Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-05-02
might then cleo. to Join the Southern Conlcd.

orHcy instead of the Union. In order 10 blis h:
these hopes, secure for ever thf'aeeiaEcc CT
those States, and ut tho same time put an end
t. The rebellion, thers is but one step necessary.
namely, tho emancipation, Or, ss it is n'cdes'ly
expressed, Lie imitation: q; tha cnIancipatiu; vi
tho slaves.
The m,nnrr III which this operation Is To be
eilcciud Ia rot communicated TO ui. We arc
lett u g,lc-s al the details. As far 81 NC
can Understand the scheme Of Mr. Lincoln, it
Suggests mat The Northern Ststes should pro-
pose 10 !ny AZ all the slaves Of all the States
winch q cttd 10 barrie: The institution for a
pecuiliary- Consideration The Federal Govern
,ncnt would NOT, however, clsiu a right to III
tattcIc win slavery within tho limits of
State, il being optional with each State 10 nc
cspt OF r. ct the proposal. No suggestion is
made OF any intention on the part of tho North
to abolish slavery, and the only difference
which would be detected between tho United
States rs they would be newly constituted and
what they once were, would consist in the
constant readiness Of the free States 10 buy
up the freedom Of those held i'll servitude in
tee slave States. On tie question Of the pro
osola e&panEe Of carrying out these phllan.
tbr0p;c deAisns We are rather loosely informed
that The current expenditure Of the war would
very soon purchase all the slaves in any
"naned Stale; but as it is absolutely iInpossi.
Tie to dIvin. tor what length OF timo the cur
rent expenditure should be continued with
this object, the information is rather vaueless.
1t ~ not anticipated that all the slaveholdmg
States would promptly, il ever, avail them.
selves OF the generous offers OF The Federal
Government; but it is exp c:ed that the Bor-
der States would tsko the initiative, and thus
demonstrate TO the States Of the extreme
South how groundless arc lhs hopes enter
tanned by them Of ther joining or remaining
attached 10 the Southern Conioderacy. Thus
says Mr.. Lincoln, will the power Of the South.
orn Confcderacy be weakeued thus will its
expectations be blighted and thus will the
great civil war be brought to close.
Thoughtful politcinrs, both hero and in
Auerics, have lcng Since predicted that the
war between tbs North and the South would
ultimately be concluded, not by one Of the
bclllgaruntS overpowciing the Other, but by
one Of thcm being no lnnger able OF willing to
supply thr funds necessary for prolonging the
| contest. That the Southern Oonicdcracy was
not likely 10 be lirst 10 yield WIS apparent
when it was borne in mind that It's object was
not dominion, but independence, and that, as
President Davis very properly put it, "Noth-
| ing could DC verse than defeat" This
being so, what are we to think OF a proposal
which suggests the possibility of s people
who have never been taxed &nd who
for the first limo find themselves sad
died with national debt, voluntarily sub.
hitting to system Of taxation which would
have for lis OBJECT, not tho vindicaton OF the
national honor or the NATIONAL independence,
but the liberation from slavery Of clsss to
which, perhaps moro than any other people in
the world rthey entertain tho greatest antipa
thy? Theirs my I've found, in Europe many
who regard South Carolina slave rs a man
and brother, though we fesr thst the number
is bnt su,rll who would subscribe largely TO
etl.ct his liberation. But the notion OF binding
in Philadelphia, ur 2 >3lpn, or New York, any
who would submit t. the slightest pecuniary
sacrifice to grant him freedom, is 20 utterly
absurd that it is impossible to entertain it Sc
roiSly. Tho means Of driraying the ex.
pcnscs Of var which the sympatnies Of the
whole Of the Ncrt6c!n populations are strong
ly enlisted have mol yet been discovered
and yot it is grayc!y proposed that IN cxpcn
dlture cGual To the present war expenditure
should be incrrrcd in cilecting on object TO
which thcy arc not only indifferent, but III
many respects decidedly hostile. But even
surprising that Congress assentcd to thu pro,
position Of the President, what guarantee
would be afforded to the Southern States that
it would be carried out az Mr.. Lincoln admits
only the initiative in emancipation can at pre-
sent be aif-ctrdt II this initiative is 10 have
the elE.ct Of terminating tho war, what reason
is there 70 suppose tlist it will be succeeded by
complete etnancip patton? Altogether tho scheme
is 40 pucriIe, the hopes which it engendars Of
seducin2 from the Southern Confederacy the
Border States so vain, that its submission to
Congress by the Federal Government can only
be accounted for MS being tho last resource Of
Government which fells that it is engaged in
struggle which, if continued. must involve it
in ruin, and which it would make any sac!i
ticcs short Of submission to arrest