The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1862-06-04
From the 5sth Pa. Regiment.
GosPoRT NAVY YARD NEAR ioRFoLK. Va,
N.v % 1862

ED. JOURNAL The 5Sth Pa. State
Volunteers. under the command of Gen
Wool, is now snugIy quartercd amid the
ruins of the Gosport Navy Yard. The
destruction of this Yard is complete as
far as fire and saltpetre could make 1t.
No vandalism of modern times ever pur'
sued the policy of this unholy and cause
less Rebellion; bridge burning, house
burning, and a genera destruction can
everywhere be seen in the track Of the
Rebel army. So far as personal liberty
and the rights of property are concerned
the French Revolution of '98 pales before
this rebellion of the South. The higher
the grade the more atIocious will the
actors be found. 1t is among the F.F.V.'s
that the real virus of the rebellion exists
and is there developed in its most malig
nant form. As the Confederates became
advised of our advance upon Norfolk they
took occasion to retire upon the plea that
it was a military necessity. with tn" view
of concentrating all their strength for the
defence of Richmond. We found the
people thoroughly rebellious, the excep-
tioDs were only to be found among the
laboring class, all others giving signs of
their displeasure. Stores and shops of
all kinds were closed and even the blinds
of private houses were shut and their doors
thoroughly bOlted. The great mass of
people were taught and believed that we
were so many devils incarnate, many of
US with horns like beasts whose only OBJ
ject was plunder. The truth is that hu-
man Slavery and treas5n are Synonymous
In the South 1t is so even in the little
State of Delaware Whoever owns hu-
man chattels desires the destruction Of the
Government, and will leave no means
unturned to accomplish heir hellish pur,
poses. The only mode of striking
the Rebellion is to strike at the Iii.
stitution of Slavery. The Union can
never be restored in statu quo anti 6eltHna.
Slavery has got to be made subordinate to
the law, and in order to do this its power
must be weakened if not destroyed. Per
haps measures looking to its gradual ex-
tinction may be the best. but like the
girdled tree, it must be so fixed shat it
will grow no more and in the end surely die
The effect of our occupation here Is TO
abolitionze the blacks. They think that
their shackles have already fallen. and
they know of no such obligation as ser
vice. Whatever they earn they as uncer
imoniously pocket. Somehow they rea-
son strangely for blacks. They say that
whatever may be the fruits OF their labor
belongs to them. 1t is 10 vain to tell them
that such notions are unconstitutional and
wroDg, according to Southern ethics, for
they uniformly say to you that God made
all men of one flesh aud they can't see
why they ought not to have the benefit
of their own labor They are a very
Christian people and they have the a1pu-
dence to assert that it is anti-Christian to
separate husband and wife, parent and
child, and then doom them to everlasting
servitude. What force there may be IN
their arguments | leave ii for your read
ers to determine; suffice 1t TO say that
they look upon the detested Yankee with
favor and mauy there are who think the
day Of the millenium is dawniUg.
Through the instrumentality ofa Chris
tian Association in Massachusetts Su
perintendent, Chas. F. Wllders, has been
sent to Fortress Monroe to look after the
interest of the contrabauds who are sup
piled with such assistance as they may
want. Mr.. Wilder, discharges his duties
faithfully with this exception, that no
slave who sought his protection has ever
found his way back to his master. In a
democratic sense this is evidently wrong,
but not knoEiuL Of the process BY which
they become free am not prepared to
pass judgement upon its legality, or un-
Ask the negro who he
belongs to, and he will say almost uni-
versally that his master is In the Rebel
army, "don't know whose l belong to,
Master Wilder says don't belong TO any
body, suppose he knows, guess I'm free.
Don't see why. One things sure, l'm
never going back any more" Were the
war to cease to-day, Slavery has received
such stuuuing blow that it caunot re-
cover. If the independence of the Con-
federacy was acknowledged to-day, still
human Slavery is doomed. This relic of
barbaism must give way under the pres
sure of Christianity, pure philapthrcpy,
and modern civilization. It's great
strength and safety was under the strong
arm of the Federal Government That
shield withdrawn, and no other power
having that institution It's cornerstone,
can save it. Division weakens it, and in
whatever light We may view it its doom
is sealed, and reconstruction, division or
of any kind csnnot avert 1T