Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-12-06

ers will have all the guarantees that they
shall be protected by all the laws of the
land in the possession of the slaves. The
Abolitionist's idea is 10 free, unconditional
", all slaves, whether they belong to loyal
or disloyal masters. Nor is it IN iufrac
ton of the Constitution of the United States,
The President is Commander-in-C Chief of
the Army and Navy, aud it is made his du-
ty alto suppress rebellion and instruction"
These rebels have rights uuder the Con-
stitution, or they have no rights. II they
have rights, the Government is already re-
sponsible for every slave that has escaped
from his master; for every horse that has
been taken, for every bushel of grain.
pound of hay and rod of fence, whether for
the use of the army, or destroyed by it,
According to this proposition, il Gen. Burn.
side should lombard and burn FrRdericks-
burg, every rebel property owner in that
city would be entitled to compensation
The Emperor of Russia burnt the city of
Moscow to prevent his enemy from using it
as shelter from the rigor of winter in
that inhOspitRble climate. Two hundred
thousand men have been slain 10 battle and
by diseases Incident to camp life,-thous-
ands of fathers and mothers mourn the loss
of sous,-widows areelothed in weeds of
neutrality-suspicious. are rendered father
less and left peuniless yet no one raises
the cry of constitutiouality at this; but
when the President sees clearly that the
strength Of the rebellion is in their slaves,
aud issues a proclamation to deprive them
ofthat source of power, it is declared to be
unconstitutional and these objectors place
the right of property in slaves above that
in every other species ofproperty, and even
over the right to life itself.
The President was bouLd, as an honest
man, it in his judgment he could shear the
rebels of their strength and shorten the
war, thereby saving the life of the Uuion,
to Issue the proclamation, even If it should
bring the rebels to beggary. II is a re-
markAble fact, but one well attested, that
those who are loudest in their objections
to the proclamation, have done the least to
sustain the war.
1t Is our duty rs American citizens, the
guardians of the liberties purchased By
our forefhthers and transmitted to us, to
look this subject fairly In the face, and de-
eide between republican liberty, and Afri-
can, or any other kind of slavery We
have heen taught to believe, that God, by
His Divine Providence, bad established
republican freedom in this country, to
show the world, that man is capable of
self government. embrace that great
fact with every faculty of my nature. The
revolution of rs was not a vain thing
The leaders OF the rebellion, after a trial of
81 years, are satisfied that slavery aud re
publican institutions are incompatible.
Many of them are earnest, sincere men.
ThQ think the masses are Incapable OF
elf-government; and as an earnest of their
faith, have inaugurated this rebellion TO
deprive the working classes oftheir rights.
They being the judges, choosing between
DemocIatic institutions and slavery, have
chosen slavery, and have sought TO break
up the Government. We are simply try
ing to preserve the Constitution and the
Union, and to enforce the Laws The
Constitution guarantees to every State
republican form of government, and it is
our duty rs frcemen to stand by our char
ter Of liberty. We know that republican
government has bestowed such blessings
on the free States AS no other people ever
enjoyed; and supposed the same blessings
bad been enjoyed by the SLAVE States. But
those best acquainted with the facts (the
rebels, have decided differently. They are
asked by the President to return 70 their
allegiance under the Constitution NTH
slavery. If they return, slavery is guar
nuteed to them; if they refuse, u republi-
can form of government will be given to
every State, WITHOUT slavery, and every
right any loyal man has in the South will
be guaranteed to him under the Consti,u-
ton. Butif, perchance, loyal mau in the
South should suffer, it only adds another
one to the thousands of cases of COOL men
suffering by their associations with or prox-
unity to, bad men. To consent to di-
vision of the Union is to consent to the de.
structiOn of Constitutional liberty; and to
treat with rebels on any terms short of I'M
conditional submission, is trifing with the
lives aud happiness of the thousands who
have been rendered penniless by this re-
belliOn. To estimate, properly, the enor-
nifty of the crime of this war against our
liberties, you should visit the army, the
hospitalsfUr the sick and convalescent; you
should hear the wall ofthe widow and orph.
an, bereft of their protector slain upon the
battle field, or who yielded up his life in the
hospital. 1t is only by being brought in
contact with such scenes OF misery and
woe, the natural consequences flowing
from the uuholy ambition o: the leaders Of
the rebellion, that you can form a correct
idea of the baseness OF the crime attempt-
ed to be Perpetrated upon our people.
Nor is the proclamation in conflict With
the declaration of the President and the
resolution of both houses of Congress, in
the commencement of this struggle, viz
"that the prosecution of war against the
rebels was not to abolish slavery" Il was |
nece'sity, forced upon the COMMANDMENTS |
Chief by the pertinacity with which they
waged the war for the destruction of the |
government. The idea, too, that its pro
mitigation would increase the desperation
of the rebels and protract the war, is equal |
ly fallacious. Their desperation cuImina- |
ted in their conscript laws, before the pro-
clamatton was issued, and since its issue, |
dismay and despair are visible in the tone |
of their press and army, and in the innu- |
merable desertion Of their soldiers.
Gentlemen, it only requires unauimity of 4
action and determination of purpose, such |
determination as is felt by freemen, alone,
in lighting for constitutional liberty, TO |
crush out, speedily, the rebellion and re.
store peace to our distracted country. At |
one period during the past season, our cause