Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1862-03-11
Gradual Abolition

OlaQGdl ADDllLlOH'
Tie Presidents Proclamation sent to Con
sr.,- Thursday viii take the country " sur
prise Although tits obscure IN some parts, from
the ounde7s OF the telegraph, it is plainly
very important document, and We invite az
,ention, no. only to the proposition tnat is sub
aittyI, but to the reasons thdtare given IN sup
FORT slit Certainly 10 objection can be nude
ey t.e lrieud, OF slavery to the suggestion that
Congress make provision for pecunary and TO
states that may adopt some measure looking to
tus abolition Of slavery No person objects TO
elnanoipe.lon except those who desire to have
slavery "a any terma The suggestion Of the
President, however, IN the matter II aid, would
,eem to ,ecd some Imitation as 70 the persons
vho are to receive the benefit Of this aid. il
f. obvious that men who have iorcibly resisted
.he power Of the Federal Government ought not
d be pa:d for cmancipatiug their slaves, bet
mat tbat species Of property ought T. be taken
from thciq by some at Of cjutiscaton Doubt
le,., however, the President was willing to leave
.h~ matter with the States themselves, and we
should rsgre, 20 seq any project which had for
Il. ec the abolition q slavery IN any pnr-
tion }. Ae Union lil because Of any disagree
m.utas q the persons who should be c)mpen
~ i iJr tlu, re!inqaishins thei, hold upon
,y,trm Of gri3yous wrong, and one which has
reaJy inflicted such tcyri1. evils upon this
country and We hope some Bin ike Senator
lramboA conf,ca'oa bill, will, bg conleaaing
III property Of rebels, relieve this question Of
.aoitiou rom this difficulty.
But it !, the reasoning of the message that at
ouce arresU attention and shows that President
Lincoln SEQ. that the Union can hardly be pre-
served untR Slavery has received its death-biow
and tai. logic is incincibc. II IS now, no
d5ubt the policy Of the rebel, TO rclinquisb tenn
por1rily Tennessee, Missouri aud Kentucky to
tac Government. maintaining no large defensive
force IN those districts But however desperate
may be the fostunes Of treason, " the leaders Of
:. the rebellian cntertuin the hope that the GOV
eminent VIII ultimately be forced to acknowl-
edge the Independence Of some part Of the dis
affected region, and that all the slave States
North OF slch parts will then say, The Union
for which we have struggled being already
gone, we now choose to 60 with the Southern
section.
1na has been from the start the hope Of the
rebels South Carolina rcbeed because she
supposed that with nucleus of two or thre,
slave States the RS elton would spread until 1t
c,upylhcnded all tao slave States,-that Ken
lucky aud Missouri and Maryland, when they
saw thut the Union was broken would be com.
PEELED by their peculiar interests growing out
Of their similar system Of labor to 90 with thC
south The rebellion bad its origin in Slavery
aud has been sustained by Slavery, and all il
a5pes are based upon tie hostility OF Slavery {,
Freedom, ana upon tine necessity that Slavery
should control the Government in which II is cs
,aolishel Ithaepr proceeded upon this theory, an,
nothing but tie proximity of kentucky auO
Missouri and Maryland to she free States, an,
their partial Identity OF interests with free LABOR
Is well as with slace labor, with lito Of tn,
wholesome restraint Of Fed,xa bayones. ha,
prevented them ir0p plung,ng into the gulf o
secession as readily a, Mississippi and Georgia
Slavery is the strength Of the rebellion whereye
It has any strength a.d just as Tar as SLAYER,
can be removed, or putin a way u being abol
ished, just SO isr can tbs iuSurgeut districts b.
restored to their shedence to the Federal author
ny. Aud in that view acd as recognizing tn,
necessity o. dealing in some way with The Origin
1l the evil the proclamation is Of the ntmos
importance.
Blt It has more thin this significance. and il
a, important ioy what It does not say--but cnl,
ANTS at,--as Tor what Il proposes Cor Il renlejy
Lac border States. if the suggestions OF thi.
proclamation arc ,Jiilwej. are TO be ohe.5d G
oaniary all by Tue General Gotcrnment IN car
rying out the work u gradual abolition within
their ba !agl al uader their State sn.e 4ents