The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-02-07
and rot us a sentiment or affec-

reservation, and rot us sentiment or afec-
ton.
It is this rebelious slave interest which has
80 long controlled the Government, and made
its laws, and dictated its policy, who's"
power in the Nation and whose conduct in the
exercise tf that power gave rise to the Rcpub-
lcan party. The principles on which that party
Was founded were that freedom is better NOR
ally, politically and socially than Slavery, and
that the Government should be administered in
the interests Of Freedom, according to the true
intent and purpose Of its founders. This Re
publican principle triumphcd in the PrtSIden-
:al election, an the slave interest rehelliorsly
took up arms against the Government 1t could
no longer control. Now t. us it is b very plain
proposition that either thc Republican party
were wrong all through thei, political history IN
urging that Slavery was an evil hat ought to
BE- as far as possible within Sic limits Of the
Constitution, crippled, CT else these are wrong
to day who SO pcrsistently say that o!avcry
must be let alone in this war.
But these new champions Of the slave interest
tell US, 10 be sure, that slavery has constitu
tional guarantees, and that the Government that
is endearoring 20 keep itselt in existence must
respect all these gQaranti(s. This is but the
old argument OF the bred Scott decision and
Judge fancy over again, with new gloss and
IL sugar coating OF pretended hostility 10 slavery
in theory, while aiding and comforting it in fact
There are certain clauses in the Constitution
which relate to persons held to service or labor
and while they remain there nobody objects to
giving the loyal Shareholders the full benefit of
them, pnacss tho stern necessities Of tie Govern.
mant should yet require A Vigorous and far
reaching policy respecting slaves. But is there
any clause in the Constitution forbidding the
conIiscation Of the property Of rebels, whether
that property has Teen actively employed against
the Government or not? If there is, the Gov
eminent may as we'll stop operations at once,
for it cannot make the least progress in the war
without contiscating, in fact. rebel property. If
it is true that rebel property may be contiscated,
then it is also true that the slaves of rebels may
be confscutcd for the use of the Government
These propositions must stand or tall together.
And we would be glad to hayo tn, Sc rigid Con-
stltu'lonalsts point out TO us wherein it is
constitutional to confscate the slaves of rebels,
if they admit that the act Of the last session OF
Congress is constitutional and if that law is
unconstitutional, it would he pleasant to see
them turn their guns against the admins ration,
which approves it and now acts upon it, rather
than against their former allies who are only
following out the ideas which formerly controlled
them and us alike.
But some of these new converts to the faith
that Slavery must be let alone, profess 10 still
believe that the Government may contscate all
rebel property, including slaves 10 be sure.
they do mt spend any time in advocating such Il
measure, but put in that article of their faith as
defence when they are accused of bosterng
up the wicked system Just as a great many of
the political opponents of the Republican party
IN former times pretended to agree that Slavery
was great evil and that it would be blessing
to the Country to be rid Of it, but who always
voted to put men in power who took most par
tcu lar care that Slavery came to no harm. They
looked one way while they rowed in the OPP
posi'c direction And those persons now appar-
emily exul, in the confident belief, that Slavery is to
be destroyed through the agency OF the present
war, and yet they continually oppose every
measure whether in Congress or in the army
that looks directly towards shat result We
certainly should rejoice IN such resnltas much
as any Of those defenders of the rights Of Sla
very, but we differ from them in this,-that VIC
believe that active treatment is necessary to rid
nsof the evil, while they believe in letting the
devil cast himself out. Slavery is too strong
too well entrcnGhed, has 100 much vitality to
die of itsef just yet. W. are in favor Of as.
sisting nature,-fpr her slow processes of killing
the evil have not yet accom- pshcd much, and
in this we believe that we are but pursuing to
their logical consequences the ideas upon which
the Republican party was founded.
Although the telegraph does not give US much
reliable news nowadays, there is something