Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-06-06
From the Newpuryport Herald, June 4

EMANCIPATIoN.-The Boston Post saws
they should like to see this question fairly
presented, and have those in favor of contin-
Jung the war for emancipation take one side,
and those who would continue it only to pre-
serve the constitution and the Union the 9TH
er. The Post evidently feels, as every man
who watches ''the signs of the times" must,
that the emancipation party is every day in
creaslng. If men were called upon to saw
whether they would continue the war for
emancipation, the majority would say no; but
very many say this is not a war caused bv
us. We have been forced into the field: let
us now cut up the root of the matter and Sc
cure the country against future disturbance"
Put the question in the form the Post does,
and those who sympathize with the Post and
would have the government restored-the
Union saved and the constitution preserved
without regard to slavery, might have the ma
Jority; but put it III another form, and inquire
how many there are who would restore the
Union, preserving the equality of the states
under the constitution as expounded by the
supreme court of the United States-so that
South Carolina should again be the equal of
MassachuSettS-in other words return us all
to the exact condition we held previous to
November last-slavery remaining as it was
then-and we should find that a great change
in public sentiment had taken place. This
locality Is the most conservative of any sec
ton OF Massachusetts and we see how it is
here. The men who Il year ago talked of
compromise, would scorn it to-day; and
those who talked of the rights of states
demand that the rebellion shall be swept
away If we are forced to Subjugate the
whole country and hold it by a standing
army. In other words every where there
is increased hatred to the traitors, and in
creased hostility to their institutions and state
of society. And this goes on from day to day,
and to all human appearance its volume and
force are destined to increase. We state this
as simple fact, without designing to offer a
single comment thereon. year ago if Mr..
Lincoln had proposed emancipation it would
have bred rebellion in the north; to-day, if he
should declare it, one half at least would hail
it gladly, and the remainder would submit to
it silently; and let the war go on till next No
vember, and upon our souls we believe a dec
laration of emancipation to all slaves in the
country would be hailed by the ringing of
bells, the firing of guns, and bonfires on all
the hills, as the anniversary of national indie
pendence is greeted.
We have declared over and over again our
own opinion on this matter; but it is of no
use to blind ourselves and fool ourselves on
the present state of public sentiment and the
feeling that this war does and will generate.
The safety of the south was in the Union; if
it puts itself without that, it will tall and per-
ish; the safety of the south was in peace and
law; on resorting to war and revolution it
lays Itself open to ten thousand assaults.
What the future will bring forth no one can
say with any degree of positiveness but tax
ing the facts as they are, we look forward to
confiscation Of property, emancipation of
slaves, and the desolation of the south, as the
almost inevitable consequences of the course
OF present events. The only thing that can
stay the tide is an uprising Of the Union men
Of the south to bring the war to speedy ter
mination As yet they have not appeared;
and if they do not, the immediate end of the
war can not be expected nor the consequences
foretold. Every day of war renders the res
toration of the old order of things more diff
cult; and it may even become impossible be
fore many weeks shall pass.