the
restoration of . nets Slape-po Ger, processing
devotion TO the Union, aad who will in truth
be for the Union. if s'a7ery is protected
and made perpetual, and will again dominate
in the Government as imperiously OnI in-
saltingly. as the present cOnspirators have
done for the past thirty years.
The truth is, that there never was greater
danger than to-day OF complete surrender
OF Northern politicians in Congress. The
anxiety for peace is such, especially in
commercial circles, that many metropolitan
papers, even now, show disposition 10
make such a compromise as will establish
slavery more firmly than ever-and if this
is done, we shall become a SlayehoIding
Empire. To prevent this, all compromises
must be rsssted, and all the ploperty--of
whdteser aams and nat,re--of the rebels of
the revolving, or any other States, must be
conhscatel. IL il painful To aeo an an 40.