The weekly Butte record., 1862-05-24
Hunters Proclamation

continent that he has actually issned q procla-
nation, declaring the s'ares within his depart
u,ent forever free. We might still refuse to
credit this, did not tie proclamation itself ac-
company the report. His conduc, in Kansas.
particularly in sending Lane bowling back to
claim the seat in the Senate that he had not
+ resigned when he went on to take command in
i Kansas, would bear u ont in still expressing a
doubt Of It's genuneness. However. We sup
/ pose we must take It for granted that be has
issued proclamation, Of which the following
is teltgraphed as a copy:
The three States of Georgia. Florida and
( South Carolina, comprising tie Military De
psriment OF the South. having declared them
selves no longer under the protection Of the
United States. it becomes a military duty TO
declare martial law This was accordingly
done April 25ih. Slavery and martial law in
q free country are altogether Incompatible.
! Persons in Georgia Florida and South Caro-
Ina, heretofore held as slave, are therefore
+ declared forever free
/ 1t might well be supposed that the rebuke
to Fremont and Phelps would have deferred
Gen. Hunter from issuing such proclamation.
He is a good soldier and many of his friends
/ viii regret to see him mixing politics with his
military profession. Besides, he is but imta-
ting others, in Issuing sach Ineffective nantes
toes Outside the lines of his command, II
amounts to nothing more than would procIa-
nation by Emperor Norton, unless, indeed. it
should have a tendency to lessen the Union
feeling in his department Was his depart
ment composed Of Sonih Carolina alone, we
would not care a zig, for that State has ever
been the ncst-cgg Of rebellion. Her citizens
have been traitors to all in;ents and purposes
for the past thirty wears and were all the
slaves in her borders given their freedom up
on any reasonable and legal pretext. or was
she dug around and aoated over to Havti or
Jamaica Or, was her soil couGscated and devo
ted to the colonization Of the African race. we
are almost ready to write, when contemplating
her history, that We care not. The tariff was
her original excuse for secession, and now
predicates secession, and fires upon the Union
flag. Was i; TO effect Soath Carolina alone,
we should say the carrying into effect such a
proclamation against men still in rebellion.
would not be sufficient punishment Nor would
We object to armiag her negroes, against the
traitors who called them slaves. for we should
regard South Carolinilns fighting blacks as
about equal to Northern gentlemen fshtire
South Carolina rebels. Bat there are other
States in Hunters Department, which cugh;
to be treated with more considerati5n-that
are entitled to the protection afforded by The
Constitution and laws Of the Union We be
evc there is 4 large proportion of the populA-
ton Of Georgia and Florida who are favorable
to the Union; bat, whether that is the case or
rot, what else can Government legitiratelv do.
bat enforce the Constitution and laws within
ali Of the rovoltod States? Nothing. unless
the rebel States shall be treated as conquered
provinces, wien they shall have been placed
under control of our armies. and such treat
mcnt could ou'y be based OF the supposi,ion
that they had formerly of.ctcd their separation
from the Union. This supposilioa Government
has denied. and does yet derry ard the Govern
ment army is ia the field. not to conqacr and
sul;ara,2, bu; to restore the supremacy Of the
Constitution and the laws The Legislative
and EXocu i've Departments ofthe Government
have distinctly declared this 10 be the object
of the war. And G5ve7nment has as distinct
ty declared such proclamatiors as that now is
sued by Hunter to be wrong and not to be
tolerated. We do not believe that declared
policy will be changed now. Ii it is to be.
then have Fremont and Phelps been sacrificed
for Hunter. We shoud much prefer 10 believe
that Hunter is tired of the Department of the
South, and has ai3ped the Fremont and
Phelps method Of seeking an honorable coyeu-
Try from whence to emerge into political life.
Be that as il may, the proclamation is iuofec-
tive, foolish anl absurd. Fit is believed, that
the question Of abolisaiug slavery by the mill
tary power viii be effective in queling the
rebellion, and that it is necessary TO make use
Oft for that purpose, why not proclaim to The
authorizes of State in which the Govern
ment army has made a Successful lodgment,
that ualsss The Stale returns 70 lis allegiance
to the Constitution and the Union wi;hia three
OF SIX months that the institution shall be for
ever abolished. AMI arms given tie slaves, to
overpower those who still remain outlaws and
rebels? THAI would be il effect the policy So
successfully adopted By IIaaeck, in Missouri
aud by GOV johnson. I'D Tennessee. an induce
mca; Tor the people of the South to pat down
their rebel leaders, and return to their ale
glance. instead Of driving them to renewed and
prolonged cti3-,s in aid Of the rebellion. But
we are disguised with political generals, and
trust The Administration viii net hesitate to
give Hunter lis walking papers. Is It did Ere
moa' and Pa,'rs. II not. then. indeed have
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