New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-05-24

~ TIA National 10 the military power which re
srsas ss ~: and this can only 30 done BY Of
as The question OF Slavery has no direct or immenaie
r.brop A. Il doubtess the rebellion self mu, mrs.
be cruhed before we csn explore in causes or deal WIN
slavery can be moro wisely moe safely moro effectively
after III, rebellion IL crushed thsh before Hall mil
lion OF sn in arms now stand bet us and Slavery
fore tina, can be touched they must he conquered"
To which answers The TRIBUNE:
]. The Military power of the Rebellion rests
on and is buttressed by Slavery. Slaves have
grown and are growing nearly all the food OF
the Rebel armies. Slaves mainly construct
their forts and dig their trenches. Slaves cook
for and wait upon their camps, drive their
baggage-wsgons, and perform nearly oil their
most onerous labors. The opposing armies
confront each other along an irregular lioe OF
several thousand miles of Slave territory. Most
of the slaves, though densely ignorant and
grossly lied TO by the Rebels, already under
stand that ours is the side that gives them
promise of freedom, and they welcome our flag
wherever they do not stand in imminent dread
of the overseer's lash. Many Of them doubt
and hesitate and are perplexed; but it begins to
crawl through the wool even of the most stupid
of them that there Is a chance for their tree
dom if the Union shall triumph. IL is this
only this-that leads the most intelligent and
daring of them to seize the frat opportunity to
elude their masters jealous vigilance and steal
of to the Union pickets, taking along such in
formation as they can pick up.
Now We hold that the Union cause would
be immensely strengthened, and that of the
Rebels correspondinsly weakened, by bold,
straightforward, unequivocal decree that &erery
to Rebel, is abolished, and that erery person held
in bondage by Rebel is hereby inri'ed 10 come
to The Union lines, giro such information and
aid as he may TO the UnioS army, and Teesire
a oerifcat. Of his freedom. We believe such
decree, heartily accepted aud executed by our
Generals, would be worth more to the Union
cause than One Hundred thousand additional
yoluntcers-that it would keep half the armed
Rebels at home or patrolling for runaway negroes,
and render guerrilla warfare or bashwackng'
the most unsafe and ruin0us game that Treason
has yet invented. We believe it would each
day forth diminish the number Of Blacks whose
labor is aiding the Rebellion while rapidly in
creasing that Of the negroes nssiully serving
the Union; and that this shifting Of weight,
though scarcely noted Mt fret, being constant
and entirely one way. would soon become
overwhelming.
Such is our conviction az to most import
ant means of breaking down the Military land
all other power OF the Rebellion; 1t has not
been lightly formed, and will not bs surren-
dered with the celebrity which distinguishes
some of our more agile neighbors. We believe
in spite Of multiplied assurances from Wash
inetoD--that foreign interpretation II real and
pressing danger-that M. MERCER went to
Richmond for no good to tho Union Cause
that hi, confidential limitations, while there,
gave encouragement TO o. Rebel chiefs---thnt
ho has forwarded TO Paris reports and repre-.
sen,utious intended aud calculated to induce
Louis Napoleon to take stock IN the bankrupt Con-
iederacy-that the British Ministry only awaits
decent pletext for backing his Interpolation
(purely moral, of course) with offers of media
ton. which on their face will BIO ad-
dressed 10 both "belligerent.." but which in
effect will favor one. We believe that IN one
way only can the Ill wishes Of European des-
pots and aristocrats be nuied-namely, by tet-
ting he ,corid see that The Rebels fight for Stare
~ rhHe we stand for impartial and un'rersai
FREEDOM And We do greatly apprehend that
the golden moment may glide away while We
stand paltering aud hesitating to adopt tho only
means OF iusuriag tho triumph and pcrpctuty
of the Union. Such are our convictions: II
Tie Tim,s will speak out ns frankly. We shall
be obliged, even though it should be driven 10
tho extremity, as yet avoided. Of questioning
the loyalty Of The TRIBUNE.