Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-05-21
OBJ 9aip spp dolurfest aolroncsoap umng ap g. 1882

punishment beyond the necessity of the case
nothing harsh, nothing excessive. Lenitv and
pardon become the conquerOr more even than
his victory. ''Do in time of peace the most
good, and in time Of war the least evil posi-
bic; such is the law Of nations In this spirit
it will be our duty TO assuage the ca
lamities of the war, and especially to spare
the inOtiensive population. But the tallest
peoples must drop. For the conSpirators
who organized this great crime and let slip
the dogs of war, there can be no penalty too
great. They should be not only punished to
the extent of our power, but they should be
stripped of all means of influence. so that
should their lives be spared, they may be
doomed to wear them out in poverty, if not
in exile. To this end their property must be
taken. But their poor deluded followers may
be safely pardoned. Left to all the privileges
OF citizenship in a regenerated land they will
unite in judgment Of those leaders who have
been to them such cruel taSkmasters. But
the property Of leaders consists largely in
land, owned in extensive plantations. 1t is just
that these should be broken up, so that they
can never again be the nurseries of conspira-
cy and diSaifection. Partitioned into small
estates, they will afford homes to many who
are now homeless, while their peculiar and
Poor neighborS, who have been so long dupes
and victims, may become independent poses
sorS Of the soil. Brave soldiers who have left
their northern skies to fight the battles of
their country, resting at last from their vic
tories, and changing their swords into
ploughshares, may fill the land with north
ern industry and northern principles. |
say little of personal property, because, al
though it may be Justly. liable to confScation,
yet 1t Is easy to see that it is Of much less inn
portance than the land, except so far us slaves
may be falsely classed under this head. Vat
tel says that in our day a soldier would not
dare to boast of having killed the enemV's
king, and there seems to be a similar timidity
on our part towards slavery, which is our en-
emy'S king. If this king were removed tran
guilty would reign. Charles XII. Of Sweden
did not hesitate to say that the cannoners
were perfectly right in directing their shots at
him, for the war would be at an instant end if
they could kill him, whereas they would reap
little from killing his principal officers. There
is no shot in this war so effective as one
against slavery, which is king above all Off
GERS; nor is there any better augury Of COM
plete success than the willingness, at last, to
fire on this wicked king. But we must begin
by abandoning the illusions through which
slavery has become so strong. The slaves of
rebels cannot be regarded as property, real or
personal. Though claimed as property by
their masters, and though too often recog-
nized as such by individuals in the govern
ment, it is the glory of our constitution that
it treats slaves always as ''persons." At
home, beneath the lash and local laws, they
may be chattels, but they are known to
our constitution only as men. In this simple
and indiSputable fact there is distinction
clear as justice itself between the pretended
property in slaves and all other property
real or personal Being men, they are bound
to allegiance and entitled to reciprocal pro-
lection. 1t only remains that a proper appeal
should be made to their natural and instinc-
tive loyalty; nor can any pretended property
| Of their masters superscde this claim-I
would not say Of eminent domain, but of emf
| nent power, inherent in the national govern
ment, which at all times has right to the SER
vices of all. In declaring the slaves free YOU
| will at once do more than in any other way.
whether to conquer, to pacty, TO punish, or
| to bless. You will take from the rebellion its
| handspring OF activity and strength YOU will
remove a motive and temptation to prolonged
resistance, and you will destroy forever that
disturbing influence which. so long as it is al
| lowed to exist, will keep this land a volcano
| ever ready to burst forth anew. But, while
accomplishing this work, YOU will at the same
time by the magical touch of freedom, do
an act Of wise economy, giving new value
to all the lands Of slavery, and open
| ing untold springs Of wealth, and you
will also do an act Of justice destined to
| raise our national name more than any tri-
umph Of war or any skill in peace. God in
| his beneticence offers to nations, as to indi-
viduals, opportunity, opportunity, opportuni-
ty, which Of all things is most to be desired
Never before in history has he offered such
as Is now ours. DO not fail to seize it. The
blow with which we Snite an accursed rebel
lion will at the same time enrich and bless;
nor is there any prosperity or happiness
which it will not scatter abundantly through
out the land, and such an act will be an epoch
marking the change from barbarism to ciyiliz-
alton. By the old rights of war, still preva-
lent in Africa, freemen were made slaves: but
by the rights Of war which | ask you to de-
clare, slaves will be made freemen. Mr..
President, if you seek indemnity for the past,
and security for the future if you seek the
national unity under the constitution of the
United States, here is the way in which all
these can be surely obtained. Strike down
the leaders of the rebellion, and lift up the
slaves. Then will there be an indemnity for
the past, such as no nation ever before was
able to win, and there will be security for
the future, such as no nation ever before en-
Joyed, while the republic, glorifed and
strengthened, will be assured forever, one and
indivisible.