The national Republican., 1862-05-19

tracts from the exceedingly interesting diarY
Of prism life at Richmond, BY Hon. Alfred
Ely. ... s.a ...... ...'
oHs. aURrAR's PROCLAaATaOS.
Ths Nstionsl IateRigsao~ Of Saturday has
nearly three oolumns Of linked swestnes,
long drswn OUT" upon the subject OF General
HusAsr's proclamation. One might almost sus'
pect, that the dis.aste Of the writer Of this srt
ole, for The proclamation, arises from ii brevity.
Nothing that d short and 10 tLs point could
possibly please the Iatoasgsncsr.
The great bulk Of the enormous article in the
Intsligeneer, is an iteration and reteration, not
to say "damnsbls iteration OF The idea, thai
President Lincoln, having, in October, rescind.
ed certain proclamation Of Gen. Fremont, ia
nov bound to rssciud proclamation Of Gen.
Hunter which goes somewhat isrthsr. This
might q. well have been said ln ten lines, ~ IN
three columns, and il amounts 10 nothing.
whether stated with brsvity or With circumlocs-
ton. This is moving word, and events pro-
grss rapidly in period Of intestine convu'-
sion. The whole face of afairs may be changed
10 much less space Of time than seven months,
and . measure, the wisdom Of which Was not
obvious to all minds In October, may have be
CONS . pslpsble necessity in Nay. Il Is thur
that IL will not be Inconsistent 10 O President
VINO obi cted TO Gen. Fremont's proclamation
now 70 scquiescs in Gen. Hunters. The re-
bellion hss nov lasted twice ~ long a. II had
then, il invetsrscy has bssn proved BY exps
renee, sad every day even, adds force to th'
conviction that ID 10 only TO be put down By
decisive and stern msaaureA. .
Nor h ths difference Of place unimportant
Gen. Fremont's proclamation only related, 10
it, terms. to ths slaves Of rebels, but It would
have hsd n indirect effect upon the slaves ol
logd men, BY disturbing the whole system oI
slavery. This might be taken into account 10
Missouri, where q considerable portion OF the
people were loyal, and have no application to
South Carolina where the rebellious unanimlty
Is substantially complete.
As to the power Of Gen. Huntsr to libsrate the
slaves within his military department, It h
clear ssd upquestiouabie, Il It was exercised
with view to military success, and not to
carry out au abstract political theory, and IL il
can be made fairly to appear that 1t tends TO
procure military success. Certainly, It Is not
to be tolerated that gsnsEals, under color Of
the military power, shall 80 into the domain Of
politics. and do things having political, and
not military object 10 view. Our generals
have done quite too much of that. 10 returning
fugitive slaves, and In refu ing such slaves 90
cess To our lines. We k,Ow wsll that people
will differ a 10 wbsthsr the liberation O.
slaves does tend to military SUCCESS. We de-
not propose now TO argue that question, bu
simply to say that, In our opinion, the liberia
tion Of slaves in such State as South Carroll
ma, not only tends to secure military succcss
but il q most effective measure to that end.
Nobody pretends that General Hunter hat
any Instructions which flrbade bis doing wha
be has done. John Quincy Adams laid i
down ss too plain for argument, that q genera
In the field may liberste slaves under the wa
power, and bs cited numerous instances in OIL
own history, where this has been done. Ant
especially where martial law has bsen dsclai et
are oil persoos and things subjsct to the will o
the commanding general, TO be. 80 used as u
effect the purpose for which he is 10 the field
This war power exteuds to everything -th
seizure Of property, the impressmsnt Of mel
and horses, the liberation Of convics, and th
breaking up d aoy social relation whic
strengthens the enemy. General Hunter wa
Tbs proper person 70 judge on the spot, whethe
the SUCCESS Of bis army required the Liberation
ofslsvss; and In the absence Of Instructions
ws his Asht and duty to decide Us we'll as :
jsdse.
II what hs hos done was lawfully done, It
irr.versible. Rights 70 liberty have vests
nader HE action, and the real question is, shal
The libersAsd -bondsusp Of South Csrolins
Florida end Georgia Be again reduced 10 slavery
This pnoel.AaGdoo Il Gcssrsl Hunter stand
In hat respect upsp 20 entirely different fool
Ing fron Nat of Gsnsrsl Frepopt which VI
prpspsd1iss. II ~. .apIy 10 ths slaves Of pc,
sso soannittisg essaais ssss aitsr the dsis G
0sssFzl Fwa0att psoolsnstsou, that n y
pibsd; end - ths Pseolnosaies sss siooa
inmsdisssiy rsschasA, - raes q II spplI
cation was narrow. and he nsS ssSS u Sss
and very difiouk % - sssstluesd By prooh.
Gov Huntars proclAnatiea \ not psssppe
tive, but operates Al once upon ths vhoI'
BODY Of the slaves 10 Florida, Gsorgis an
South CaroIias, and thsre 10 no dinlcnIV u
knowing 70 whom II applies. ~
We are curious to know how this preelamA.
ton will bs treated by certain class of msr
Ia Copgrsss, who have oppossa ~ isgislsaier
upon either eoDhseauea o. sssssekeskssn. upss
the ground that the authority yf Nc PrsAdsst