Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-03-12
THE OBJECT or TIE WAR.


THE OBJECT or TIE WAR.
LsrTEs ~.
70 Amman Llzoolx. rrssidso' Of the Usis'd
REsPsorED SIx I'm my last l en-
desvored to show that the cause OF re-
bellion in the South is 1.-THE pride OF
wealth and the lust for power" fostered
by the cotton monopoly that the abo-
lition of slavery could not abolish that
monopoly, which depends on principles
beyond human control; and that, 1t
cotton were produced by hired labor IN
the South, - it il manufactured in the
North, its profits would be as great, II
not greater, than they are now, generat-
ing the same antipathies in that section
which have produced our present
troubles.
There il party in the North, COM
paratively small at present, who, for the
mere purpose Of abolishiog slavery in
the South, would sacrifice hundred
thousand Northern lives end thousand
millions of Northern money, without
even the hope of any advantage to them
selves or the people Of the States IN
which they live.
Like the Southern rebels, they assume,
in substance, that tie Constitution no
longer exists, and talk Of the re- construc'
ton OF the ~ Mon" on other principles.
These men cannot but know that this
is not the view entertained by the Gov
ernn ent or by the great mass of the
Northern people. These believe that
we still have a Constitution that the
Government at Washington Is not .
mere Provisional Government; that the
war is waged in defence Of that Consti.
tuition and that Government; that the
| Union needs no ere. construction; ;" that,
if it did, it would be unwise and danger
Gus to attempt it until the rebels are
compelled to submit to it a. It IS; that
no acts of the seeded States, not even
a repeal OF their ordinances OF secession,
is necessary to 1estore them to the
Union, because, being unconstitutional
and VOID, those ordinances could not
take them out Of it; that, as the armed
resistance to the Constitution Is put
down in State after State, they will stand
in the Union with all their Constitutional
tights uo,mpaired, and will successfully
recognize their Obligations and resume
their duties as members OF our great
Confcderacy.
But this is not all. Probably four
tifths Of all the slaves in the United
States are now lawfully subject to con-
tiscation on account OF the treason OF
their masters. How far the forfeiture
Of their slaves, their other property, OF
their lives, shall be carried, is question
of expediency only, and involves no con.
stitn,ional question OF power: Four
iflhs of all the slaves may be thus law
f,Ily set free, and the emancipation Of
the other fifth would soon foloS.
In this view Of the subject, what mo-
tive have the Abolitionis Of the North
to press their Government into an aban'
donm ant OF the Constitution, BY making
general emancipation, instead Of the
preservation Of thst instrument, the di
rect object Of the war, thus giving 9
color OF right to the rebellion, and, in
measure, paralyzing the arms OF loya
men, especially in the South!
Patriotic men may we'll differ as tc
the extent to which the punishment Of
treason shall be carried. The extreme
emancipa,ionists may, if they choose,in
sist that it shall be carried to the extern
of con6scating and setting free all The
slaves of the rebels. That they may d.
without assailing any principle OF til,
Constitution, and surely they would b,
much stronger on that ground than any
other. Why, then, should they aban
con the Constitution and place them
selves on revolutionary ground? Why
not act with cordiality with those wht
are striving to maintain the Constitution
as i. IS and, that beng accomplished
seek the contamination of their ends BY
means of confiscation nnder its author
ity?
They may rest assured that their OBJ
ject, if attainable at all, can be more
easily attained in this mode than by
any revolutionary proceedings.
The time for considerir G how far it j.
the interest Of the country to carry the
punishment of treason by con6scation
or death has not arrived. When i,
does arrive the question will doubtless
be decided; not so much by the guilt Of
the traitors as by the interests OF the
loyal citizens Of the Republic.
But the position of the rebels as 10
dividuals is very different, and nothing
but punishment or pardon can restore
them to the rights of American citizens
They have forfeited their property and
their lives, and therefore to coniscate
theirs slaves and thus set them free is nc
a violation of the constitution. How
far that process should be carried is 3
question Of expediency and not O
right.
And it is in this point Of view that
appeal to the advocates OF emancipation
in the North to be content with the pro
gress which their principles are making
not through the subvcrsion Of the con
s,itution, but under cover of it's author
lily.
The leaders Of the rebellion anrounc
cd their determination to "conquer Of
die. and the principal Shareholders il
the South act as it they were III earnest
ook at South Carolina. In the violen,
portion of the State the planters to mar
fly on the approach Of the Union army
burning their cotton, and in many place,
their buildings, and abandoning theiu
slaves. There are said to be now abouy