Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-02-01

/ claratlon ne declares tue CQnLrnfy, InaLi IN
time Of insurrection or public war, the power
70 emsucipate the slaves of rebels ''comes to
this House and the Senate"
have heard Il intimstsd that the Presi.
dent doubts this power. There is no room
for such intimRtion. inssmneh as the power,
70 a limited extent was exercised By Con.
gress st its recent session, by q statute which
gave liberty to al slaves employed by their
masters consent in aid of this rebellion, ami
con6scated ALL PROPERTY of rebels used by
its owners consent In aid of the rebellion,
and which statute the President approved
The President, loyal to the requirements of
the Constitution and the law, tells Us in his
message TO this session, that be has conform
ed his Official conduct to this statute of Con-
gress; and that 'if new law upon the same
sabiect shall be proposed, its propriety win
be duly considered"
Sir, If such 3 law be passed it is said It
will not be effective. Why not effecdve2
Can you not eDjoin upon the commanding
officer Of your Army the execution Of a
general law Of confscation and liberation,
in the same manner that by the law of 1906
1 the duty is now eniOined upon him to secure
I A0A e4o tADAAS use NAo publtC sloKoa VI lu6
enemy taken in his camps, forts, magazines,
and towns, and for the neglect Of which COM
manding officer shall be snsWerable. Fifty
eighth Article of War;
But 1t is said such law will not, as to the
rebels slaves, be effective Why not? It is
because the knowledge of the fact cannot
reach these slaves? Pass your law simply
declaring them freemen, and that they shall,
if they hy to your standard, receive the pro-
| lection OF your army, and the joyful news
/ will in ten days reach every slave in the Re-
public, by means Of that human telegraph
whose living network oyerlies every slave
| plantation, and is woven Of the laeerated
heart-strings of the victims of this internal
atrocity. viii not your law be effective If
passed and communicated TO the slave2 Why
nOtl Is it because he prefers slavery to free
dom-the bondage Of death to the glorious
liberty of the sons Of God2 No, sir, there
| Is no slave in this land, not reft of his reason
by the providence of God or by the torture
Of oppression, who would not hail your stat
ute Of deliVerance as the very gift Of life
Though he is o slave be is still a man; and
however ignorant and debased, however close
| ly imprisoned in that thick darkness which
may Re felt and which only falls upon those
from whom tyranny shuts out the light, his
hope for iber,y as his right is not and can
not be extinguished for it is allied to his
hope Of immortality, and is bound up with
the elements of his soul, which cannot but by
annihilating die.
Pass your law, proclaim it at the head of
your army, execute it summarily by allowing
these unwilling supporters OF the rebellion
to escape from their masters through your
| lines and receive your protection in return
for their loyalty; and these children of ep-
preston will make such an exodus from the
house of their bondage IS the world has not
seen since that exodus of Gods people which
the dArk.eyed daughters of Israel celebrated
in that sublime song:
ssThe Lord hath triumphed gloriously; the
horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea. "
Pass this law, require its faithful execu-
ton by your army, and the rebellion must
cease, or its authors, its siders, and abettors
| perish for bread. Do this, and crown your
| selves with the immortal honor of giving
liberty to one portion Of our people and the
| serene blessings of peace to another. It is
/ said that upon such statute Of liberation, and
By reason Of its enactment, these slaves will
rise in insarrectiOn. To say this is 10 libel
human nature in its lowest estate Gratitude
Is inseparable from the human heart in every
/ condition Of life, in every zone of the earth's
surface. To shiver the letters which bind in
cruel bondage the souls of men viii not ex-
cite ia them hatred or anger or revenge, but
win attune the heart to the sweet melody of
virtus, and inspire their hymns Of thanks
giving to their delivereEs.
| Sir, If after your enactment Of this statute
Of liberation, the slaves of these rebel masters
rise in insurrection, it will not be because by
| your law they ara declared freemen, but be-
cause their traitor masters, in defiance of
your law, continue to deny them their liber-
/ ty. A slave insurrection, however much to
be deplored, would neither weaken your
arms nor strengthen those of your rebel
enemy. Whoever urges thsreiore, such OBJ
lection to this needful and Just legislation,
must, whether conscious of it or not, assume
that rebels who, without colorado excuse,
wage cruel and ezterminRting war against
their felloW-citiEens, should not be deprived
BY the Government against which they have
revolted, Of the means BY which they may
make their rebellion q success, and without
which they must ignominiously fail.
/ Psss this just and benefcent law IS an
act Of Justice 70 your country; pass it
as an act of justice to your brave army Of
loyal citizen soldiers who stand this hour
between you and the armed terrors of tres-
son In the capital pass it and crush this
slaFe rebellion at once, and thereby make
d like rebellion for like object forever i'm
possible in the Republic. l put the question
to Representatives, is the alleged property
Of the rebels in four millions Of slaves, and in
their lands and crops, goods, moneys, and
charities, moro sacred than the lives Of your
soldiers snd the Lie of your country2 May
God hide from my eyes and from the eyes Of
ny children the day when the dying sgony
Of my country shall begin BY no act OF
, ours, either Of omission or commission, may
} We contribute to that direst and blackest
crime which can be committed by any peo-
ple--the crime Of national suicide, Who
3 does not know that be who has the power to
: prevent the crime Of selEdestruction and
) Fithholds OF refuses its exercise, and thereby
prevents the deed, is himself murdeFrr7- =
Why, ask, IA the name Of eternal Justice,
, should the peoples treasure be expended al
/ the rate of 81, ,O0O, 900 day, and the people
? themselves be mangled and maimsd and
murdered by these rebels, rather than end
2 the sacrifice Of treasure and of blood BY :
I sublime act of justice which will give liberty
: to the slaYe, reIiefto the people, stability &
the Consultation, peace TO distracted eoun
|, try, and make the Republic what its iIustri
p Gus founders intended 4 to be, temple 70
F, the perpetual residences Of an inyiolabl
! 3rosico - a Aof1o,s for the =rSnnRaaqad and