East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1862-09-30
Tin C Emancipation Proclamation.
From the Providence Post

From the Providence Post
The abolitionists demand that the
President issue proclamation emanci-
pating all the slaves of the South. Our
reply to their demand has been, first.
that the President has no right, under
the constitution of the country, or un
der the laws of nations, as interpreted
and con.ended for by this government,
to issue such proclamation; and,
secondly, that such measure, even if
it should be tolerated by the other civ.
llized Powers of the world, would not
tend to promote the establishment of
Federal authority in the seeded States.
We have said that this experiment, so
revolving to the civilization of the pres.
ent age, has been twice tried on small
scale, IN our own country; that in both
instances the sentiment of our country
revote1 at so barbarous a measure; and
that in both the Influence was favorable
to the cause II was intended to injure.
Both in the war of the Revolution, and
in the war of 1912, proclamations were
issued offering freedom to all slaves who
might JOIN the British cause or come
within their lines, and were responded
to by a very few of the most degraded
of our colored population. Yet such
was the effect of this proof of barbar
ism and madness upon our own people
that The cause of our country was ac
tually promoted by it.
We have referred to the controversy
which grew out of this measure by of
ficers of the British government in the
war of lsl2l5 and have quoted the
language of John Quincy Adams, then
Secretary of State, and speaking for
the government, rs follows: "They (the
Britlsh) had no right to make any such
lemancipation) promises to the negroes.
The principle is, that the emancipation
of an enemy's slaves is not among the
acts of legitimate war; as relates to the
owners, it is destruction of private
property nowhere warranted by the
usages of war" Again, FIVE years af:
terw ards, Mr.. Adams most emphatic
ally denies the right of bellgerent to
emancipate slaves. He says "No such
right is acknowledged as a law of war
by writer's who admit any limitation
] he right Of putting to death all per.
sons in cold blood, aud without special
cause, might as well be pretended to be
law of war, or the right to use poi.
soned weapons, o. to assasslnate. y
l his is John Qnincy Adams in 1915
and 1920.
But we are not, to day, dealing with
what transpired during or subsequent
to the war of 1912. We wish to call the
readers attention to the war of the
Revolution. In l775, Lord Dunmore,
the British Governor of Virginia, hav.
ing been expelled from that colony by
the people, after playing the part of spy
and tyraut, undertook to regain his ari
thority and promote the interests Of the
British government, 10y Offering freedom
to all slaves who would rise and assist
him. How well he succeeded, let his
tory decide. We quote from that ex.
celent authority, extolled by Jefferson
and the elder Adams, Botta's "History
of the war of the Independence of the
United States of America" edition of
1926, volume 1st, page 230:
"Lord Dunmore proclaimed martial
law; tho effect of which would have
been to suspend all civil authority ia the
province. He eyhGrted the loyalists to
repair to the royal standard; to retain
in their hands tho contributions due to
the crown, as we'll as other taxes, until
the re establishment of peace. More
over, he declared free all slavcs or serv.
ants, black or aohite, proriicd they
slsouM take arms and join til, royal
troops.
"This proclamation, and especially tho