The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1862-09-06

OF war. / knew that you loved the land OF
your nativity, and that, like ourselves, you
had to defend all that is most dear to man.
But you hare surpassed my hopes. hare
found in you, united to those qualities, that
noble enthusiasm, ,chich impets to great
deeds"
Many of these slaves were killed in the bat
tie that followed, as will appear from the rec
ords of Congress, to whom some of their
masters applied for compensation.
A rational conclusion, drawn from this re-
view of the past, is this the negroes may be
| profltably employed by the government. That
all of them would make good soldiers, is not
probable That many of them would, cannot
be doubted. That most of them, with proper
training, under experienced officers, would be
sufficient for the defence of TIE forts, and for
titled towns, there can be little question The
rest of them could be employed as laborers-
"unarmed auxi!liares." And though inferior
to the white race in some respects, this dispari-
| ty Is compensated for in their familiarity with
the country, and their ability to withstand the
climate. Their labor is all that now sustains
the Rebellion, as it enables every white man in
the South to join the confederate army. That
all within reach of our lines would be glad to
join us, is undeniable. Let it be proclaimed
that all will be received, and liberated, and our
army will be increased, above all its losses, as
it fights its way to the Gulf "Had this policy
been adopted a year ago." says Thurlow Weed,
that prince of conservative politicians, 'at
least half million of sloves, who have been
at work for the rebel armies, would have been
relieving our own worn out troows from ex-
hausting drudgery, weakening the enemy, and
Strengthening ourselves in a corresponding de-
gree"
SHALL THE NEGROES BE FREE?
On this point, little need see Said. If ,ce en-
ptoy them in our serrice. ,ce must iberate
them, the government cannot hold slaves. If
we confiscate them, they will be free. Confis-
cation and emancipation are one.
!fwe erer hope to restore the union, and
establish peace, slaeery must be abolished.
That institution is itself war,-war upon the
slave-and war upon free labor. The two
cannot coexist. They can no more come in
contact without explosion, than can fire and
gunpowder, The conflict is inevitable, as
well as irrepressble. There can be no peace
between freedom and slavery. The rebellion
is but the elimination of disunion that has
been fostering for years. 1t will do no good
to heal it on the surface, unless it can be cured
in the blood. That cure can only be by eman-
cipation. The President stands ready to pro-
claim it,-waiting only for the people to give
the word.
Emancipation is the only igfegudrd against
foreign tnterrention. The great effort of the
rebels in Europe is to give the impression
there, that we shall not abolish slavery. So
Yancy declared in England. So the apostate
Marry has just been writing to France. Let
this be understood in Europe as settled, and
the Southern Confedcracy will be acknowleg-
ed at once. And, on the other hand, let the
President make proclamation OF universal
freedom, with compensation for all who are
loyal to the Union, and henceforth there is not
government in Europe that would dare in
terfere against us. On this subject, public
opinion in Europe is a unit,-and there is not
a government that would risk itself in opposi-
tion to it. The words of the journal des De
bats, one of the most influential presses in
France, or in Europe, are prophetic as well as
admonitory.-
"Only one obstacle presented itself before
the South, when she asked for recognition
the riotence ofpublic opinion against slacery
There is the lesson that zee strongly recommend
TO the attention Of the North. On the very
day that the North should forsake that holy
cause, tcherein lies at the same time her hon
or, and her principal element Of strength, the
public opinion of Europe would become indf-
ferent, and ,coutd make no further opposition
10 the acknowledgement Of the South. .
"A decisive step must be made towards the
enfranchisement of slaves; blood must not
have been shed in vain; that war must be a
glorious conquest of civilization, and not
useless butchery.
"The Republican party has saved the Union.
Its victories give it strength enough to perse-
we're in the path whose entrance was marked by
the election of Lincoln, and whose rational
end is the defeat Of the partizans of slavery in
the North and the proclamation of the ptinci-
pie Of freedom for all men on the American
soil.-
Let these words Of wisdom be pondered well
by every patriot! They were written several
months ago, by one of the truest of our friends
in Europe. He sees that emancipation is the
only safe policy, there, as here. The South, as
last resort, may offer it, as the price of re-
cognition. 1t cannot be done by us after in
tervention has been commenced. 1t cannot
be done, after ours is exhausted IN hopeless
struggles. What would nO,o be living DOW
er, will then be but an idle threat. The right
blow, struck too late, is wasted in empty air.
1t is the part of men to shape "the logic of
events"-not to ,cait for it. Slarery maysbe
destroyed by such waiting-but ,ce shall not
be sdred by it. Pharaoh thus waited, until the
first born was dead in every house; and even
then he ''revoked' reluctant consent, and the
song of deiverance could not be sung, until
it echoed over his slaughtered hosts. Is a like
fate in store for us? Must the obelisk of Free
dom stand upon nations grave? 1t is for us
to answer. Providence has placed our desti-
ny in our own hands. w.
GRAND TRUNK RAILWAY.