The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-01-04

'Coi. JoEH CoCzzANR on our WAR Pol.
Iog ON 1as SLAVE QUEsFION-A GREAl
MIsEAKh-In cur published report (which
We have no doubt Is coTrectj Of the re,
maEkable speech delivered by Col. John
COchrane to his regiment-we find thess
observations, to witt
"SuppOss," said the speaker, tour ar.
nv encounters mYTiads of cotton bales
and we are able to export those cotton
bales TO Europe and receive from them
millions upon millions Of the Sinews o.
war, do you say We should not seize thC
cottOni No. You are clear upon thai
point. Suppose that the munitions o.
war, aud subsistence for the army art
within our reach, would we not be guilty
Of shameful neglect were we not to ap
propriate them to our own use? Ger.
tainly We would Suppose the enemy
advances sgaiRaA you, would you, from
any squeamishhess, from any false delica.
cy, refrain from leveling the hostile gun
ard proStrating them in dcathH No. II
is your object, it is your purpose. Then
If you seize their property, il you open
their ports, il you destroy their lives, |
ask you whether you will not seize their
slaves! Task you whether you will not
arm their slaves, and whether you will
not carry them by battallions into war
against their mastersl"
This proposition is repeated in another
part Of the speech, in which, il general
confscatiOn Of the property of rebels will
not bring them back to their old allegiance
to the Union, Col, COchrane says" Do
al this, and, il that be not sufficient, take
the slave by the hand, place 4 musket in
it, and bid MIN in Gods name strike for
the freedom Of the human race" TGreat
cheering.] Now, we say, that in this
radical aud startling proposition, Colonel
Cochrane has committed a great mistake.
What would be the consequences of a
general arIning of the slaves against their
maStersH The bloody scenes of St. Do
mingo oil over the South, involving the
most horrible atrocities of savage violence
and butchery upon the helpless women
aud children of the white race, and a say.
age war of determination Of both whites
ard blacks With the South thus wasted
and depopulated by fire and sword, would
our Government be able to control our
armies in the divisions Of the spoils of the
rich and extensive regions Of farms and
plantations thus falling into their hands
No. Our armies would appropriate those
unOccupied Southern lands, hold them
against the Government itself, and set up
for themselves nm independent Southern
COnfederacy for would not the tempta-
tions to this course be too strong to be
resisted! Arm the slaves ? No! Col.
Onel Cochrane, no! That way leads US
to universal slaughter and an indefinite
reign of anarchy. Our true policy, and
our only safe policy, is that Of President
Lincoln" the integrity of the Union. y
What says General Sherman in his ad.
dress to the people Of South Carolina p
Mark bis words" CarOlinians, we have
come among you as loyal men, fully i'm
pressed with our Constitutional obliga-
tons to the citizens of your State. Those
obligations shall be performed as far asin
our power; but be not deceived" He
implOres them to pause and reflect; he
warns them that this rebellion will be put
down. He speaks not as ruthless inva-
der who has come among them to waste,
piliage and destroy, but as benefactor
whose mission it is to Save and restore all
the blessings Of good Government which
those foolish people have thrown away.
There can be no necessity, in any event,
to arm the slaves of the South against
the masters. We can employ the slaves
of rebel masters in much better way
The shovel, the hoe, the rake and the
woodlands axe are the proper tools to put
into the hands Of the slave. While our
army is necessarily engaged in consuming
and destroying, let us at least keep the
slaves Of rebels falling into our hands
employed in the work Of producing and
saving.-N !. Herald.
The atrocious war policy" thus pro-
lnulSated by Col. Cochrane, received the
cordial and emphatic approval of Secreta.
~ Cameron, who was present when the
speech was made. Are we to infer from
this that the Administration is preparing
to change front on this rnomcntous queS.
ton and make the war avOwedly an abo-
lition crusade?-N. II. Patriot.