The Shasta courier., 1862-01-11
abOli,ionism of slavery.

few weeks ago we took occasion to re-
mark that Davis L Co. had done, and we're
doing. more for the cause of abolitionism in
this country than the fercest and most mer-
c;Iess of the advocates of that heresy had
ever done or could accomplish. In saying
40. the idea and fixed belief of all men,. not
vet crazy over the rebellion, were expressed.
A majority of the people of this country are
of the opinion that this Government is more
valuable than that institution, and they Will
fght pray or die for its perpctuIty, even II
freeing the slaves is one Of the results OF the
struggle. Keeping it in mind that this re-
bcllion was causelessly commenced by DAVIS
and the miserable band of desperate adyen-
turers who have stirred up the fray, that
they fred the first gun, it is easy to see that
if abolitionism results as one of the incidents
of the contest, the deed for good or ill, is the
doing of the conspirators. What but this
will or can be the result Slaves are prop
erty, and being such, are as unquestionably
the subject of confscation as a mule or a
horse, The right and duty of belligerent
to coniscate the property of the enemy, is
equally clear 1t is, therefore seen, that the
Government will confscatc to its own use, if
it sees proper, for such purposes as it pleas
es, not only the slaves, but all other proper
ty of rebels in arms against it. This is the
way of waging.wa and it is too late to dis.
cuss its merits or justice. As they have
sown, so must they reap. They wage war
for slave extension and protection, and the
people, loyal to law, strictly antagonist that
idea, and say that they will neither extend
or protect it.
This is question of a nations life, and
all platforms give way before it. When this
war is closed there will not be slave in the
revolted States. Not one. Who will have
been benefited? Not the South, for it will
be a ruin and a wreck. Not the individual
slave holding rebel, for by a law known to all
nations, his property and substance have
been coniscatcd. Nothing can be gained
and everything will be assuredly lost. We
would not debase this contest for natior Is
honor into strife for the liberties of the
slaves of the South, but if in contending for
the existence of the nation, the eradication
of the institution results as one Of the Incl
dents of the war, SO let it be, This coarse
of remark has been suggested by the follow
ing opposite observations which are found in
the Nevada Democrat of recent date
I" Slowly but surely is the march of the
war toward gbolitionism" So says the
Marysville Express, and we think the asser..
ton is not far from correct. Under the i'm.
preston that slavery was the cause of the
rebellion, and that on edict of emancipation
would speedily suppress the revolt, thou
sands, and perhaps hundreds of thousands,
who never before harbored thought of in.
terferifg with the institution where it exists,
would gladly hail an act declaring every
We in the revolted States free. There is
vone way to stop the progress of aboli-
an at is. for the rebels to FAY down
-.nelr arms aaad return to their allegiance to
tha Government. The sooner they do this the
better for the interests OF the slave owners
In the eight months since hostilities COM
menced, Missouri, Kentucky, Western Vir-
ginia. Maryland and Delaware have practi--
cally been added to the list of free States !;
and in view of what has been effected, we
arc forced to the conclusion that a cOntinu-
ance of the war three or four years longer
will pretty effectually wipe out the "pecu-
liar institution