The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-03-07
Gradual Abolition.

The Presidents proclamation sent to Con-
5rsss Thursday will take the country by sur
prise Although It's obscure in some parts, from
the plumbers OF the telegraph, it is plainly
II very important document, and we invite at
tention, not only to the proposition that is sub
mitted but to the reasons that are given in sup
port of it, Certainly no objection can be made
by the friends Of slavery to the suggestion thai
Congress make provision Tor pecuniary aid 10
States that may adopt some measure looking to
the abolition of slavery. No person objects to
emancipation except those who desire to have
slavery on any terms. The suggestion of the
President however, in the matter IF aid, would
seem to need some limitation rs 70 the persons
who are to receive the benefit of this aid. 1t
is obvious that men who have iorcibly resisted
the power of the Federal Government ought not
to be paid for cmancipating their slaves, but
that that species of property ought to be taken
from them by some at Of confiscation. Doubt
loss, however, the President was willing to leave
this matter with the States themselves and we
should regret to see any project which had Tor
It's object the abolition OF slavery in any por-
ton of the Union, fail because Of any disagree
ment rs to the persons who should be compen-
stated Cor thus relinqui shing their hold upon a
system of greyous wrong, and one which has
already inflicted such terrible evils upon this
country and we hope some bill like Senator
Irumbulls confscalion bill, will, By ccndemning
the property Of rebels, relieve this question of
abolition from this difficulty.
Bat it is the reasoning OF the message tAat at
once arrests attention. and shows that President
Lincoln sees that the Union can hardly be pre-
served until Slavery mas received It's death-blow
and this logic is invincible. IL is now, no
ioubt. the policy OF the rebels to rcnquish tenn
porariiy Tennessee, Missouri and Kentucky to
the Government. maintaining no large defensive
force IN those districts. But however desperate
NAV he the fortunes Of treason, - the leaders OF
- the rebellion entertain the hope that the Gov
eminent will ultimately be forced to acknowl.
- edge the independence Of some part OF the dis
affected region, and that all the slave States
E. North OF such parts vii! then say, The Union
. for which we have struggled being already
gone, we now choose to 90 with the Southern
section.
This has been from the start the hope Of thu
rebels. South Carolina rebelled because sh'
supposed that with nucleus Of two or thrc
slave States the rebellion would spread until il
cyulprehended all the slave States,-,hat Ken
tuckv and Missouri and Maryland, when the,
,nv that the Union was broken would be com
pellcd by their peculiar interests growing on
vt their similar system Of labor to go with tn
South. The rebellion bad its origin in Slavery
and has been sustained by Slavery, and all it
hopes are based upon the hostility of Slavery t
lg.eedonl and upon the necessity that SLAYER.
should control the Government in which 1t is es
abolished. 1t has proceeded upon this theory, au
nothing but the proximity OF kentucky ant
Missouri and Maryland to the fire., Sta.es, al,
their partial identity Of interests with tree labo
az we'll as with slave labor, with a little Of til