New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-12-19


diers. The institution which was the inspira
ton of the Rebellion in its origin, supplies il
still with It's means of support.
Nevertheless it is az true as ever that Slav.
cry is tho vulnerable point of the rebellion.
But vulnerable points are not dangerous il
your enemy will not strike them. When the
war broke out, the Government honestly sought
to save the Union and Slavery together; bnt,
convinced finally that Slavery or the Union
must 90 to pieces, the President announced bis
Emancipation policy. The experiment of fight
ing the South with one hand, and with the
other unfolding the systcm which is the source
of lis strength, is about to DO abandoned. The
system has been source of strength only be.
cause it has been protected, or has not been
attacked, nor been used as O means of deyel-
opng internal discord md weakness, as it
would have been from the outset if the war
had been conducted on military principles, or
| like war with foreign nation.
The policy Of the Southern leaders concern
ing Slavery has been, as we sai1 above, san
UUlllc AUl put ~ hes FiV'NNN'N A'N.'' WV
beginning on the assumption, hitherto justified
by tho facts, that the Federal Government was
precluded BY the Constitution and by public
opinion OF the North from assailing The iDstltu-
ton. We have now to see whether the same
resources will avail them when our hands arc
free 10 strike at the point we know TO be
weakest We have yet much TO learn and uIlearn
before we 20 to the heart of this question; but we
begin to discern that the South knows better
than we the real truth, and that our purposes
may well take counsel Of their fears. They
know that the negro is not in all respects an
article of merchandise, or a machine for work;
that he las senses, affections, passions; IS
capable of resentment, alive to hope, and may
even be reused to fight for tho freedom which
has been the dream of his bondage. II you
wrong us, shall we not revenge II we are
Ike you in the rest, we viii resemble You In
that"
There are thus four millions of human beings
within the Rebel States whose interests and
hopes ere identified not with their cause, but
ours. We have hitherto refused to summon
these allies to our side. The Proclamation
invites them. If its only result should be to
deprive the South of it's laborers, the blow
would be the heaviest yet struck ut the lie OF
the Rebellion. But il cannot stop there. We
may do all that tho South has done and more.
They have built up their Rebellion on the labor
of the black. They have won their VIC
tore. by the help Of his hoe In the
corn.fed and his spade in the trenches.
The hoe shall I'LL aud the spade shall
dig for US, but the hands that WELD them can
hold musket also. The Rebels have used
Slavery az an instrument Of war; 80 far cs
they dared. We ara about 10 make IL our Az
strlmcut, snd TO turn il 10 uses of which they
never dared to dream. We will profit by their
instruction, and better it. We are already
aiming black regiments in South Carolina, IN
Kansas, IN Louisiana. IL is war IN which
we take no step backward. Tie Government
ia irrevocably pledged TO this policy. 1t can
not recede, cannot stand still, can only advance
The Proclamation is its policy; the organiza-
lion and arming OF the blacks whom it frees
will be the inevitable Development aud result
of the Proclamation. And when the South sees
is plantations depopulated, and its slaves in
arms against lbe Rebellion which ouly they sup
ported, it will learn that its last hope of sue
cess la, finally departed.