Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1862-03-21
Washington Correspondence Of the Fremont Journal
Letter from Washington.
WAsnISorov, March l2, 1862.

Washington Correspondence Of the Fremont Journal
Letter from Washington.
WAsHISeToN, March l2, 1862.
Mr. EDIroR:-The recent message Of the
President sent into Congress touching the sub
iect of gradual emancipation, was the cause Of
considerable comment-the radical Republicans
being quite surprised as well as favorably i'm
pressed by its significance. The Border Slave
State men, some of whom cursed few, were
not at all comforted by the presentation of such
document at this time They have been en-
deavoring to have the Confscation bill shaped
in such a manner as to have the slaves of rebels
placed on a level with other common property,
and have them sold in behalf of Government
in the same way. In other words, they want a
con6scaton act passed in which Government
will not reserve to itself any title or interest in
the slaves of rebels, but will leave them, like
other property, to be sold and disposed of ac-
cordng to the legislative enactments in each of
the respective slave States.
Two things would be gained by such an act
First, the slaves would be retained in each of
the States in which they now are. They would
be sold and purchased at war prices, which are
not more than one-fourth what they were before
the war broke out, and in this way nice spec
ulation might be realized by those ready to take
advantage of this state Of things.
There is not the least doubt that the price of
slave property will advance when peace is
achieved, very materially on what it is now,
and, also, that those who have slaves will cling
as closely to them as ever. The other point
gained, would be to retain, as nearly as possible
the same representation in the House of Repre-
sentatives 1t is supposed by those who have
good means of knowing, and who are Southern
men too that the rebels own nearly three -fourths
of the slaves. We will suppose they own only
one-half Taking away two millions Of slaves
would deprive the South of quite force in the
House of Representatives. Hence the necessity
of trying to have slaves treated as common
property.
To aid them in this NATTER the Border State
men rely mainly on recreant Republicans in
Congress, of whom, am sorry to say there are
more here than will do either service or honor
to the Republican party or Administrations
They are just the kind of men from whom the
cOmpromsers of Ohio wish to select candidate
to succeed Mr.. Wade.
would not have you understand, when say
Border Slave State men, that include Mr.
johnson, of Tennessee. Compared with them
he probably stands alone on the question of sla-
very. Whatever his opinions may have been
heretofore, he now holds that after lberating the
white men from rebel dominion, we may then
begin to emancipate the slaves as fast as we can
by a humane and christian colonization. He is
strongly in favor of total separation of the
two races.
On the subject of compromise and reorgan-
zation of the Government, he is, and has been,
most firmly determined that no act or word OF
his shall countenance either one or the other
and he has since the assembling of Congress
repeatedly expressed his fear that the unaccount-
able delay in army operations on part of both
armies was induced by the hope that our lead
ers would back down and accept an ignomoni-
Gus compromise. On this question he felt as
keenly as any Northern man could feel, indeed
may add, that his feelings, as manifested in his
conversations the subject of compromise
would put to shame three-fourths ofour North
ern falsely called Democrats very many o
whom think and declare compromise to be NOR
desirable than our present war with all its con
sequences.
10 show the great estimation in which h,
holds our institutions applicable to the whit,
race, he said, talking on that subject three week.
since, that sooner than have our Government
destroyed, he would abolish slavery all over oul
Country. Nay, more, he would annihilate the
existence of every slave in the Union. Yes, he
would go farther he would, in addition, sink
the whole continent of Africa sooner than have
lnehe our ttACtuCtOftd OF JFcc ScJ gOOcI-
nent as he justly calls them endangered, if they
could not by any other means be saved to bles:
the human family.
His opinion has been that Slavery, if it stood
! in the way of crushing out the rebellion, SHOULD
at once be crushed But if this did happen, il
would happen as an incident of the war, and al
just men would make distinction between al
object to be accomplished and an incident o
that object. The main object should not be los
| lcin af mt of ri IN nf nt nh
ject and if slavery falls, those who rendered
the main object necessary, should be held re
sponsible for all the incidents of that same object
There is no party of any size, indeed | may
safely say there is no one. about Congress who
desires to make this war for the determination
of slavery. The most rabid men we have OF
| the subject of slavery, would be well satisfied
to know that gradual emancipation was receiv
ing candid consideration.
A bill passed the Senate a day or two since
making provisions for the employment of th,
thirty thousand slaves who have been deserted
by their masters in South Carolina, during thu
present year in the cultivation of Cotton anC
other crops. From the manner in which Gov
eminent work is managed, and from the desti
tute condition in which these slaves are left,
needs no prophet to see that it will cost Gov
ernment not only all that they will raise throug
the ensuing year, but probably twenty five o
thirty dollars per head extra
Now, if instead of thirty thousand we had tn
whole four millions thrown on our hands, Gov
eminent would have about as troublesome
charge to manage as it ever had before, this re
bellion excepted To break up the established
foundations of society among twelve million
of people is not SO easily done, especially whel
we come to put the figures to work, and see how
business arrangements are to be made SO as t
benefit one party and injure the other as littl
as possible. Gradual emancipation is the onl