The New York herald., 1862-12-28

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We publish this morning . retaliatory pro-
clamation issued by Jeff. Davis in reply TO the
announcement of President Lincoln that he i'm
tends freeing all the slaves in the rebel States
by proclamation on the lst Of January next.
This document i another remarkable feature
Of this remarkable war about the inevitable
nsgro. 1t rehearses all the European scandal
against General Butler, and condemns him and
ell the commissioned officers serving under him
to be hung, Ia Mumford, whenever they are
captured. The non-commissioned officers and
mand are not to be hung, as they are "only in
struments used for the commission of crimes"
and are mot free agents." II alludes to the
emancipation proclamation which President
Lincoln has in contemplation, and to the arm
ing Of freed slaves by the negro -worshipping
generals, and In return for these measures pro-
poses to hang, under the State laws against
servils insurreotions, all slaves caught with
arms in their hands and all commissioned on
GERS in command of negro troops The rebel
press heartily endorses the proclamation, and
says that "the elaboration with which the con-
illusions Of the Executive have been arrived ct
gives additional solemnity and dignity to his
purpose"
II strikes MS that, 80 far as mere proclamation
war ID concerned, JEFF Davis has rather the
better of President Lincoln. The President
proposes to set free all Southern slaves by
few scratches Of his pen. JEFF. Davis proposes
to hang all these slaves as soon as they try to
obtain their freedom, and to hang all our Off
GERS who attempt to help emancipate the slaves.
1t is true that JEFF. Davis will not be able to
carry out his proclamation; but, as President
Lincoln is in precisely the same predicament,
we really do not see how that at all alters the
case. If President Lincoln's proclamation is,
as he beautifully expresses it, only Ga bull
against the comet" JEFF Davis proclamation is
simply bull against that abolition luminary.
the North Star. JEFF. Davis is behindhand, how
ever, in his fulminations against General But.
lsr. II General Banks did not sink to Davy
Jones locker in one of those rotten vessels
kindly charterered by Commodore Vanderbilt,
he must be In New Orleans by this time, and
General Butler is therefore superseded In biz
command Of that picturesque little rebel city.
Consequently, as General Butler isno longer
in the field, it will be difacult for the rebels to
capture him, unless they carry out their old
scheme of invading the North. As General
Butler Is not in command, there are now no
commissioned officers under him, and, conse-
quently, none to be hung for abetting his
schemes, unless JEFF. Davis follows the example
of our negro-worshipping congressman in re-
gard to arbitrary arrests, and makes bis pro-
clamation an ez post facto arrangement. But
we believe that, unlike the nigger-worshippers,
King JEFF. has too much regard for the old
constitution to do that. General Butler being
removed, therefore he and his officers will
escape the Southern halter, and half Of Jef.
Davis manifesto Is rendered null and void, by
what the rebels will call Yankee trick.
But, as we said before, JEFF. Davis hss rather
the advantage Of President Lincoln in regard to
the negroes; for hanging slaves is osrtainly
more warlike than freeing them. Pens and ink
are very cheap, however, and, although paper
is extrsvagantly dear, still the President may
obtain any quantity Of foolscap by contract at
the national expense, and it will be easy for
him to hang all the rebel army By proolama-
ton. In this case nothing would be left to Js6.
Davis but to retort by threatening not only to
hang all OF our soldiers, but to pickle them like
pork, and eat them, broiled, boiled or roasted
In the true Fejee Island style Of cuisine. Even
il we adopted the same plan with the rebels,
JefI Davis would still have the advantage; for,
whereas our soldiers are fat, plump and In ex-
quisite condition for . cannibal, the rebel
rufians are all skin and bones, and no more fit
for New Years or any other dinner than the
immortal turkey Of poor Job, and we should
have to cram them with victuals in Fort
Lafayette or Fort Warren before they would
be fit for the skewer. But If, as the negro
worshippers' reason, slavery is the founda-
tion Of the rebellion, and we have only to ami.
hilate slavery to annihilste the Southern con-
federacy, why cannot President Lincoln launch
an emancipation proclamation at the King Of
Dshomey, and free all the slaves In Africa
Such proclamation would have just as much
effect there as in the rebel States, and would
put down slavery with . vengeance. Why
Africa is the land in which negro slavefeis born
and reared, and if we destroy slavery there we
destroy il in the South ALSO What is the use Of
hacking away at single small branch Of tree,
when with the same blow you can cut of the
tree al the roots and bring all the branches to
the ground! Africa, not South Carolina, origi-
mated our rebellion, according to the negro
worshippers' argument, and slavery in Africa
II therefore the thing to bs sradicated before
the Union can be restored. Let US have another
proclamation, then, by oil means. Either
African slavery must be proclaimed out Of
oxiakspce oy the entire rebel army must be