Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1863-09-12
The Managers Last Kick.

1t has long been our firm conviction that
Mr.. jeff Davis and his coniederates were
destined to live in History as the greatest
practical Abolitionists that the world has
ever known. We do not undervalue the
services of Messrs. Wendell Phillips, Lloyd
Garrison and others, to the cause of Eman-
cipation: they have been faithful 10 their
light and have done good work, though
we cannot humor their disposition to claim
as their thunder everything that has been
done for the slave during the last quarter
of century Mr. Gerrit Smith, too, has
done his part manfully; SO have Giddings,
Lovejoy, Jay, Sumner, ana Others, done
theirs. But the Calhoun Nulitiers, whereof
Yancey, Floyd, Barksdale, &c, have recent
ly gone. to their account, and of whom JEFF.
Davis, Wise, Rhett, Rufiin, De Bow &c,
are the living heads, were the boys to pull
down on their own reckless heads the idol
temple which they seemed so intent on ele-
waiting and Strengthening. And if-as now
seems probable-they have just resolved on
arming the slaves in Dixie for a last despe-
rate effort in behalf of Disunion, they have
brought the end visibly, palpably near.
The statements of correspondent in Wash
ington, which we publish in another column
are positive on this point, and as we know
his sources of information are usually trust
worthy we can see no reason to doubt them
in this instance.
That the Confederates armed negroes at
the outset of their rebellion we have already
shown. They did SO in Mobile, even before
the battle of Bull Run. They did so in
Louisiana, before one negro had been allow
ed to put on the uniform of the United
States, and black regiments had an honora-
BILE position in their grand parade in the
Autumn of '6l. They did so in Tennessee,
even before they had openly seeded from
the Union. Theodore Winthrop at Great
Bethel was shot by slave, armed for the
fray by the master, and maddened by the
Rebel ialsehood that the Yankees were con-
ing to steal all the slaves and sell them III
Cuba In fact, the Rebels intended and
fully expected from the outset TO make all
possible use of slaves; it was only our use
of them that they objected to. And then
savage acts and orders directing that Blacks
captured while in arms tor the Union should
be enslaved or put to death, were all based
on the assumption that those negroes were
their slares, who had "reyolted" and were
in "insurrection" against their lawful rulers
and masters And that, it seems, Is crime
which these gentry regard with peculiar
horror
But the Confederates, it seems, have ale
cided to make the plunge. After breaking
up the Democratic party as not sufficiently
Pro-Slavery, and then essaying desperately
to break up the Union ON the same preteXt,
they have at last turned short corner and
resolved to arm and free all their able-bodied
slaves Hitherto, their arming has been
! ftful, local, sporadic henceforth, they arm
Systematically, universally. And whereas
| they have always hitherto boasted OF the
| devotion OF the negroes to their masters and
their horror of Yankees and Abolitionists
they now betray their perfect consciousness
| of the utter ialsity of these pretenses, 10y
declaring that every slave they arm shall
have his freedom.
1t will be idle to seek To conceal, even
| from the most stolid, that this is in effect ar
| edict of Universal Emancipation. One
, Hundred Thousand men-much less Two
| Three, Five Hundred Thousand-will never
lay down their arms leaving their wives aud
children in bondage. 1T is the first stel
that costs and that decides all that follow
A Government that recruits and maintains
u negro army from among the slaves subject
TO its sway must be practically Anti slavery
no matter what might be iIs choice. The
Rebellion, calling the slaves In arms to ~
aid, is compelled to sacrifice slavery
Paint an inch thick, to this complexion
must he come al last Ace Tors Ir'oHHs