Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-01-30
ghs gutlaud 9erald.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS es
THURSDAY MORNING, JAN. so, 1862
EMANCIPATION ONCE MORE.


EMANCIPATION ONCE MORE,
The vergennes yermonter deyotes two
solanAs In reply to the HERALD in regard
to the emancipation policy; and neither sue
s-eds in defining its own policy and views
With accuracy, nor in correctly stating our
own. Our readers win bear in mind that
the position We have assumed is exactly this /:
We oppose the policy Of universal emancipa-
ton as the declared end and aim OF the war.
The reasons which we have urged in behalf
Of the correctness and expediency of that POI
sition we do not propose now to reoapitulate
In repl. ing to us the Vermonter very uncan-
ddly says: .......t..e,.. .........., .t,..e
aThe New York Express has character.
i,ed the petition prepared and circulated by
the1dilor of the Post, and others, as a petit
ton for abolishing the Constitution. The
bunker element Of the North never seemed
to think that the Constitution meant anything
else but slavery, /. e., anything of much I'M
portance, and that was what brought us into
our present difficulties, The ,criter in the
Herald seems 10 os1.Ls on that assumption
Slavery is the cause Of the rebellion - the
Union is not broken up-tbe Constitution is
still in force in all the rebellious States--we
would hang the traitors who violate the Con-
stitution, therefore We should not violate it
what he means Is, that II could be a piola-
hon Of the Consultation on our part to set the
s!apss ~ rebels free. Here the sacredness of
slavery in The oriter's brain shoes its uqiy
Ased," ~
What the Vermonter says in relation to
our arguing upon the assumption that the
Constitution means nothing of much impor-
lance but slavery" and of "the sacredness
II slavery in the writer's brsln," may 90 for
what il is worth. The opinions w...,cb me me
Herald holds in regard to the accursed insti-
futon Of human bondage are too well known,
and have been too consistency snd earnestly
expressed to justify the Vermonter in max
ing such asseverations, 1t Is the loose talk
of the stump,-tne cheap twaddle of the pol
itieian, whether the Vermonter intended it
as such or not, 1t is enough to say that the
Vermonter Is driven to a gross mlsrepresen-
tation of our position, in order TO lay the
foundation of charging us with being allied
With "the bunker element OF the Morrill,
The Vermonter says that what the Herald
means is that it would be violation of the
constitution to set the slaves of rebels free"
The Herald means no such thing, nor has it
said any such thing, or anything tantamount
thereto. On the contrary its position has
been the very reverse. In the article to
which the Vermonter replies Qhe authorship
Of which it falsely and impertinently attrib-
sites to Vim. T Nichols, Esq., we said
.Now, we are in favor of this policy, in
brief; that slaves shall, for the purposes of
this war, and in its prosecution, be treated
precisely upon the footing Of other property,
being the exact status which the rebels them
selves give to it. We Douid therefore have IL
subject to confscation like other pro f,srty.-
We tcould not hare our army return fugi-
fipe slape any more than ICE ,o0nid have 1t re-
turn a fugitive horse from the enemy,-and
such we understand to be the distinct policy
Of President Lincoln"
So far from maintaining that 1t would be
unconstitutional to &" set the slaves of rebels
free" il will be seen from the above para.
graph which we quote from the Herald o.
one week ago, that we insisted that the slaves
of rebels shall be subject to confscation like
ether property, 1t is said that Senator Da-
Wis of Kentucky will soon introduce bill
With suct provision therein, and that it will
have the sanction of President Lincoln and
all his cabinet, as i, should and doubtless
will have, the support of every truly loya
man in the country 1t is not such policy
that we oppose at all. 1t is far different from
the policy of universal emancipation, to be
made applicable to loyal shareholders alike
with disoyal; to the loyal States of Mary
land, Kentucky and Missouri alike with the
dasloyal States of South Carolina, Georgia
and Alabama. The latter policy we have
SPpooVu oHu eur uo opPooc' ~ uoSs HUI
commend itself TO our judgment as being
either practicable or polite. 1t is the small
party in the Northern staies which does adj
vocate it, that we have denounced and OPP
posed as putting itself in opposition to Pres
ident Lincoln, iomenting division in the
North, and increasing the warlike spirit Of
opposition in the rebe!lious States. 1t is this
policy which we hold TO be unconstitutional
and directly opposed to the principles of the
Republican Party What CONSTITUTIONS
right has Congress to pass an act emacipa'
ting, for instance, the slaves Of loyal citi-
ZEN in the loyal State Of Kentucky p
Congress may con6scate the property Of
rsbsl, including bis slaves, whether he be I
citizen Of loyal Kentucky or rebellious Souti
I..k H. ~, - - <spkho