Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-12-18
WHITTIER ARE WE TENDING ?

It is barely possible that a war for the aboli-
ton Of slavery may accomplish that object but
it is entirely certain that it could never result
in the reconstruction of the Union. Unless
Presiden. Lincoln heeds the ramonstranee Of
the people, made through the elections, and
modihss the intention announced in his Septem-
Der proclamation, the war, under his direction
becomes, after the lst Of January, an svoaed
contest Tor the abolition of slavery Marx tho
language of the proclamation, which we here
quote: L, Abraham Lincoln, President OF
the United States of America and commander
in-chiet of the army and navy theTsf, do hereby
proclaim and declare that on the first day
Of January, in the year Of our Lord one thou
sand eight hundred and sixty three, all persons
held as slaves in any State, or any designated
part of State, the people whereof shall then
be in rebellion agsinst the United States shall
be then, thencefOrward and forever free, and the
executive government of the United States, in
cluding the military and naval authority thereof
will recognize and maintain the freedom of such
persons"
Il must be apparent TO every psrssu capable
Of apprecistng the force Of language that if
the iatention here avsw ed is not rsaouHced by
timely withdrawal, the President stands pledged
to maintsiHf by the strong arrs Of the military
power, the freedom Of every slave who shall be,
on the first Of January, resident in any State or
part Of a STATE in rebellion, and to secure that
freedom to every such slave forever. This com
nits ths executive branch Of the government to
pretract the war for ths abolition Of slavery,
even if all the rebel States should at mid-wintsr
ctfsr complete submission 70 the Union IS 1t
stsod on the day 81 President Lincoln'5 election.
Mr. lincoln engages TO employ the land and
naval fsrces Of the country 70 accomplish an
oFiect confessed-y inconsistent with the rights
eI Dyed by the States under the Constitution,
and to repel every prOff-r Of allegiance which
shall be unaccOmpsRied by renuacistion Of
sll tile to ownership in slaves.
The country awaits the forthcoming annual
message, hoping 70 learn from il that the Presi-
dent has absolved himself from a promise so
manifestly inconsistent with the objects for
which, by his own a7owals, the war has here
tofore been prosecuted. If this hope is disap-
pointed that man must be either an enthusiast
or a simpleton who expects the war to have any
other termination than the dreadful catastrophe
of final dissolution Of the Union. Il is certain
that the States in rebellion can never be so
thoroughly whipped sE to become cOnssnting
parties to the oblissraOn Of this species Of prop
orly. Having no longer anything to gain by
yielding, Considering the possibility Of for
eign iutervenGon) always something to hope
from further resistance, they will not give up so
long IS there is boy, an old man OF even NC
man left that can handle muslSet. The sis{ j. can
never be emanciDate1 without the nameess hOr-
rOTs of g ssryie war; probably not even then.
Southern Yindictiveness would be lashed into
ten fold fury The relentless cruelty which is
the offspring Of fear would cause the Southern
arms to be turned against the blacks the mo
ment the danger Of negro instructions became
formidable. When the last hope of retaining
their property vanished the m8ddened rebels
would at least try to make sure of protecting
their wives and children from brutality and mas
acre. They would shoot down the slaves with
as little conjunction as they would mad dogs.
Ia such struggle it is difficult TO say which race
would hays the worst Of it. The masters are
the more numerous party they have arms IN
their hands and are good msrkSmen. O1 ths
other hand, the negroes have no property to lose
and few boxes of friction matches would en-
able them to make the night hideous with the
blaze of burning dwellings, out-houses and
| fences,
1. is to these terrible and revolving scenes
that the abolition policy of President Lincoln
inevitably tends We know something Of the
fell discrimination of the rebels history tells Us
sometAug Of the uncomfortable terocItY OF the
/ negro race when the passions OF their savage
| ancestors are rekindied in flei. hearts. II the
| negroes sheuld prove true to their masters,
emancipation is impossible Of course. Bat II
thew ara melted either Oy nauVe impulses OF
abolition Vaccinations 10 turn against them, an
interneeine struggle between the two races is
inevitable The sweet heavens could not weep
friendly rain enough 10 wash out the blood and
extinguish the coDhsgrai0ns OF this demoniscsl
strife Once whet the taste for blood, once
kindle the confagrston and no mortal ken can
discern the full mag nitude of the resulting hor-
rors.
To this the war, as Mr.. Lincoln proposes to
wage it after New Years, inevitably tends
Foreign nations, whea they learn from the
Presidents annual message that his pur-
| pose to make good his proclamation is
/ fixed, will put themselves in a position
/ to protest in TIE iatsrest Of our c0mmoR hu-
manity against the continuance Of so strocious
| 8 contest. The moral sense Of the civilized
world would Justify their Intervention al
nations have common interest in upholdine
| the ameioTated usages Of Christian warfare
It is madness TO suppose that there would Dc
any further hope for the Union after the great
European powers had interP0sed for the pro-
lection Of the South. If the administration
confssses conscious insbility to put down the
rsbellion as against the South alone, so lOae
as slavery stands, how can it expect TO sue
esed when tie South is reinforced By powers
which eau raise the blockade, supply the IN
/ surgeuts with money, arms, aud soldiers, anC
cripple our resources by annihilating our com