The national Republican., 1862-07-24
EDITORIAL ooRRnsPOHDnHCn.

EDITORlAL oORREsPOHDHNCn.
AUGUSTA, MAINE, July q, 1864.
30 far % have been able 10 gather public
sentiment, between Washington and this city, I
Is not fhvesabls 10 ~ nsw movement Il u,
present tine, in The directions Of appropria
tions Of moesy for ~ psrchase q slavsA
an perfectly patis6sd MAT Oongss, In refsllnl
10 entertain that suggestion, will b sussainet
BY the country.
The recent negotiations between the Presi
dsot aad ~ ssaason md Representative
from the border slave States, have created un
pleasant Impressions - TO the disposition o
~ lastsr. II b felt that the President wSs On
utlsd 10 hstssr trsatment than hs has received
from thsn.
Il b only minority Of thoss Representative
who hold ons sooouragsment that they can IN.
dsrtaks 70 do anything In the direction o.
gradual emancipation, and, even - 10 this mi
nority, Il rsprsssots only Delaware, West vir.
ginia. and In part) Missouri. Aftsr oil the ef
forts Of the President, he gets no Response
from Maryland or Ksntuoky. Thk look,
badly.
Until the Ooostitution is changed BY amend.
msnt, Congress hes no power TO appropriate
money for the purchase Of slaves, esospt during
,oar, under As ,oor po,osr, and for ,oar purposes.
II Wa upon this ground, expressly, that the
President suggested the measure of last Spring
which Congress adopted. The argument then
wa and Il did ssd doss appear 10 the country
TO be sound one, that 50 far % We could con.
vert certain States from slave States into free
Staaas, We should destroy the possibility Of
thsir ever joining the Southern Confedsracy,
md 30 fAr sxtiuguish hopes which caused per.
severance in the attempt 70 establish that Con-
But this line Of argument hes no
sssdsocy 10 justify . proposition 70 buy up
slaves after the ,odr Is over.
Iremark, by the way, that II II 10 competent
for Congress, under the war power, a. doubt
not Il is, to extiuguish slavery in any State by
paying for the slaves, Il must be equally com.
petsnt TO extinguish Il In any other way. II
such an extinguishmsnt ID . war necessity at
oil, 1t may be accomplished by any means
The objections TO any further action ct pre-
sent, In respect TO the purchase Of slaves, are
manifold.
It will be time enough to act In that way,
when any State asks us to act, or makes any
distinct proposition.
II It be said that no State will act until an
actual appropriation Is made BY Congress, the
answer is, that II cannot be helped. Nobody
can tell to-day what slaves, considered as q
marketable article, will be worth one, two, or
three years hence, or whether they will be
worth anything. The emancipation Of slaves
BY purchase, and - matter Of purchase, ID not
. thing which can be arranged indefinitely In
advance. To tx today price which holders
Of slaves may refuse a. long as they please,
and then accept when they please, is giving o
"seller's option" which has no precedent In
any transaction in Wall street, or anywhere
else on the vide globe. 1t may be said that
Congress can appropriate whatever the Presi.
dent may consider suitable indemnity Tor the
emancipation Of slaves, to be determined BY
him when the emancipation takes place.
As far as the actual President Ia concerned,
II Is no dIsrespect to him to say that this pro-
position involves the grant Of more power than
ought to be given to any single man whatever.
But, In fact. II Is not contemplated by anybody
that, with the exception Of Delaware, any Of
these border States will voluntarily smancipate
slaves during the present Administration. If,
then, We give this enormous power to the in.
eumbent Of the presidential office, It Is to some.
body hereafter elected; that Is to say, to no
body knows whom.
10 Whatever aspect the case may be viewed,
4 Ia evident that Congress can only act upon
the question OF the amount Of indemnity to be
paid to States for emancipation, when the quss.
ton actually arises. That is soon enough; the
general pledge OF the nation having already
been given that adequate indemnity shall be
provided for States emancipating their slaves
before this war closes.
II is 70 be considered whether the agitation
Of this idea Of payments out of the national
Treasury, for the purpose Of emancipation, does
not have tendency to ripst The chains of The
slaue. / greatly fesr that It has. It gives that
species Of property value which ia artificial
and wholly new, viz: the possibility or proba-
bili,y Of being desired by rich purchaser, the
United States. 1t might happen that, without
this artificial value, slaves would become 90
little desirable % property as to be voluntarily
given up in numerous instances. But masters
will certainly hold on to their chattsls, and
pursue them when they run away, 80 long as
they have the hope of converting them, before
long into United States six per cent. stocks.
W.
EscoURAaISo.-This morning we present our
readers with another Of Gen. Pops's business
like and .war.liks orders. The day Of protecting
and dallying with our enemies is past, and the
order 10 make them take the oath Of allegiance,
and give security for its observance, or leave
for no Sonth vvtll closr ho ~ -oh ~.