Delaware State journal and statesman., 1862-01-28
Mr.. Bingham on Emancipation.

fAeS your laws iOeraung the 4.UUU,UUO slaves
held by the rebels, and thereby break every un-
just yoke in the rebel region AMI let the OPP
pressed go free, in obedience TO that command
which comes to us as voice out Of Heaven,
proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all /
the inhabitants thereof" Do you say this il |
fanatcism Do you say God was fanatic when
he commanded il, and that the fathers Of the |
Republic were fanatics when they adopted it as
the sign under which they should conquer, aud
burned it with FIRE into the very bell whose iron
tongue summoned them 10 the stern work of re-
sistance
Aud do you soy We have not the constitutional
poser to enact such law? Why not Because,
you say. the slave is the rebels property; |
cannot admit that; but conceding ii tor the mo-
ment, has he not forfeited his property, as we'll
as his life. to the Government? Have you not
by your law authorized the taking of his life,
both by the sword aud the gallOwsg Is his
right TO his slave, which came by wrong, more
sacred than his right to his life, which is the
gift of God Has the rebel SPECIAL rights aud
mmnnities Of property In his slave which you
do not accord TO the loyal citizen Are
you about TO assert your power to take the pro-
perty Of the true and loyal citizens by taxation,
to the extent needed for the public defense Do
you stop with law demanding The property OF
loyal citizen? Do you not demand his life as
WELL and the life OF the frst-born of his house
NI1t plTs lut lughl NlllEtu uhh NJ Ilkul OF lul-
munity which must not yield TO the paramount
claims and wants OF an imperiled country.
Even his house and home, the most sacred pos
session Of man on this side Of the grave, must.
by the very terms OF your Constitution, be yield
ed up for the common defense.
"No soldier shall in tine Of peace be 1narterel
in any honse without the consent Of its owner ;
nor in time Of war, but in Il manner TO be pre-
scrhed by law."-3, Amendments to the COnsti
tion.
| You may thus in war exercise a power which
in time Of peace, even under the constitution Of
monarchy, isdenied the scepier and the throne
Tine words Of the great commOntr Of England
will live forever:
"The poorest man may in his cottage bid de
tanee 10 all the powers of the Crown. II may
lie i1ail, it's roof may shake, the wind may bliw
through it, the storm may enter, Tie min may
enter, hnt the King dare not enternll his
:oree dare not cross the threshold Of the ruined
tenement
By yonr law this inYiolalle tnnctiy Of the
hearth stone, whence comes the nations strength,
may lie swept away, and Yet you cannot con
hselte the properly or lherhle the slaves III
rebels in arms. Believe il not, Sir, thoneh one
ruse from the dead 10 proclaim H.
AgaiRs, any legislation to this eml il la4 been
urged that the power uf ountsoati0n aud eman-
Hlatnn is a war power, and therefore, to be-
tAHIblFFi hhJ ny lhf IAtuliNe as commander
in,Chei or By those under him IN the military
service. admit that il is n war power; hnI
nave already shown that the Constitution has
invested the war power in Congress, and the
power Ia pass all laws neelful 10 is execution
| The speech OF the venerable John Quincy Adami
hls been cited ns against the power Of Congress
80 II egislte The speech was not fully cited
or considered Instead uf making any sucl
declaration he declares the contrary, that, il
time OF nsnrEecion or public war, the power Ia
tmnncpate the slaves of rebels "comes TO tbil
House and the Senate"
| have heard il milnnted that the prcsilcn
. doubts this power There ia no room for Amcl
. uiimllion inasmuch as the p0wtr To a limiIe,
extent, was exercised by Congress at is recen
session, by rtatute which gave liberty 10 nj
slaves employed by their masters consent in nj,
Of the rebellion, aud conhst ate NIL property q
rebels used hy its owners consent ia aid oi re-
4 belion, and which statute tie Plesdeu
approved. The President, loyal to the require
ncnls vi the Constitution and the laws tells us
in his message To this session, that be has con
formed his official conduct to this statute U
Congress and that "if a new law upon tn
same subject shall he proposed its prOpriety viii
e be duly considered -
5 SIR, if such law he passed il is said it will
not be effective Why not effective? Can go
:, not enjoin up u the commanding officer of you
It Army the execution Of general law of confsca
ton and liberation, in the same name
that by tue law Of 1906 the duty
now enjoined upon him to secure for the publ
use Of the public storee Of the enemy taken
II his camps, FORTS magazines, and towns, and fu
the neglect Of which such commanding Office
IS shall be answerabe? (5sth Artiele of War;
Eut it is said such Il law will not, as to til
II rebels slaves, be effective. Why not? 1t
because the knowledge of the fact cannot reac
A1a lt.r min la, "A. n
e them ireemen, and that they shall, ii they ay
your standard receive the protection Of YOU
army, aud the joyful news will in ten days reac
"a every slave in the Republic, by means Of thi
II human telegraph whose living network overlit
: every slave plantation, and is woven OF Il
II acerated hentts'rings Of the victims OF this il
II fernal atroeity. Will not your law be eifectiv
IA If passed and communicated TO the slave Z WI
not? Is it because he prefers Slavery to Free
dom the bondage of death to the glorOus liberi
of the SONS OF God No, Sir there is no sla,
in this land, not reIt Of his reason by the Prov
dence Vi God or by tue torture of oppression
who would not hnil your statute OF deliveIant
AS the very gift of life. Though he is n slave |
is stiil man; and however ignorant aud d.
based, however closely imprisoned in that THE
darkness which mny be felt, and which only ial
upon those from whom tyranny shuts out ii
light his hope for Liberty us his right is not on
cannot he eztngushed, for it is allied to h
hope OF Immortality aud is bound up with Il
:, ,lemcnts 0i his saul, which cannot Int by ~
nihilinting, die
Pass your law, proclaim il Ut the head of yot
- army, execute il sumnarily by allowing tue.
unwilling supporters Of the rebellion to oscar
Is from their mflsters through your lines and r.
Geye your protection in return for their llyalil
and these children OF oppression will make sue
an exodus of Coda people which the dark eye
daughters uf Israel celebrated in that snhlin
song;
"The Lorl has ttiumphel gloriousy II
horse nnl HE iler hath he thrown into the aeg
Pass this law, require it, faithful execute
Ly your army, and the rebellion must cease,
ita authors, ii7 aders, aud ahetters perish 4,
a. "a, hreal. Ia this. and crown yourselves with II
immortal honor q giving liberty 10 one porto
Of our people md the serene blessings of pea,
=" to another 1t is said that upon such statute
m liberation, and liy reason of It's enactment, the,
-. slaves will rise in insurrectinn? To say this
Wy to libel human nature in its lowest estat
rll Gratitude is masquerade from the human he0
ial in every condition of life, in every zone Of Il
,i ie earh's surface. 10 shiver the fetters whiC
Ire bind ia cruel hon,age the souls of men will II
ire excite in them hatred or anger Or revenge bt
ii. will attune the heart to the sweetest melody
al vrtne, and inspire their hymns of thanksgivir
elr to their deliverrrs.
III. Sir, il after your enactment of this statute
he liberation, the slaves Of these robel masters Ri
H.. in insnrreGtion, it will not he because by you
law they are declared freemen, but because the
traitor masters, in defiance of your law, contint
to deny them their liberty slave insure,