Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1862-10-10
Will They?

The Southern papers declare it as the
fixed purpose of the rebels to murder
every slave in the South, should any
considerable number of them claim, or
attempt to claim, their freedom under
the Presidents proclamation. Perhaps,
in their insanity of fanaticism, they
may make the attempt. But won It they
have good time of it? The deliberate
murder of four millions Of people, even
if negroes, is a pretty large contract to
undertake. And when it is fairly be-
gun, we should not be surprised if Sambo
and Caesar took hand in the frolic.-
If it be true that "whom the gods in =
tend to destroy, they first deprive of
reason" these conspirators against the
liberties of aohite men, may, indeed, con-
| spire against the lives of the Blacks
If they are doomed to absolute extermi-
nation, we think they will attempt to
put their threat into execution.
When they have begun the massacre,
what is to save them? As yet, the
slaves have been quiet, looking, praying,
hoping for relief from their bondage
through the operations of the war
All accounts from the South concur in
dem monstrating that the slaves under
stand the position in which they and
the country stand. They intend to be
free. They hope to reach their freed 10 N
without striking for it themselves,
through the policy of one or the other
of the contending parties. The fact
that the loyal people, through their
President, have decreed their freedom,
is known by this time ir every negro
hut in the South. This will bind them
in stronger sympathy with the Union
cause. 1t will also nerve their strong
arms with additional strength. Hope,
for once, holds out to them the promise
of a future. They will not only have
the animal instinct of the love Of life,
but the higher aspiration of ospective
liberty to inspire them. Now, with
these stimulants to action, let the reb
els undertake their massacre, and the
oft recited "horrors of St. Domingo
will be forgotten in the terrible doom of
the cons spirators.
And yet the leading influences in the
South seem determined to bring this fate
npon themselves. Can any one contem
plate the possible scene, without shud
der? What! murder four millions Of limo :
cent human beings! And will they stand
still and be murdered? No! There is
just one chance for the South, and that
is to lay down their arms, and submit
to the Constitution and the laws of the
land. IF they madly refuse this, and
after the close of this year, still persist
in their reasonable purpose of destroy
ing this Union, we see no way for them
to escape the most utter destruction
that ever befell any people. And this
destruction will come upon them as the
natural and necessary result of their OWE
crimes. 1t will not be brought upon
them by the desire or design of the
loyal men of the nation, and the untold
horrors of their determination will give
no pleasure to any loyal citizen. Bu
this Union aoiU be maintained! No for
eign poaoer, aohether Of the Monarchists o.
Europe, or the upstart Aristocracy a
home, aoM erer be permitted to establish
an ontagonistic Government a0ittin TIT
bounds Of this Uniont This much Is set
tied! And if, in the treasonaLle effort tc
do so, and the patriotic determination te
prevent the deed, the whole South be-
comes desolation, why, SO be it! They
can prevent the dreadful catastrophe by
laying down their arms. We cannot
prevent it without becoming their ac,
completes, and consenting to the ruiz
of cur country and the blasting of the
hopes of the world.