The national Republican., 1862-08-09
Saturday, August 3, 1862.
THE. PATRIOTIC ACTION OF GEN.
ERAL CURTIS IN ARKANSAS.

ENh IN AnhhNBhbs
The Helena (Ark.) correspondent July 3l)
of the New York Tribune, states some interest.
ing and gratifying facts in respect to General
Curtis's treatment Of the negro question.
That brave and successful commander con-
tinues to enforce the act Of August, 1861, which
emancipates all slaves who have been used for
rebel purposes. That beneHcent law has, 40
Tar as we know, been ignored and left unex-
scutsd by nearly all our generals. We belive
that General Curtis was the first one Of them
who recognized II at all. General Hunter did
the same thing soon afterwards. The consti-
tutionality Of the law is beyond question. Judge
Thomas, OF Massachusetts, who Is distinguished
tor his (so called) conservatism, sustains II and
claims to have drafted 1t. II has never been
before any court but once. That was before q
Kentucky court at Louisville, and In that case,
which was that OF negro who had been EN-
ployed by the rebels at Fort Donelson the law
was held good and was enforced.
The practical difficulty with the law, is that
while 1t enancipatss slaves employed for rebel
purposes, IL prescribes no way IN which the
tact Of such employment shall be established,
and no tribunal TO give TO the freed slave the
evidence and imminent OF his freedom. This
difficulty was remedied in the coniiscation law
Of the last session, in the form in which II passed
the House but was, by some accident, or over.
sight, dropped out by the conference upon the
bill between the Senate and House. The diff.
Guilty would be much less, II our executive au.
thorities looked upon emancipation with any
favor Generals Curtis and Hunter Issue tree
papers TO all slaves who they are satisfied are
entitled 10 the benefit Of the the law. All our
Generals should do the same thing, but the great
macs Of them do not recognize, or enforce the
law at all because 1t is repugnant to their pro-
slavery prpjudicrs.
cases oil the slaves OF pretended Union men.
freed by General Curtis upon proof that these
slaves had been employed with the assent of
their owners upon the rebel Notifications at
Fort Pillow
An honest enforcement OF the act Of August
6, 1861, would Of itself, abolish slavery in this
country, by emancipating 80 many slaves that
it would be impossible to hold the remainder
in slavery. The number employed. at various
times, upon rebel works and in rebel camps,
since the beginning OF the war. is enormous.
They are all free, and they may plead and show
the fact OF this employment In any tribunal, be.
fore which their late owners may prosecute o
claim tor their services. 1t is not doubtful that
. hair . th.ir
oversight oil the last, and make such free papers
as are Issued by Gen Gen. Curtis, evidence Of the
fact OF the employment for rebel purposes, Of the
slaves named in them.
Gen. Curtis is reported to be doing some
other good things in the vicinity Of Helena,
such as the liberation of Gen. Hindmans slaves
and oil some three hundred slaves of Gen
Gideon }. Pillow, who owned plantations in
Arkansas, IL well an in Tennessee. This 10
bringing home the retributions OF the war to
the nsbobs and olgarchs OF the South, in snch
way ~ to make them feel II. Nothing but
this will end the war They must be stripped
OF their wealth, which constitutes their power
and such OF them as escape death by the bullet
or the rope, must be driven into penniless exile
There must and can be no compromise with
these nigger driving enemies Of republican
liberty. The cup OF their iniquities Is full.
In proper cases, where Gen. Curtis liberates
slaves upon rebel cotton plantations, he cause'
the proceeds OF the cotton sold to be applied Il
the support Of the slaves by whom the cotton
was raised. This IL strictly just. 1t is moi
making the slaves chargeable upon the public
but ia permitting them to be subsistsd out oi
the fruits ni their own industry.
IL Gen. Curtis persaveres in this wise cours'
OF administration, be will effect a permanen
restoration Of peace and order in the vicinity
Of Helena