The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1862-12-25
Slavery as IN war Power.

| iatai weakness OF the South Southern
society was pyramid on its yertcx, just
ready to topple over Il sleeping volcano,
ever threatening eruption Ies, but
strong arms may hold an inverted pyr;,-
mid upright, and there is i stability
| which even volcanic forces cilfinot disturb.
Fear and irresoiugion on the part Of the
! dominant race Of the South would have
! invited insurrection bat that race has
/ shown that ii knows how to rule aud Use
| is four millions Of j ir!can slaves even
amid the couvulsious el war, and has
/ he'd them ia lis grasp with un altering
/ courage and unyieldimS determiuation.-
/ Embollened 5y eightoen months OF safe
| ~ aud success. it exu,tingiy l.rocaims TO
the North its SUI erior ability to endure a
! Droi oiracted war ~ cause rs armies are not
drawn ir,m It's laborin% Classes.
| 1t is the testimony ui the best informed
/ refugees Within our Ines that the whole
available working force OF slaves through
out the Rebel States has been employed
! early and late, the season through, in
raising corn and rice, and whatever caa
| be used for the Subsistence ut the Rebel
army. Those who could he spared from
this task have been kept at work day and
night when danger Was thou .h: III he
most imminent The slaves, that Is, have
both led the Rebel armies and relieved
/ them tron much OF the fatigue which has
exhausted our uwn soldiers. The inst
tuition which WAS the inspiration Of the
Rebellion in Its origin, supplies it still
with its means OF support.
Nrver,h eiess, 1t l. as true as ever that
Slavery is the vulnerable point Of the
rebellion. Bu. vulnerable points are not
dangerous il! your enemy viii tot strike
them. " hen the war broke ora, the
Goverumcn; honestly sought 70 save the
Union and Slavery to.@tncr; but con-
vinced finally thar Iiuvery or the Union
must 90 TO pieces, the resident ;.nHoua-
ced his Emancipation policy. The cxper-
i.:ient Of fighting the South with one
hand, aud With the oti er uyholding the
sy>teiu which i lie source of its strength,
is about 10 be abandoned. The system
has been source OF strength only he-
cause 1t has teen protected. or has not
| been attacked. nor been used IS Il means
| OF developing internal diScord and weak
ness, as it would have been fram the ont
set If the war had bcen con1ucted nn nli-
itary principles, Gr like war with for
eiou nation.
The policy Of the Southern leaders,
con :ernin- Slavery has been, IS We said
above. sanguine and bold but it has pro-
cceded from the bceiniiiu. on the :sssQItiU-
ton, hitherto justified hy the facts, that
the Federal Government was precludcd
by the Constitution ,lnd hy public opin-
ION mt tie North from ussaisirg the it-:i-
tuition, u c have unw t. eee whether the
saEtc resources will avail them when our
hands are free 10 strike at the point We
know Ia be weakest. We have vet much
to learn a"d unlearn before We en - the
hear. Of his question bat we tro-.iu to
di-c that the Scu.h knows better than
we the real trnth and that cur purposes
may well take counsel oi' their fears
They know .ilat the II, grn il rot in all
re poets aiI article OF merchandise. or a
III ,h ne for w,rl that hs has senses,
atliecripss. passions is capable Of resent
meut. alive tp hope. and may even be
reused to fight Tor the freedom which has
been the dream OF his bondage. "If lou
wrong Us, shall We not revenge? If we
are like you in the rest, we will resemble
ynu in that
There are thus four millions Of human
beings within the Rebel States whose
interests and hopes are identified not
with their cause, but ours We have
hitherto refused to summon these allies
to our side The Proclamation invites
them. 1t its only results should be 10
deprive the South of It's laborers. the
blow would be the heaviest vet struck at
the life Of the Rebellion But it cannot
stop there We may DO all that the
South has done aud more. They have
won their victories by the help Of his nod in
the corn field and his spade IN the trenches
The hoe shall till and the spade shall
dig fnr Us. but the hands that WELD them
can hold amu@kct a!s1. he Rebels have
used Slavery as an iI',trumeut of war. so
lar a. they daIed, We are ahaut u make
it our instrument, aud to turn ii to uses
OF which they never dared to dieam. We
it. We are already arning black re4i- /
meutS in South Carolina, IN Kansas, in |
Louiaaua ] is Il war Ia which we take I
no step back ward. The Government is T
irrevocahly pledged to this Ioijcy. 1t
cannot reccde, cannot stand still. can 0uiy +
advance The Proclamation Is It's policy ;
the organization aud arniine Of the blacks I
y hoa it frees vii. be the inevitable T
development and results Of the Prociana-
inn And when The South sees it, plan /
tations dePopuIated ana It's slaves in arms
against the Rebellion which only they j
it viii learn that its last hope ,
of success has finally departed.
r2y~ 4 merchant from the interior Of .
describes the people as suffer /